Eye on South Africa: What's not to like in a 46 point hammering? Quite a lot actually.

The prospect of an Ireland versus South Africa World cup quarter-final remains a possibility after the Springboks did their bit by beating Italy 49-3 in Shizuoka on Friday.

It’s all but secured runner-up place in Pool B for the Springboks, unless they lose to Canada and Italy somehow go all Russell Crowe and beat the All Blacks.

But let’s be serious, Crowe has more chance of regaining his ‘Gladiator’ physique by next Saturday than Italy do of beating the reigning world champions.

And if the Boks lose to Canada, the 31 players and dozen management members should probably ask for asylum in that country. There really wouldn’t be much point to coming home.

The Springboks’ seven-try demolition of an Italian side that was so ill- disciplined it made the histrionics in an average Serie A match pale, was not pretty but was a case of job done.

The match was reduced to uncontested scrums by the half hour as the Azzurri lost tighteads Simone Ferrari and Marco Riccioni in the first half.

On South African TV, former Italian and Bok coach Nick Mallett and 2007 World Cup-winning skipper John Smit pondered if it weren’t a premeditated ploy by Italy coach Conor O’Shea.

Club rugby in France doesn’t allow for replacements if two props are injured because there was such a spate of uncontested scrums a few seasons ago. Those policies don’t apply at RWC 2019 and the dominant Bok scrum was reduced to bystander status for the bulk of the match.

Whatever the reasons the Boks took out their anger at not having scrums to get their kicks by smashing Italian ball carriers with frightening relish.

This might not be the most skilful Springbok team every assembled but it’s one of the most brutish. Eben Etzebeth, all 2.04m of him, was the smallest of the three locks on the day.

RG Snyman in full 2.06m trim, came off the bench, scored a try and made a Sonny Bill-esque offload while the 2.05m Lood de Jager bossed the lineout.

Given the farcical scrum situation, it possibly left Bok coach Rassie Erasmus ruing his decision to have six forwards and only two backs on the bench.

But the problem for South Africa at the moment is that for all their brawn, tiny wing Cheslin Kolbe seems to be the only brain in the operation.

Fly-half Handre Pollard is a husk of the player that strutted through the Rugby Championship like John Travolta in discotheque circa 1978.

Scrum-half Faf de Klerk is off his game and can barely hit a barn door with his pass, let alone a runner more than 10 metres away. Fullback Willie le Roux is also all over the shop.

Le Roux has always mixed the sublime with the ridiculous but at the moment it’s just the ridiculous with the ridiculous. Against Italy he ran his wings into touch, threw wild passes and failed to collect contestable kicks. Other than that he was fine.

The problem for Erasmus is two-fold. His back up halfbacks aren’t in better form and the next time this same combination plays together will be in the quarter-finals. He really doesn’t have a way to fix it in a match situation.

On the up side though, the Bok defence is sturdy.

If defence wins World Cups then the Boks are on the right track, having conceded only two tries in three games at this tournament. Both were against the All Blacks and both came from Bok mistakes.

But there is another potential problem. Their hard-pressing outside-in defence requires the outside centre to take command of the press.

In Lukhanyo Am they have the right man for the job. In Jesse Kriel the Boks had an able back-up in this most critical of defensive positions.

Kriel though, went home this week because he hasn’t recovered from a hamstring strain, leaving Am as the only fit 13 in the entire set-up.

Between he and Kriel they have started each of Erasmus’s 22 Tests in charge and no one else has played the position. The Bok outside centre eggs were split into two baskets and following Kriel’s exit, they’re now all in Am’s. It’s a worrying position with the play-offs looming.

Kriel’s exit was also strange because management suggested he might be fit later in the tournament. Which begs the question: why didn’t the Boks keep him in the squad like the All Blacks did with Brodie Retallick?

This is not suggesting Kriel is as good as Retallick but in the Bok context, he is vital. Also, they wouldn’t need him against Canada and their next assignment will only be on October 18. Even if Kriel isn’t fit for the quarter-final, he could be around for a semi if they get that far.

Instead utility back Damian Willemse was added. If you think Kolbe can step, wait until to you see this guy in space.

But Willemse, for all his talent, has only played five Tests, none of which have been in 2019. He’s just returned from a lengthy knee injury and he doesn’t cover 13.

As odd replacements go, it was up there with Jake White replacing No 8 Pierre Spies with hooker Bismarck du Plessis in 2007.

That went pretty well though, with the front ranker playing a small, but crucial cameo in the World Cup final, which the Boks of course won.

The Boks are hardly in crisis but things aren’t going as seamlessly as they’d hope either.

Who knows, maybe destiny has decreed that Willemse will be a Bok hero in 2019 following his late call-up.