A much-changed Springbok team, playing with 14 men for almost 70 minutes, delivered a performance for the ages in extreme adversity with a brilliant 32-14 (halftime 10-3) Castle Lager Outgoing Tour victory over Italy in Turin on Saturday.

For the second successive week the Boks lost their number five lock in Franco Mostert (for a tackle to the head of Italian flyhalf Paolo Garbisi) as the second man entering the tackle – except this time it was in the 12th minute.

That left an experimental side with new combinations across the field facing 68 minutes with a man down against an Italian team which had recorded a famous victory over Australia a week before.

Almost miraculously, 68 minutes later, the Boks had scored four tries to one in delivering a win that will never be forgotten for its bravery, guts and ultimately superior power and skill.

Mind you, the game was in the balance as late as the 52nd minute, despite the final margin of 18 points, when Garbisi’s third penalty goal closed the Boks’ lead to one point. And with Bok No 8 Marco van Staden dispatched to the sideline for 10 minutes for the offence which granted the penalty, the Boks were down to 13 men.

But, incredibly, they were to score three more tries in that final half hour from Morne van den Berg, Grant Williams and Ethan Hooker – to add to Van Staden’s first half score – to secure a famous victory.

Scorers:

Italy 14 (3) – Try: Ange Capuozzo. Penalty goals: Paolo Garbisi (3).

Springboks 32 (10) – Tries: Marco van Staden, Morne van den Berg, Grant Williams, Ethan Hooker. Conversions: Handre Pollard (2), Manie Libbok. Penalty goals: Pollard (2).

Courtesy of SA Rugby