Springboks Defeat Italy at Loftus, But Erasmus Unimpressed Despite Record Crowd

The Springboks kicked off their 2025 season with a 42-24 win over Italy at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, drawing a record-breaking home crowd of 42,600 fans. It marked the biggest-ever attendance for a test between South Africa and Italy on local soil — a strong show of support from Pretoria rugby fans.

Despite the victory and six tries scored, the Boks failed to maintain momentum after leading 28-3 at halftime. Head coach Rassie Erasmus expressed clear frustration with the team’s “disappointing” second-half performance and warned of possible changes ahead of the second test in Port Elizabeth next weekend.

Erasmus noted the team would need significant improvement if they hope to retain their Rugby Championship title later this year, emphasizing that current world number one status must be backed by consistent performance.

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