A number of big-name players will be missing from the Italian team this weekend.
Assistant coach Felix Jones, left, and Jerry Flannery, the Boks’ defence coach, in conversation. Picture: Steve Haag/Nations Championship via Getty Images
Despite the hosts missing a slew of star players, the Springboks are expecting a tough challenge from Italy when the sides meet in their Nations Championship encounter at the Allianz Stadium in Turin on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 1:40pm).
The Italians are missing some of their best players, including midfielders Tommaso Menoncello and Juan Ignacio Brex, as well as loose forward Sebastian Negri, among others, due to injury, and will thus have to rely on a number of less experienced players to do the job against the world champions.
But at a press conference on Tuesday Springbok defence coach Jerry Flannery pointed to the clash between the Boks and Italy at Loftus last year, when the Italians brought an understrength side to tour the country and pushed the South Africans all the way, to show how difficult they can be.
Big challenge
“We still respect them enormously, when they came to Pretoria last year, they were also missing key players and ran us very close,” explained Flannery.
“They have a really strong set-piece. Their scrum is probably up there with one of the best in the Six Nations, and that gives them a big advantage going into the game. They are also a very well-coached team who do the basics well.
“They still have players like (utility back) Ange Capuozzo, who can break a game open if you give him half a chance. Obviously, they will miss Brex because he is a really good footballer, while Menoncello is one of the best centres in the world and incredibly powerful.
“But they have a strong kicking game, with players like Paolo Garbisi, who has an excellent left foot, and they have good aerial players, so we need to be strong in that area. And if there are any scraps off the back of their kicking game, Capuozzo can create something from nothing, so controlling those areas will be key.”
‘Well-coached team’
Although the injuries will have thrown a spanner into the Boks’ preparations in terms of the players they were expecting to face, Flannery said that they were preparing for the team as a whole and were not focused on individual players.
“Italy have shown that they are building depth in their squad, and heading towards the World Cup (in Australia next year), that will benefit them in the long term as those (fringe) players gain more Test caps.
“We’ve identified some dangerous individuals, but they are a really well-coached team, so we’re looking at defending them as a team rather than just focusing on the individuals.”
With the Boks having only gotten together as a team on Sunday, Flannery believes this is perfect preparation for the World Cup next year, with the short preparation time and a number of big games in a short period of time.
“I think the tour is a good representation of what’s coming heading into a World Cup year. The squad must get together and play games consistently in a short period of time,” explained Flannery.
“We’re not yet sure how much we’ll rotate through this period, but for me it’s almost like knockout rugby, with the group stages, round of 16, quarterfinal, semifinal, and final. It’s that kind of intensity.”
