South Africa 49
Italy 3
THE GAME WAS just 43 minutes old when Italy were hit with a red card, but South Africa were already in full control with a 17-3 scoreline.
A moment of madness from Andrea Lovotti and Nicola Quaglio just simplified the outcome for the Springboks.
55: South Africa 25-3 Italy.
— eir Sport (@eirSport) October 4, 2019
"Blue 1 is the worst offender of those two"
ICYMI: Here is the incident that saw Italian prop Andrea Lovotti sent off 'for dropping a player on his head' against South Africa.
LIVE now on eir sport 1! #RWC2019 #RSAvITA pic.twitter.com/uAcClZyOzW
With more than a hint of resemblance to the infamous spear tackle by Keven Mealamu and Tana Umaga that ended Brian O’Driscoll’s 2005 Lions tour, the Azzurri props upended number 8 Duane Vermuelen after the referee’s whistle had blown to signal a penalty for Conor O’Shea’s side.
Vermeulen was fortunate to avoid serious injury and Italy were fortunate that Wayne Barnes’ punishment was just a solitary red card. The English official adjudged that Lovotti was the worse of the two offenders. Nobody will be surprised if the citing commissioner rules that Quaglio was just as culpable.
Cheslin Kolbe 👏👏👏
— eir Sport (@eirSport) October 4, 2019
What a start for South Africa. LIVE now on eir sport 1! #RWC2019 #RSAvITA pic.twitter.com/8vbHBLM8aT
The Springboks’ opened up their 17-3 half-time lead courtesy of an astounding fifth-minute finish from Cheslin Kolbe and a 26th-minute maul capped with Mbongeni Mbonambi’s touch down.
With early injuries to both tighthead Simone Ferrari and his replacement Marco Riccioni, the scrum was uncontested from the 20th minute on and Rassie Erasmus’ men didn’t get bogged down battling 14 men in the second half.
Tries from Lukhanyo Am, Makazole Mapimpi, RG Snyman and Malcolm Marx completed the rout after Kolbe grabbed a second try, the Springboks’ third, with 52 minutes on the clock.
The bonus point success leaves the ‘Boks top of Pool B, with New Zealand still to face Namibia on Sunday.
For all the doom and gloom talked about Tottenham this season (no signings, stadium delays, Poch to United, out of both domestic cups), they continue to jog just behind the top 2, while keeping the top 4 dogfight just out of sight in the rearview mirror. One loss and they’ll be branded bottle jobs again, but with Wembley form picking up, and a tasty tie against Dortmund coming up, I can’t help but be happy.
Hanging on in there. Not at their best but picking up another win. COYS
Spurs are the type of football club that would give ya the horn.
@limofax: just like your ma, good stuff.
COYS
I can’t suffer Michael Oliver either.
He was the last one picked in school who:
1) you stuck in nets cos he’s brutal at football
2) you then told him to keep time cos he was crap in goal
3) eventually made him referee cos he was brutal at everything else, then became a brutal ref
Leicester should have been out of sight but Spurs more clinical with the chances they had