South Africa ramped up the physicality to defeat Italy 49-3 in Shizuoka on Friday, crushing opponents reduced to 14 men for most of the second half and moving above them and New Zealand to the top of Rugby World Cup Pool B in the process.
The Springboks have never failed to reach the quarterfinals of the Rugby World Cup, and they all but erased that possibility at this tournament with a display of controlled brutality at Shizuoka Stadium.
The ever-dangerous Cheslin Kolbe scored a try in each half and Bongi Mbonambi, Lukhanyo Am, Makazole Mapimpi, R.G. Snyman and Malcolm Marx also crossed to comfortably earn the two-time World Cup winners a bonus point.
Italy’s already tricky task became nigh on impossible when they had prop Andrea Lovotti sent off for dropping Duane Vermeulen on his head in the 43rd minute, and their slim hopes of progressing to the knockout stage now rest on beating the All Blacks for the first time.
– More to come