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'I was stunned': Gonzalo Quesada implies Boks needlessly disrepected Italy
By Ian Cameron
Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada didn’t bother hiding his disdain for South Africa’s early gamesmanship in the second Test – a one-sided rout that saw the Azzurri suffer a 45-0 drubbing at the hands of their hosts in the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday.
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The Boks raised eyebrows over what he saw as a cynical ploy to manufacture a scrum straight from kick-off.
The Springboks sent André Esterhuizen ahead of kicker Manie Libbok in an offside designed to force a set-piece. The tactic backfired when Thomas du Toit gave away a free kick for an early push.
Rassie Erasmus later owned up to the plan, calling it clever but poorly executed.
Quesada wasn’t having it.
“I was really surprised, and I didn’t take it very well. I think they can beat us without resorting to these kinds of tactics,” he bristled, suggesting the World Champions dipped unnecessarily into the dark arts.
Have you ever seen the likes of it? 😅
South Africa manufacture a scrum DIRECTLY from kick-off 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ZfKIHnb5wF
— Sky Sports Rugby Union (@SkySportsRugby) July 12, 2025
For Quesada, it wasn’t tactical ingenuity – it was a needless stunt dressed up as strategy.
“I think we were extremely respectful these last couple of weeks, with a lot of humility, coming to the ground, the land of the World Champions.
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“It’s a land of rugby, a land where we get inspired, not just from today, but I came here for the first time in 1994 to 1998 with my club.
“I also visited South Africa so many times with the national team and coaching, and I love coming to South Africa, because it’s one of those countries where, when you’re a rugby fan, it’s so nice to be here.
“So, we know that when they prepared for this game, they decided to dominate us and show why they are the best team in the world, and we are, especially maybe with some inexperienced players, less so.
“But I was surprised, because I don’t know if it’s something we did or said that created that first move.
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“I will only say that I was stunned, because I think they didn’t need to do that to beat us or to show us anything, but it’s part of their story, and it doesn’t concern us to analyse it.”
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