Italy suffered a 66-7 defeat against reigning world champions South Africa at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, opening the autumn Nations Championship series with a 59-point margin, gazzetta.it reported.
The fixture marked the start of the autumn test window on November 7, 2026, as the visiting Springboks dominated from the opening whistle. Head coach Gonzalo Quesada oversaw the Italian side during a contest where the two-time world champions demonstrated superior territory and possession.
South Africa established control early in the encounter, forcing an initial penalty converted by Sacha Mngomezulu in the sixth minute. The fly-half extended the lead three minutes later with an individual try, evading the defense of Giacomo Nicotera and Alessandro Fusco before scoring near the corner flag.
Morne van den Berg added a close-range try following a five-meter maul at the 16-minute mark. Malcolm Marx followed with the first of his two tries four minutes later as the Springboks capitalized on rolling mauls inside Italy’s twenty-two meter line.
Ox Nche scored the bonus-point try in the 23rd minute after Mngomezulu launched a 50-22 kick that pinned the hosts deep. Lood de Jager then blocked a clearance kick from Fusco, allowing Jasper Wiese to release Damian Willemse for a try directly beneath the posts.
Italy prop Muhamed Hasa received a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on the half-hour mark. Marx immediately drove over from the resulting five-meter maul to secure his brace.
Mngomezulu finished the first half with a perfect seven-from-seven kicking record from the tee. The opening period concluded with South Africa holding a commanding advantage after six unanswered tries.
Italy showed brief moments of composure after the interval, though Paolo Garbisi missed a touch-finder following a penalty won at the scrum. South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus deployed his bench substitutes, introducing the six forward reserves collectively known as the bomb squad six minutes into the second half.
Wilco Louw immediately extended the visitors’ lead by forcing his way over the line following a midfield break by Kriel. Mngomezulu maintained his accurate kicking performance with the conversion.
Italy registered their only score in the 62nd minute through an organized attacking sequence. Stephen Varney, who replaced Fusco at scrum-half, delivered an expansive pass to lock Federico Ruzza, who crossed for an uncontested try in the left corner. Garbisi successfully converted the kick.
The Springboks responded in the final quarter through forward pressure. Paul de Villiers touched down following a driving maul in the 73rd minute. Winger Ethan Hooker added a final try under the posts in the closing moments, with Mngomezulu finishing the match with a flawless ten-from-ten kicking performance.
Zazoom.it noted that the final score exceeded pre-match expectations regarding the margin between the two squads. The tournament continues through the autumn window as international test rugby proceeds across Europe.
Earlier coverage: South Africa beats Italy 66-7 before France clash
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