It was supposed to be a feel-good day for South African rugby.
The Springboks wrapped up a dominant 45-0 win over Italy in Gqeberha, securing a 2-0 Test series victory.
But what should have been a clean celebration came with an unexpected twist—No. 8 Jasper Wiese was red-carded just 22 minutes into the match for a head-butt on Italian prop Danilo Fischetti.
Rassie Erasmus Responds to the Red Card Drama
Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus didn’t offer much judgment on the red card incident.
Speaking to reporters after the game, he kept it measured:
“I can’t say whether it was right or wrong or how serious it was.
That’s something Jasper will have to deal with now—and he has our full support.”
Wiese, a player known for his physicality and passion, now faces the possibility of a suspension.
Erasmus added that it was especially unfortunate because this was supposed to be a special game for the Wiese family—Jasper’s brother, Cobus Wiese, made his debut off the bench in the second half.
Not in His Character, Says Erasmus
Erasmus was quick to defend Wiese’s character, even if he didn’t excuse the incident:
“It’s sad because Jasper isn’t the type of player who sets out to do anything like that.
But I don’t want to say anything that makes the situation better or worse.”
The referee, Ireland’s Andrew Brace, wasn’t shy about reaching for his cards.
Along with Wiese’s red, there were three yellow cards handed out—South Africa’s Wilco Louw and Italy’s Danilo Fischetti and David Obiase all spent time in the bin.
Tactical Shifts After the Red Card
Wiese’s red card forced an early change for the Springboks.
With South Africa suddenly down to seven forwards in the scrum, Erasmus made a quick call.
He subbed in Ox Nche for Thomas du Toit on the 31-minute mark.
“We needed a proper loose-head in there, and Thomas has become more of a tight-head these days.
So it was a tactical adjustment to stabilise the scrum.”
Despite the disruption, South Africa didn’t miss a beat.
They were already leading 10-0 when Wiese was sent off, and they went on to score five more tries while shutting out Italy completely—a rare feat that hadn’t happened against a top-tier team since 2013.
A Marked Improvement From Last Week
Erasmus praised his team’s improved performance compared to the previous weekend’s 42-24 win in Pretoria.
“We struggled a bit in the second half last week. We didn’t know much about the Italian players then, and it made analysis tricky.”
He explained that after the first Test, senior players shared insights with the younger squad members, pointing out areas where Italy could be broken down—and clearly, it worked.
One Play That Didn’t Go to Plan
Not everything worked like a charm. Erasmus admitted one planned move didn’t go their way.
Flyhalf Manie Libbok kicked a deliberate short ball from the kickoff, which ended up handing Italy a scrum—and then South Africa was penalised.
“Sometimes those things come off, and sometimes they don’t.
Now that teams have seen it, we probably won’t be able to try it again for a while.”
Looking Ahead to the Next Clash
This latest win marked South Africa’s 17th victory in 18 Tests against Italy—a solid record.
But the two sides aren’t done just yet. They’re scheduled to face off again later this year, on November 15 in Turin.
As for Wiese, all eyes will be on whether his red card results in disciplinary action—and how that could affect the Springboks moving forward.