Normally there would be very little for the Springboks to gain from a match against Italy, but in the context of the season they’ve endured tomorrow’s clash at the Artemio Franchi Stadium is vital.
With only four wins from 10 Tests in 2016, and just one victory in their last six Tests, a simple win over the Italians will be an immeasurable boost of confidence for the beleaguered team.
With Wales to come next weekend the Boks need every ounce of confidence they can draw from what could be a tricky match, which is expected to be played in drizzling conditions, before heading to Cardiff.
Coach Allister Coetzee made two changes to the starting lineup to the team that lost 37-21 to England at Twickenham last week and three on the bench. Veteran wing Bryan Habana returns after injury and flank Nizaam Carr will start for the first time, at openside.
Carr will be a central figure tomorrow as the Boks have identified the breakdown as a key battleground this week.
“We’ve got to win the race to the ball this weekend,” said Coetzee. “Italy tackle around the legs with the first man coming in hard over the ball. So we have to make sure we win that race.
“Nizaam should do well in that department in securing possession to build continuity for us.”
The All Blacks thrashed Italy 68-10 last weekend, scoring 10 tries in the process, but Coetzee wasn’t reading much into that considering his side’s own problems this season.
“It would be a mistake to compare ourselves to New Zealand. They’re a well-oiled machine and there’s continuity in their group.
“ Conor O’Shea is starting with a new group of players, and I know what it’s like trying to get a team to gel.
“We’re expecting the Italians to come out hard and they’ll have been targeting the Springboks on this tour. We know what to expect, we never underestimate any team. We really want to improve drastically with our basics of the game,” said Coetzee.
With Pieter-Steph du Toit and Lood de Jager reunited at lock due to Eben Etzebeth’s concussion, the line-out shouldn’t suffer while the scrum shouldn’t be underpowered either.
The set-piece has been a positive area for the Boks, but it’s away from structure where they have struggled. Defensively the Boks have been poor, conceding 31 tries in those 10 Tests.
Habana, who will win his 124th Test cap for the Boks, sat in the coaches box at Twickenham last week and found it stressful. He can’t wait to be back on the pitch to play his role in a more familiar environment.
“I’ve only sat in the coaches box twice before in my career (in 2004 and 2011) and it was a weird feeling,” said Habana.
“I always want to be on the field and for every player sitting on the sidelines, holding tackle bags is not easy for anyone.
“Sitting where I was at Twickenham there was a lot of frustration seeing how well we played for 30 minutes and then making three or four mistakes that England capitalised on.
“We are in a tough situation but there is no one that is going to get us out of it but ourselves. It’s been a good week of training, a positive week, but winning the Test on Saturday will be about the performance we put in between the four lines.
“Hopefully my experience and what I bring in terms of leadership can give the guys around me more opportunity to play rugby.”
The teams are:
Italy: Edoardo Padovani; Giulio Bisegni, Tommaso Benvenuti, Luke McLean, Giovanbattista Venditti; Carlo Canna, Giorgio Bronzini; Sergio Parisse (capt), Simone Favaro, Francesco Minto, Andries van Schalkwyk, Marco Fuser, Lorenzo Cittadini, Ornel Gega, Sami Panico. Reserves: Tommaso D'Apice, Nicola Quaglio, Simone Ferrari, George Fabio Biagi, Abraham Steyn, Edoardo Gori, Tommaso Allan, Tommaso Boni
Springboks: Willie le Roux; Ruan Combrinck, Francois Venter, Damian de Allende, Bryan Habana; Pat Lambie, Rudy Paige; Warren Whiteley, Willem Alberts, Nizaam Carr, Lood de Jager, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Vincent Koch, Adriaan Strauss (capt), Tendai Mtawarira. Reserves: Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff, Trevor Nyakane, Franco Mostert, Teboho Mohoje, Faf de Klerk, Elton Jantjies, Johan Goosen.
Now for an Italian Job
With only four wins from 10 Tests in 2016, and just one victory in their last six Tests, a simple win over the Italians will be an immeasurable boost of confidence for the beleaguered team.
With Wales to come next weekend the Boks need every ounce of confidence they can draw from what could be a tricky match, which is expected to be played in drizzling conditions, before heading to Cardiff.
Coach Allister Coetzee made two changes to the starting lineup to the team that lost 37-21 to England at Twickenham last week and three on the bench. Veteran wing Bryan Habana returns after injury and flank Nizaam Carr will start for the first time, at openside.
Carr will be a central figure tomorrow as the Boks have identified the breakdown as a key battleground this week.
“We’ve got to win the race to the ball this weekend,” said Coetzee. “Italy tackle around the legs with the first man coming in hard over the ball. So we have to make sure we win that race.
“Nizaam should do well in that department in securing possession to build continuity for us.”
The All Blacks thrashed Italy 68-10 last weekend, scoring 10 tries in the process, but Coetzee wasn’t reading much into that considering his side’s own problems this season.
“It would be a mistake to compare ourselves to New Zealand. They’re a well-oiled machine and there’s continuity in their group.
“ Conor O’Shea is starting with a new group of players, and I know what it’s like trying to get a team to gel.
“We’re expecting the Italians to come out hard and they’ll have been targeting the Springboks on this tour. We know what to expect, we never underestimate any team. We really want to improve drastically with our basics of the game,” said Coetzee.
With Pieter-Steph du Toit and Lood de Jager reunited at lock due to Eben Etzebeth’s concussion, the line-out shouldn’t suffer while the scrum shouldn’t be underpowered either.
The set-piece has been a positive area for the Boks, but it’s away from structure where they have struggled. Defensively the Boks have been poor, conceding 31 tries in those 10 Tests.
Habana, who will win his 124th Test cap for the Boks, sat in the coaches box at Twickenham last week and found it stressful. He can’t wait to be back on the pitch to play his role in a more familiar environment.
“I’ve only sat in the coaches box twice before in my career (in 2004 and 2011) and it was a weird feeling,” said Habana.
“I always want to be on the field and for every player sitting on the sidelines, holding tackle bags is not easy for anyone.
“Sitting where I was at Twickenham there was a lot of frustration seeing how well we played for 30 minutes and then making three or four mistakes that England capitalised on.
“We are in a tough situation but there is no one that is going to get us out of it but ourselves. It’s been a good week of training, a positive week, but winning the Test on Saturday will be about the performance we put in between the four lines.
“Hopefully my experience and what I bring in terms of leadership can give the guys around me more opportunity to play rugby.”
The teams are:
Italy: Edoardo Padovani; Giulio Bisegni, Tommaso Benvenuti, Luke McLean, Giovanbattista Venditti; Carlo Canna, Giorgio Bronzini; Sergio Parisse (capt), Simone Favaro, Francesco Minto, Andries van Schalkwyk, Marco Fuser, Lorenzo Cittadini, Ornel Gega, Sami Panico. Reserves: Tommaso D'Apice, Nicola Quaglio, Simone Ferrari, George Fabio Biagi, Abraham Steyn, Edoardo Gori, Tommaso Allan, Tommaso Boni
Springboks: Willie le Roux; Ruan Combrinck, Francois Venter, Damian de Allende, Bryan Habana; Pat Lambie, Rudy Paige; Warren Whiteley, Willem Alberts, Nizaam Carr, Lood de Jager, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Vincent Koch, Adriaan Strauss (capt), Tendai Mtawarira. Reserves: Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff, Trevor Nyakane, Franco Mostert, Teboho Mohoje, Faf de Klerk, Elton Jantjies, Johan Goosen.
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