GENOVA
The spell of the blue November ends in the 47th minute with a one-two from South Africa after returning from the break. Italy unleashed a terrific first half which seems to be the continuation of last Saturday’s match in Florence against Australia. Capuozzo scored a goal from him in the 11th minute, inflaming Marassi’s 26,000 and we’re on 13-18. The second half opens with a place that Allan puts between the posts. And it’s 16-18, the Azzurri seem ready to overtake again. And instead the stage falls.
On the goal kick, very high by Arendse and practically long on the corner of the goal area, Morisi fails to grab the oval because the “little” Kolbe flies and takes it away from above his head, makes a veronica and glides in half. And two minutes later Arendse, moved to the wing, repeats with Libbok who converts for the decisive break. In an amen he is already 16-30. At that point South Africa makes the dreaded “world championship” changes (Etzebeth, Marx, Kitshoff) and Italy goes down.
The breach opens completely: the African fray finds no resistance. It ends 21-63, or tripled in the score, with a partial of 8-45 in the second half: 7 goals. More than one point per minute. With the two in the first half, the deficit was 9 tries to 2. The second blue try, beautiful by the will of Lorenzo Cannone (Ioane sets, Cannone frees Ferrari but the prop arrives short on the goal line and Cannone goes in support and scores), gets to “dead father” on 21-42. You look for a jolt, but ball chasers like Kwaggy Smith don’t leave space and opportunities, they snatch from the hands of skilled backs like Capuozzo and Ioane.
It closes with an old-fashioned image: the South Africans ask and exchange shirts on the pitch with the Azzurri. It’s the end of a very tough month for the Springboks, two defeats and captain Kolisi who had warmly asked for a ransom, to play for each other, to try every part of the repertoire.
It’s the bitter end of a bright November for the Azzurri, still Baby at the registry office, who seem to go back to game time before running out of strength. But we must not forget that Genoa closes 2022 with an unprecedented balance sheet. Sixteen wins out of 33 matches: six out of 10 Under-20s (three in the Six Nations finished 4th on points difference, three in the Summer Series which finished with bronze, two wins over England), 5 wins (France, Wales, Scotland, USA, Japan) out of 11 of the women who reached the quarter-finals of the recent World Cup, 5 victories out of 11 of the senior national team with the “scalpi2” of Wales (first time in Cardiff), Samoa and Australia.
A group, that of the Crowley-Lamaro management that obtained victories in one year that the Parisse group did in ten (the first over South Africa) and the historic one of Giovannelli only came close (-3 over Australia). It’s not little.
A note of color for Pierre Bruno, the Genoese winger on his home lawn asked for the hand of his girlfriend Jessica Ghidini in front of his teammates. She seems to have said yes. In Edo Padovani hospital after his cheekbone collided with LeRoux’s hip. Passed out in the field, Crowley testified that he was conscious and that he had spoken to us.
Other results include Georgia who, after losing at home to Samoa, win at the last second in Cardiff against Wales 12-13.
Italy v South Africa 21-63 (pt 13-18)
Italy: Capuozzo; Bruno (65′ Padovani – 70′ Bruno), Brex, Morisi (48′ Menoncello), Ioane; Allan, Varney (56′ Garbisi A.); Cannone L., Lamaro (C), Negri (48′ Zuliani); Ruzza (67′ Sisi), Cannon N.; Ceccarelli (41′ Ferrari), Nicotera (41′ Lucchesi), Fischetti (48′ Nemer)
All. Crowley
South Africa: Le Roux; Kolbe (46′ Libbok)), de Allende, Esterhuizen, Arendse; Willemse, de Klerk (67′ REinach); Wiese (59′ Roos), Mostert, Kolisi (C); Orie (50′ Smith), Moerat (43′ Etzebeth); Malherbe, (50′ Koch); Mbonambi (50′ Marx), Nche (50′ Kitshoff)
Coach: Nienaber
Referee: Adamson (Scotland)
Markers: PT 1′ m. Arendse, nt (0-5); 7′ cp Allan (3-5); 9′ cp Kolbe (3-8); 11′ m. Capuozzo, t. Allan (10-8); 20′ cp Allan (13-8); 25′ cp Kolbe (13-11); 29′ m. Mbonambi, t. Flasks (13-18). ST 44′ cp Allan (16-18); 45′ m. Flasks, nt (16-23); 47′ m. Arendse, t. Libbok (16-30); 54′ m. Smith, t. Libbok (16-37); 62′ m. Marx, nt (16-42); 65′ m. L. Cannone, nt (21-42); 68′ m. Kitshoff, t. Libbok (21-49); 72′ m. Willemse, t. Libbok (21-56); 79′ m. Reinach, t. Libbock (21-63)
Notes: PT 13-18. Pitch in good condition, cold and gray day. Spectators 26,457. Player of the Match Arendse (SAF). Players: Kolbe (SAF) 3/4; Allan (ITA) 4/5; Libbok (SAF) 5/7