Tomorrow · 8:00 PM UTC

Ulster vs Racing 92

Tomorrow · 8:00 PM UTC

Sale Sharks vs Glasgow Warriors

Tomorrow · 8:00 PM UTC

Aviron Bayonnais vs DHL Stormers

Dec 6, 1:00 PM UTC

Saracens F.C. vs ASM-Rugby

Dec 6, 1:00 PM UTC

Stade Francais vs Cardiff

Dec 6, 1:00 PM UTC

Lions vs Benetton

Dec 6, 3:15 PM UTC

Vodacom Bulls vs Union Bordeaux

Dec 6, 3:15 PM UTC

Black Lion vs MHR

Dec 6, 5:30 PM UTC

Lyon OU vs Newcastle Falcons

Dec 6, 5:30 PM UTC

Stade Rochelais vs Leicester Tigers

Dec 6, 5:30 PM UTC

Leinster vs Harlequin F.C.

Dec 6, 8:00 PM UTC

Bath Rugby vs Munster

Dec 6, 8:00 PM UTC

Scarlets vs Bristol Bears

Dec 6, 8:00 PM UTC

Zebre Parma vs US Montauban

Dec 7, 1:00 PM UTC

Section Paloise vs Northampton Saints

2025 South Africa vs Italy Men's

Springboks Overcome Red Card Drama To Shutout Italy 45-0

Springboks Overcome Red Card Drama To Shutout Italy 45-0

The Springboks dominated Italy 45-0, despite Jasper Wiese’s red card, scoring multiple tries in a fearless shutout victory at Nelson Mandela Bay.

Jul 12, 2025 by R. R. Ellis
null

The South Africa Springboks roared back against Italy at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium after a bit of a letdown a week ago at Loftus Verfeld. 

In their second test match against the Azzurri, the Boks left no questions about who is the best in the world, especially on home soil.

SA scored four tries in the first half, including two from Edwill van der Merwe, while Grant Williams and Canan Moodie each notched a try apiece. 

In the second half, it was much of the same. 

Buoyed by a lively crowd at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha, the Springboks were determined to show their quality, racking up scores while keeping Italy from notching a single point. 

Recap the game as it happened below, including scores and highlights, or subscribe to watch Springboks vs. Italy replay.

Springboks Shutout Italy In Second Test

Final: South Africa 45, Italy 0

In spite of playing most of the game with 14 men, after a Jasper Wiese red card, the Springboks were fearless in their victory against the Azzuri at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. 

SA notched four tries in the first half, including two from Edwill van der Merwe. 

Italy never had a chance, though, as the Boks relentlessly dominated every aspect of the match. 

Even in the waning moments of the game, Jan-Hendrik Wessels outstretched his arms to score a final try at the death. 

After deliberation, the TMO concluded there was a try, but it was the effort that was the best representative of the Boks day on the whole. 

Makazole Mapimpi Try

Springboks Score! - 73'

South Africa 38, Italy 0

Makazole Mapimpi gets the ball on the outside and takes it past the try line. 

The Springboks have never slowed down in this game. 

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu makes the conversion. 

15 Minutes Left, Boks Pushing - 66'

South Africa 31, Italy 0

The Springboks have not allowed Italy to score, and they might not be done scoring themselves. 

Malcolm Marx Try

Springboks Score From Maul! - 51'

South Africa 31, Italy 0

Malcolm Marx barrels through the Italian defense to score, all while the Springboks are playing with 13 men. 

SA rugby has been relentless today. Rassie Erasmus absolutely loved it. 

Manie Libbok makes the conversion. 

Wilco Louw Yellow Card Play

Wilco Louw Shown Yellow Card 🟨  - 44'

South Africa 24, Italy 0

Boks down to 13 players for the next 10 minutes. The yellow card on Wilco Louw will be reviewed. 

Second Half Begins - 40'

South Africa 24, Italy 0

Forty more minutes as the Springboks try to defend home soil. 

Halftime In Gqeberha

South Africa 24, Italy 0

South Africa absolutely dominated the first half, despite playing with 14 men starting around 20 minutes into the game. 

Jasper Wiese was on the receiving end of a red card after headbutting an Italian opponent in a dust-up. Regardless of whether the call was harsh or not, the Boks will be down a man the rest of the match. 

Still, the Boks are pitching a shutout and scored four tries in the first half. 

Canan Moodie Try

Another Fiery Try From The Springboks! - 37'

South Africa 24, Italy 0

Canan Moodie bulldozes through multiple Italian defenders to score the fourth try of the first half. 

Moodie used every ounce of his frame to power through Azzuri for the try. 

Edwill van der Merwe Second Try 👀

Springboks Score! - 31'

South Africa 17, Italy 0

Edwill van der Merwe does it again! 

Van der Merwe gets the lucky bounce after chipping the ball ahead in a linebreak. He lands on the ball and gets the try. 

South Africa certainly is not backing down. 

Manie Libbok makes the conversion. 

Ox Nche On, Thomas du Toit Off - 30'

South Africa 10, Italy 0

The Springboks make their first change. 

Japser Wiese Red Card Play

Jasper Wiese Shown Red Card 🟥 - 21'

South Africa 10, Italy 0

What a turn in the game. 

Jasper Wiese sent off for the game, and the Springboks will be down a man for the rest of the match. 

Jasper's brother, Cobus Wiese, is likely to make his debut today. 

Springboks Forward Pack = Unstoppable - 19'

South Africa 10, Italy 0


Edwill van der Merwe Try

Boks Score Again - 15'

South Africa 10, Italy 0

Edwill van der Merwe is tackled out of bounds as he stretches for the try line, and he's able to get it down upon review. 

Another strong start to the first half for the Springboks. 

Manie Libbok misses a difficult conversion. 

Grant Williams Try

Springboks Score! - 8'

South Africa 5, Italy 0

Of course, the Springboks immediately break off a run, with Grant Williams taking it across the line for the try. 

The Boks ran nearly half the field. 

Manie Libbok misses the conversion, but was crucial in the build-up. 

Fits & Starts - 7'

South Africa 0, Italy 0

Still not much going in this game yet, though the South Africans have a glimmer in their eyes. 

Italian Scrum At Own 5m Line - 3'

South Africa 0, Italy 0

Knock-on in the build-up by the Springboks leads to a scrum at the 5m line. Boks nearly scored, but it wouldn't have counted. 

No real momentum in this game yet. 

Game Begins - 0'

South Africa 0, Italy 0

The second of two tests between the Springboks and Italy begins. 

All eyes on are Willie le Roux as he reaches his 100th cap today. 

Springboks purposefully botched the kickoff to get a scrum to start. 

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Is Packed

The SA rugby crowd came out for the second Springboks test against Italy. 

The Springboks have never lost at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. 

What Time Are The Springboks Playing Today?

The match between South Africa Springboks and Italy kicks off at 11:10 a.m. ET on July 12 at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

Where To Watch Springboks Vs. Italy

In the USA, FloRugby will broadcast South Africa Springboks vs. Italy on July 12.

South Africa, England, New Zealand and France will play summer test matches on FloRugby and the FloSports app.

Springboks Vs. Italy: Last 10 Meetings

  • Nov. 21, 2009 - South Africa 32, Italy 10 (test)
  • June 19, 2010 - South Africa 29, Italy 13 (test)
  • June 26, 2010 - South Africa 55, Italy 11
  • June 8, 2013 - South Africa 44, Italy 10 (test)
  • Nov. 22, 2014 - South Africa 22, Italy 6 (test)
  • Nov. 19, 2016 - Italy 20, South Africa 18 (test)
  • Nov. 25, 2017 - South Africa 35, Italy 6 (test)
  • Oct. 4, 2019 - South Africa 49, Italy 3 (2019 Rugby World Cup)
  • Nov. 19, 2022 - South Africa 63, Italy 21 (test)
  • July 5, 2025 - South Africa 42, Italy 24 (test)

Most Capped Springboks

Willie le Roux reaches his 100th cap today. 

Here are the most-capped Springboks players of all time. 

After today, there will be eight Springboks with 100 caps, also known as Springbok Centurions.

  1. Eben Etzebeth – 132 caps (2012–present)
  2. Victor Matfield – 127 caps (2001–2015)
  3. Bryan Habana – 124 caps (2004–2016)
  4. Tendai Mtawarira – 117 caps (2008–2019)
  5. John Smit – 111 caps (2000–2011)
  6. Jean de Villiers – 109 caps (2002–2015)
  7. Percy Montgomery – 102 caps (1997–2008)
  8. Willie le Roux – 99 caps (2013–present)
  9. Siya Kolisi – 92 caps (2013–present)
  10. Joost van der Westhuizen – 89 caps (1993–2003)

Springboks Lineup : Last Week → This Week

South Africa Springboks Lineup

  1. Ox Nche → Thomas du Toit
  2. Malcolm Marx → Malcolm Marx
  3. Wilco Louw → Wilco Louw
  4. Eben Etzebeth → Salmaan Moerat
  5. Lood de Jager → Ruan Nortje
  6. Marco van Staden → Marco van Staden
  7. Vincent Tshituka → Pieter-Steph du Toit
  8. Jasper Wiese → Jasper Wiese
  9. Morne van den Berg → Grant Williams
  10. Handré Pollard → Manie Libbok
  11. Kurt-Lee Arendse → Makazole Mapimpi
  12. Damian de Allende → Andre Esterhuizen
  13. Jesse Kriel → Canan Moodie
  14. Cheslin Kolbe → Edwill van der Merwe
  15. Damian Willemse → Willie Le Roux
  16. Bongi Mbonambi → Jan-Hendrik Wessels
  17. Jan-Hendrik Wessels → Ox Nche
  18. Vincent Koch → Asenathi Ntlabakanye
  19. RG Snyman → Cobus Wiese
  20. Franco Mostert → Evan Roos
  21. Kwagga Smith → Cobus Reinach
  22. Faf de Klerk → Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
  23. Willie Le Roux → Ethan Hooker

South Africa Springboks Lineup

  1. Thomas du Toit
  2. Malcolm Marx
  3. Wilco Louw
  4. Salmaan Moerat
  5. Ruan Nortje
  6. Marco van Staden
  7. Pieter-Steph du Toit
  8. Jasper Wiese
  9. Grant Williams
  10. Manie Libbok
  11. Makazole Mapimpi
  12. Andre Esterhuizen
  13. Canan Moodie
  14. Edwill van der Merwe
  15. Willie Le Roux

Substitutes: 16. Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17. Ox Nche, 18. Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 19. Cobus Wiese, 20. Evan Roos, 21. Cobus Reinach, 22. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23. Ethan Hooker

Italy Rugby Lineup

  1. Danilo Fischetti
  2. Tommaso Di Bartolomeo
  3. Simone Ferrari
  4. Niccolo Cannone
  5. Andrea Zambonin
  6. Sebastian Negri
  7. Manuel Zuliani
  8. Ross Vintcent
  9. Alessandro Garbisi
  10. Giacomo Da Re
  11. Jacopo Trulla
  12. Marco Zanon
  13. Tommaso Menoncello
  14. Louis Lynagh
  15. Mirko Belloni

Substitutes: 16. Pablo Dimcheff, 17. Mirco Spagnolo, 18. Muhamed Hasa, 19. Matteo Canali, 20. Alessandro Izekor, 21. David Odiase, 22. Stephen Varney, 23. Giulio Bertaccini

Springboks Shake Things Up After Loftus Letdown

Ruthless Rassie was in force this week as the World Cup-winning coach ran the changes following a brutally poor second half by his charges at Loftus Versfeld. 

Whether this was part of Rassie’s pre-arranged plans is hard to gauge, as, unlike most international coaches, he is confident in changing his side from week to week. 

Based on his comments during the week, these changes are more likely down to performance with the Boks’ famed 'Bomb Squad' fizzling and failing to fire when called up last week. 

The Springboks got battered by a second-string Italian side they should’ve buried when leading 28-3 at halftime. 

Instead, Italy closed the gap to 35-24 with less than 10 minutes to go before Alessandro Izekor was sent to the sin bin. 

This numerical advantage was capitalized on by the Boks, who scored the final try through Marco van Staden, who has been promoted to the starting lineup this week. 

With Rassie’s words ringing in their ears, the Boks have to react with a big 80-minute performance. 

For new caps Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Cobus Wiese and Ethan Hooker, the opportunity to press their case for further inclusion is right there. 

So, too, for the returning Evan Roos, who long has been heralded as a potential starting No. 8 for the Boks, but who has struggled to lock down his position in the squad. 

Finally, the great Willie Le Roux making his 100th appearance for the Boks should be the final piece of motivation for the Boks to go the distance this week. 

Should they not show the ruthless edge of last season, it could spell the end of several veteran players. -Philip Bendon

Italy Warming Up

Coin Toss Completed

One Hour Til Gametime

Recap: Springboks Vs. Italy From July 5

Final: South Africa 42, Italy 24

The Boks dominated the first half at Loftus Versfeld, scoring four tries and leading 28-3 at halftime, with Morne van den Berg tallying two of the tries. 

However, Italy came out strong in the second half, scoring four tries, including efforts from Pablo Dimcheff and Niccolò Cannone, narrowing the gap to 35-24. 

Marco van Staden sealed the win for South Africa with a late try.

South Africa Vs. Italy Kick Off Time

The match between South Africa Springboks and Italy kicks off at 11:10 a.m. ET on July 12 at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. 

South Africa World Rugby Ranking

South Africa is ranked No. 1 in the world with 92.78 points.

Italy World Rugby Ranking

Italy is ranked No. 10 in the world with 77.77 points.

Springboks Fixtures 2025

June 28

July 5

July 12

July 19

Aug. 16

Aug. 23

Sept. 6

Sept. 13

Sept. 27

Oct. 4

Nov. 8

  • 3:10 p.m. ET: France vs. South Africa

Nov. 15

  • 7:40 a.m. ET: Italy vs. South Africa

Nov. 22

  • 12:40 p.m. ET: Ireland vs. South Africa

Nov. 29

  • 10:10 a.m. ET: Wales vs. South Africa

Italy Rugby Fixtures 2025

July 5

July 12

Nov. 8

  • 12:40 p.m. ET: Italy vs. Australia

Nov. 15

  • 7:40 a.m. ET: Italy vs. South Africa

Nov. 22

  • 3:10 p.m. ET: Italy vs. Samoa 

Where To Watch Summer Rugby Internationals

In the USA, FloRugby will broadcast some of the best international rugby fixtures of 2025.

South Africa, England, New Zealand and France will play matches on FloRugby and the FloSports app.

International Rugby Fixtures 2025 On FloRugby

June 28

July 4

July 5

July 12

July 18

July 19

Aug. 16

Aug. 23

Sept. 5

Sept. 6

Sept. 13

Sept. 27

Oct. 4

Nov. 8

Nov. 15

Nov. 22

World Rugby Rankings 2025 - July 7, 2025

  1. South Africa - 92.78
  2. New Zealand - 90.98
  3. Ireland - 89.83
  4. France - 88.90
  5. England - 86.72
  6. Argentina - 82.98
  7. Scotland - 82.36
  8. Australia - 82.08
  9. Fiji - 79.52
  10. Italy - 77.77
  11. Georgia - 74.69
  12. Japan - 73.70
  13. Samoa - 72.68
  14. Wales - 72.65
  15. USA - 70.02
  16. Spain - 67.34
  17. Uruguay - 67.06
  18. Portugal - 64.44
  19. Tonga - 65.46
  20. Chile - 63.20
  21. Romania - 63.13

Springboks Game Today Live

Watch the South Africa Springboks take on Italy on July 12 at 11:00 a.m. ET on FloRugby. 

How To Watch International Rugby In USA

FloRugby broadcasts dozens of international rugby matches throughout the year, including the summer rugby internationals from June to November. 

How To Watch The Rugby Championship 2025

In the United States, rugby fans can watch 2025 The Rugby Championship on FloRugby and the FloSports App. 

How To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby

The URC will stream all its matches on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States. FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to: 

FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays. 

Join The Rugby Conversation On FloRugby Social