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5 Talking Points | SA v Italy: Should Boks Have Been Penalised in Bizarre Kick-Off Ploy?
GQEBERHA, SOUTH AFRICA, JUL 12 – South Africa employed deliberate infringements and innovative maul tactics to secure their 45-0 win, prompting criticism from Italy's coach for perceived disrespect during the Test.
- South Africa defeated Italy 45-0 on the weekend using innovative and controversial tactics during their match held recently.
- The Springboks began with a kick-off routine involving Andre Esterhuizen catching the ball offside before it traveled 10 metres, causing debate about legality.
- South Africa also created mauls by lifting players in open play like at a lineout, a tactic praised by their coach Rassie Erasmus but criticized by Italy's coach Gonzalo Quesada.
- Coach Scott Robertson described the tactics as distinctive and emphasized how quickly officials must assess actions, explaining that bringing down the maul after it has started is considered collapsing it, which adds to the challenge of interpreting the rules.
- The Springboks' dominance suggested strong preparation and innovation, while South Africa will host Georgia at Mbombela Stadium on 19 July before the 2025 Rugby Championship.
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The Springboks' Test record against Italy
World champions South Africa hosted Italy in a two-Test series this month with matches played in Pretoria and Gqeberha. As widely predicted, the Azzurri proved no match for the Springboks. South Africa have now beaten Italy 17 times and lost once in their 18 Tests to date since first meeting in Rome in 1995, the year the Springboks won the first of a record four Rugby World Cup titles. At the time of publishing, the Springboks sit at No 1 in the…
·Johannesburg, South Africa
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On Saturday 12 July, during a second test-match organised between South Africa, the reigning world champion and Italy, the Springboks tried to put in place a tactic that did not work, but...
Coverage Details
Total News Sources15
Leaning Left4Leaning Right0Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Left
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources lean Left
67% Left
L 67%
C 33%
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