Adnaan Mohamed
Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick has warned that Italy are no side to stroll past, likening Saturday’s showdown in Torino to a scrum where one wrong step can send you skidding backwards.
The Boks face the Azzurri at Allianz Stadium at 14:40 (SA time), live on SuperSport. And Stick made it clear the visitors aren’t treating this as a gentle warm-up jog.
“It’s a tough week because we are facing a team that comes off a good game against Australia,” said Stick.
“A few other players are getting an opportunity to play, and that motivates us immensely.”
Stick said the squad’s hunger runs deeper than selection rotation:
“The players have been working very hard and waiting for their opportunity, such as Handré (Pollard) and Canan (Moodie), among others.
“For us, whoever gets a chance to represent the country, it’s not just about playing for yourself, but close to 60 million South Africans at home. This Test is a massive game for us.”
He also brushed aside whispers that the matchday group lacked bite.
“There’s no such thing as a trial match when it comes to the Springboks,” Stick insisted.
“We need to respect the players who are receiving an opportunity to play. We all know Italy are in a good space as a team, and improving week in and week out.
“In Pretoria, they posed big challenges in the second half, so they are a side you can never underestimate. That said, we’ll be prepared, and the players are excited and looking forward to the match.”
Captain Siya Kolisi who is set to notch his 101st Test cap, expects the breakdown to be the heart of the contest, the place “where matches are won and lost like turnovers at a street fight.”
“It’s been one of the big areas we looked at this week, just as we did when we played against them in South Africa,” said Kolisi.
“We struggled in the first match against them back home, and that was one of the main reasons we had to work so hard to win that match.
“We know how good they are there, so we’ve worked hard this week to ensure we look after the ball properly. The pack will be important this weekend. We know what we have to do, and we have to make sure we are up for it.”
Kolisi dismissed concerns about cohesion within the fresh-faced forward unit:
“We’ve done the work on the field during the week, and that’s where we get to know one another. The coaches have been crucial in that regard. The senior guys obviously need to lead by example, but we feel good as a group in general.”
Van Staden’s hooker switch “a long-term project”
With Marco van Staden named as the reserve hooker, Stick revealed this is no spur-of-the-moment gamble.
“It was always the plan for him to be a backup hooker in the squad,” said Stick.
“At the 2023 World Cup, he was always training and working on extra skills in that position to ensure he was ready when the opportunity arose. So, it’s a project we’ve been working on for the last few years.
“He’s a tough guy who always plays with his heart on his sleeve, and he’s a breakdown specialist, which will be valuable against a side like Italy. It’s great that we can move him to hooker later in the game.”
Stick also flagged Italy’s dangerous midfield and backline, a unit he describes as sharp enough to slice through any defensive line that drifts for even a moment.
“If you look at the Italian centres, they are probably one of the best centre partnerships in the country at the moment, and they have great players all around at the back,” he said. “They are also playing really well, so it’s going to be a tough game with ball in hand.
“If you give the Italian players time and space, their backline players will punish you.”
Teams:
Italy: 15 Ange Capuozzo, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex (captain), 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Stephen Varney, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Ross Vintcent, 5 Andrea Zambonin, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 3 Marco Riccioni, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Danilo Fischetti.
Replacements: 16 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Simone Ferrari, 19 Federico Ruzza, 20 Riccardo Favretto, 21 David Odiase, 22 Martin Page-Relo, 23 Tommaso Allan.
South Africa: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Ethan Hooker, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Marco van Staden, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Zachary Porthen, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Boan Venter.
Replacements: 16 Gerhard Steenekamp, 17 Wilco Louw, 18 RG Snyman, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 Andre Esterhuizen, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok.
Date: Saturday, November 15
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Turin
Kick-off: 13.40 (14.40 SAST; 12.40 GMT)
Expected weather: There will be some drizzle and light winds with a temperature around 14°C
Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand), Jérémy Rozier (France)
TMO: Tual Trainini (France)
SOURCE: SA RUGBY