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Cheslin Kolbe
SHIZUOKA, AFP: Electric winger Cheslin Kolbe scored a classy double as South Africa put one foot in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals with a comprehensive 49-3 victory over 14-man Italy on Friday.
The result left both teams on 10 points, but Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks will bid for another full five points when they round off their Pool B campaign against whipping boys Canada in Kobe on Tuesday.
Italy, however, are left with a testing game against in-form defending champions New Zealand – who first take on Namibia on Sunday – in Toyota on 12 October.
Man-of-the-match Kolbe’s try double was the highlight for the Springboks but the evening ended uncomfortably for the speedster when he limped off late in the game after twisting his ankle in a tackle.
“This was crunch game for us. It looked easy, but it was a fairly slippery game for us,” said South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus.
“In the beginning, we were a bit worried about this game. And I thought that the red card obviously cost them because there were stages when they almost came back into the game.” Italy coach Conor O’Shea was incensed after prop Andrea Lovotti’s sending-off for a dangerous tip-tackle on Duane Vermeulen as the Azzurri attacked early in the second half.
“I’m destroyed really for everybody because we worked so hard,” said the Irishman.
“We get to the start of the second half, we’re close to the line and then just crass stupidity, crass stupidity. And then you’re down to 14 men,” he fumed. South Africa will now look forward to putting Canada to the sword to line up a 20 October quarter-final game in Tokyo against the winner of Pool A, where things are yet to be decided between Ireland, Scotland, Japan and Samoa.
