ZIP JOU BOK

DOCTOR Rassie Erasmus and his Springboks pulled out all the stops to entertain the crowd at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium after klapping Italy 45-0 in the second Test in Gqeberha for a 2-0 series sweep.

Not even a flopped kick-off to force a scrum on halfway at the start of the game or No.8 Jasper Wiese’s 21st-minute red card for a kopskoot could spoil the trickery the world champions dished up in front of a capacity crowd.

The action started at the kick-off already, where a pre-worked-out short kick from flyhalf Manie Libbok caught everyone off guard, even the Italians. Unfortunately, an early engagement didn’t result in a full scrum and an opportunity for the Bok machine to lay the marker at that scrum.

It would be the Bok backline that would set the tone, after some slick passing from inside their own half saw wing Edwill van der Merwe find space and pass to fellow spoedvraat Makazole Mapimpi who sent scrumhalf Grant Williams away for the opening try.

Van der Merwe then got in on the scoring action as the Boks led 10-0 before Wiese’s hot-head moment for headbutting Danilo Fischetti saw him sent off for an early shower.

But that did not deter the Boks from dominating as Van der Merwe scored his second try to put the Boks 17-0 up.

Then came the magic, as the Boks totally bamboozled Italy when Williams lobbed the ball in the air for a lifted Ruan Nortje to catch and set up a maul. It totally fractured the Italian defence as Williams sent the ball out wide with Canan Moodie brushing off three defenders before scoring for a 24-0 halftime lead.

After the break, it was Malcolm Marx’s turn to benefit from the Boks’ Paul Roos Gimnasium copied move as Williams again lobbed the ball up for Nortje to catch as the Boks steamrolled the Azzuri pack for Marx to score.

The physical dominance, especially at the rolling maul, led to the sixth try that Mapimpi scored in front of a jubilant crowd.

Replacement hooker Jan-Hendrik Wessels finished the job with a final five-pointer at the death. 

SCORERS:

SOUTH AFRICA 45 (24) – Tries: Grant Williams, Edwill van der Merwe (2), Canan Moodie, Malcolm Marx, Makazole Mapimpi, Jan-Hendrik Wessels. Conversions: Manie Libbok (5).  

ITALY 0 (0)