Morne Van Den Berg Says Springboks Imposed Their Game Plan on Italy Ahead of France Clash
- The Springboks beat Italy 66-7 in Turin on Saturday, scoring nine tries to claim their fourth Nations Championship win in a row
- Man of the match Morné van den Berg credited the team's set-piece dominance and discipline after their September defeat to Australia
- South Africa now face France in Paris next Friday before travelling to Dublin to meet Ireland the following weekend
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The Springboks produced a commanding performance against Italy in Turin on Saturday, running in nine tries in a 66-7 victory that underlined their set-piece authority ahead of a daunting back-to-back against France and Ireland.
Six of those tries arrived in the first half, with five scored directly from maul drives off lineout ball. The result extended South Africa's winning run in the Nations Championship to four matches.
Van den Berg Stars in Turin
Scrumhalf Morné van den Berg was named man of the match after directing South Africa's attack with composure, dotting down a try and contributing several turnovers throughout the contest.
Flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was equally impressive, crossing for a try, landing a 50-22 and converting all 10 of his kicks at goal. Wing Ethan Hooker also stood out for his effectiveness in the aerial contest, repeatedly winning back possession from kicks.
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The victory carried added weight given the context. South Africa's last outing had been a 42-38 defeat to Australia in Perth at the end of September, a result that van den Berg described as deeply painful for the squad.
"The loss against Australia really hurt," van den Berg said. "As a team, it wasn't good to lose in this jersey. So it was important to bounce back, and I am proud of the boys for doing that."
He added that the Boks stuck to their structures throughout the match in Turin. "The Italians are tough, credit to them. Hard men. But credit to the boys. We stuck to our systems and forced our game on them… It was good out there."
France Next as Springboks Eye Nations Championship Glory
South Africa now turn their attention to a six-day turnaround before facing France in Paris next Friday. A match against Ireland in Dublin follows the weekend after, with the Nations Championship finals weekend in London scheduled for the end of the month.
Van den Berg indicated the team would study Saturday's performance closely before shifting focus to the French. "Tomorrow we'll review our game, look at where we can get better, and then day-by-day prepare to force our game on them [France] as well."
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Source: Briefly News
