The Springboks led 28-3 at halftime but let Italy claw back to 35-24 before finishing the match.
Italy, missing key players and hit by injuries, gave a brave performance and outplayed the Boks in parts.
The Springboks scored six tries and beat Italy by 18 points in Pretoria on Saturday, but coach Rassie Erasmus was not happy.
He called the match frustrating and said the team lacked intensity and rhythm in the second half.
The Boks looked to be cruising at Loftus Versfeld, storming to a 28-3 lead by half-time. But things quickly went off track after a disallowed try.
Italy, who were already missing several top players and had to reshuffle due to injuries, bounced back hard. They cut the lead to just 11 points before the home side sealed the win at 42-24.
“They had nothing to lose and showed up in every area – scrums, defence, attack,” said Erasmus.
He said the momentum shifted after the disallowed try. “We couldn’t get any rhythm. The game was stop-start, and we lacked intensity in the second half.”
Despite having almost 400 more caps and a squad packed with World Cup winners, the Springboks could not fully control the match.
Erasmus said he was glad the team could get a shaky performance out of the way early in the season. “We have no excuses. They could’ve come back at the end.”
He praised Italy’s defence and effort. “They were gutsy. By half-time, they’d made almost 120 tackles. We expected the rush defence, but still could’ve scored more.”
