PORDENONE — The Springbok Women delivered an emphatic response to their critics on Saturday afternoon, surviving a fierce second-half fightback and a playmaker injury crisis to secure a thrilling 41-29 victory over Italy in their second WXV Global Series clash at the Stadio Omero Tognon.
Outscoring a confident Italian outfit, ranked three places higher in the world rankings, by six tries to four, South Africa bounced back from last weekend’s heavy defeat in Cardiff with a performance built on set-piece brutality, tactical variation, and late-game composure.
Set-Piece Dominance Fuels First-Half Blitz
Italy entered the contest riding a wave of momentum following their 55-21 victory over Japan last week, and the hosts drew first blood on Saturday when winger Alyssa D’Incà finished off a slick handling move in the corner to take an early 5-0 lead.
Unfazed by the early setback, South Africa leaned immediately on their trademark forward power. Just ten minutes in, hooker Anushka Groenewald powered over from the back of a dominant lineout drive to score her maiden Test try, with fullback Jakkie Cilliers slotting the conversion to put the visitors 7-5 ahead.
With co-captains Unam Tose and Sizophila Solontsi setting a relentless tempo, the Springbok Women took complete control of the opening stanza:
- 14th Minute: Following patient phase play inside the Italian 22 and an incisive carry from Cilliers, flyhalf Byrhandré Dolf ghosted through a gap to score under the posts (14-5).
- 28th Minute: Even after losing Dolf to an early injury in the 21st minute, South Africa kept their foot on the throat. A ferocious tackle by winger Alichia Arries bundled her opposite number into touch, setting the platform for a sublime 20-metre driving maul that saw Groenewald crash over for her brace (19-5).
- 31st Minute: Showing the exact backline variation promised ahead of the match, Tose took a quick tap from a scrum free-kick and fed replacement playmaker Libbie Janse van Rensburg. Her deft chip kick bounced kindly for speedster Maria Tshiremba, who burned the cover defence to score her fifth try in just three Tests, stretching the lead to 24-5.
Unforced errors late in the half allowed Italy a lifeline on the stroke of halftime, with hooker Vittoria Vecchini grounding the ball from a five-metre rolling maul and Michela Sillari converting to cut South Africa’s lead to 24-12 at the break.
The Italian Fightback and Playmaker Crisis
The opening 25 minutes of the second half tested South Africa’s resolve to the limit. Frantic execution after the restart put the visitors under immediate pressure, and matters worsened in the 46th minute when loosehead prop Yonela Ngxingolo was sent to the sin bin for a dangerous cleanout.
Italy capitalised clinically on the numerical advantage. D’Incà crossed for her second converted try, and although Cilliers slotted a 55th-minute penalty goal to keep South Africa ahead at 27-19, an overthrown lineout inside Bok territory allowed Italian captain Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi to dive over. Sillari’s conversion and a subsequent penalty goal with 15 minutes remaining completed a remarkable 24-3 surge, handing the hosts a 29-27 lead.
Compounding the scoreboard pressure, South Africa suffered a second major blow at flyhalf when Janse van Rensburg was forced from the field with an apparent ankle injury, leaving the backline reshuffled for the closing exchanges.
'Bomb Squad' Composure Seals the Win
Having relinquished a 19-point lead, the Springbok Women refused to fold. Turning to their heavy-hitting bench, South Africa went straight back to their forwards to force repeated Italian infringements, resulting in an official team warning for the hosts.
In the 70th minute, replacement hooker Micke Gunter was driven over the whitewash following a quick tap penalty, with Cilliers nailing the conversion to reclaim a 34-29 lead.
The defining moment of the match arrived with just over five minutes on the clock. Italy shifted the ball wide from a scrum and replacement Francesca Granzotto looked certain to score a match-levelling try in the corner, only to be denied by a heroic, try-saving cover tackle from outside centre Maceala Samboya.
South Africa followed that defensive stand with a crucial lineout steal and a booming 45-metre penalty touch-finder from Cilliers to pin Italy deep inside their own territory. From the resulting attacking scrum, replacement loose forward Logan Welman picked from the base and crashed over to seal a famous away victory, with Cilliers adding the extras for a personal tally of 11 points.
Match Summary
Team | Tries | Conversions | Penalties | Final Score |
Italy | D’Incà (2), Vecchini, Ostuni Minuzzi | Sillari (3) | Sillari (1) | 29 |
South Africa | Groenewald (2), Dolf, Tshiremba, Gunter, Welman | Cilliers (4) | Cilliers (1) | 41 |
Key Takeaways & Injury Watch:
While the coaching staff will celebrate a gritty, character-defining win driven by standout performances from Groenewald, Solontsi, Tose, and Cilliers, attention will quickly turn to the medical room. With both frontline flyhalves, Byrhandré Dolf and Libbie Janse van Rensburg, leaving the field injured, South Africa’s playmaking depth will be closely monitored ahead of next week’s clash.
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