Weekend Wrap: Clinical Springboks crush Italy in Gqeberha

Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks turned up the heat to shut out Italy and set the tone for a weekend of Test drama across the globe. Here’s your full weekend rugby wrap.

Springboks vs Italy

After last week’s jittery 42–24 win, the Springboks returned with purpose in Gqeberha — delivering a commanding 45–0 shutout despite being a man down following Jasper Wiese’s early red card  .

South Africa scored four first-half tries, including two from Edwill van der Merwe and one each from Grant Williams and Canan Moodie  . The Boks controlled possession, territory, and tackled like champions — Italy never threatened and finished with zero points.

MORE: Boks treated Italy to a show

Key takeaways: Willie le Roux’s 100th cap was a milestone, while Rassie Erasmus’s bold reshuffle paid off  . The rolling-maul strategy and hybrid forward play highlighted tactical depth, building momentum towards 2027  .

ALSO:Brutal & brilliant Boks blank Italy

All Blacks vs France

After an edge-of-your-seat 31–27 win in Dunedin, the All Blacks asserted their dominance in Wellington, thumping France 43–17 with six tries to two to seal the series.

New Zealand struck early and often, outscoring Les Bleus 29–3 by halftime and never easing off (). Will Jordan continued to shine with another strong performance, supported by key contributions from Ardie Savea, Cam Roigard, Codie Taylor, Tupou Vaa’i, Rieko Ioane, and the Barretts  .

Coach Scott Robertson’s call for sharper execution and confidence in skills paid off — despite wet and windy conditions, the All Blacks backed their game-plan, secured the Dave Gallaher Trophy, and closed out the series with authority  .

British & Irish Lions vs AUNZ Invitational XV 

In a dominant warm-up performance, the Lions slammed the AUNZ XV 48–0, putting any previous tour inconsistency firmly behind them  . Duhan van der Merwe stole the show with a hat-trick of tries, while Owen Farrell made an impact off the bench, confirming his credentials ahead of the Wallabies Test. The AUNZ side—featuring Test stars from both Australia and NZ—had little answer and even suffered an injury blow, with Luke Cowan-Dickie stretchered off.

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