Springboks v Italy preview: Bomb Squad to rediscover explosive power as Azzurri feel the ‘wrath’ of Rassie Erasmus’ men
Springboks veteran Willie Le Roux and an inset of the Bomb Squad entering the field against Italy.
Round two as the Springboks and Italy collide for a second week in a row with the action heading to Gqeberha on Saturday, 12 July.
South Africa emerged 42-24 victors in Pretoria last week, but because of the high standards the back-to-back World Cup have set, head coach Rassie Erasmus was left frustrated.
The Boks had raced into a 28-3 half-time lead and were expected to romp to a thrashing victory but the Bomb Squad’s failure to launch and the Azzurri’s youthful ‘Grenade Squad’ saw the Italians fightback and get the better of the Boks in the second half winning the final 40, 21-14.
Erasmus promised changes, even before the under-par performance, and has duly delivered with only four players retaining starting roles for the Springboks, with a further three featuring in the matchday 23 for both Tests.
The Italians aren’t resting on their laurels either, as Gonzalo Quesada has welcomed back powerhouse forward Seb Negri and made further tweaks to freshen up his squad for their third and final touring match of Africa.
Where the game will be won
Erasmus may have chopped and changed his team significantly for the second Test against the Azzurri, but the fundamentals of their game remain the same. South Africa scored through several different avenues last week, but their power up front and set-piece excellence was the catalyst every single time.
That will undoubtedly be the key battleground yet again as the Boks seek another steady set-piece performance, but just as crucially, a far improved breakdown showing. The Azzurri were able to pilfer and pillage in the rucks with the brilliant Manuel Zuilani leading the charge, but ably assisted across the team.
South Africa have since sought World Rugby’s consultation on the legalities of the Italian breakdown under new directives, and Erasmus will demand an immediate improvement from his charges even with the plethora of changes.
For Italy, more of the same will be required in that facet of the game, while Quesada will hope that his charges gained confidence from their final 40 in Pretoria after lacking belief in the first half.
Perhaps his message to his youthful outfit will be ‘go out there, be brave and implement what we have trained’ as a historic result is within their grasp if they do so, but it won’t be easy.
They found a route back in the game at Loftus through the breakdown, led by Zuliani, and disrupting the Boks’ set-piece ball, particularly at lineout time, and replicating that is a must.
Last time they met
What they said
Erasmus admitted frustration after the game in Pretoria but states that the changes he has made are not in fury but rather in respect to Italy, with a few players who were set to start this match missing out and possibly getting a run against Georgia.
“Most of the guys who are playing here, there’s maybe one or two, that would have played game, and hopefully we can give them a go against Georgia, but the changes are more in respect to Italy than our performance itself,” he explained after naming his team.
“We had a very experienced team and I guess that makes it really difficult for the opposition to play against but very easy to analyse in terms of how you know the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition. It’s very tough for us to have really seen where their players’ individual strengths and we don’t know their weaknesses because we haven’t played them before.
“Now that we have played them, the guys last week have transferred a lot of knowledge to this week’s players.”
Erasmus is, however, excited to see a more youthful-looking team this week, but has dismissed the notion that it is a more expansive team that he put out last week.
It’s exciting to see the young ones get a go. I wouldn’t say they are a more expansive team than a team that played because you take Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel too, and those guys can play,” he explained.
“But exciting for the youngsters and older guys.”
Springboks team: Willie Le Roux hits 100 as Rassie Erasmus makes 11 changes, issues three debuts
Players to watch
There is perhaps no bigger injury boost that the Azzurri could have got than the return of bruising back-rower Sebastian Negri, who will go toe-to-toe with the likes of Pieter-Steph du Toit. Negri is renowned for his aggressive ball carries and hulking defence. A player who always gives his all not only in terms of work-rate, but in every action of his game, he is bound to be a handful for the Springboks.
While older brother Paolo has been rested for the tour, Alessandro Garbisi has been elevated to the starting XV after setting the tempo of their fightback at Loftus last week. A talented number nine, he not only has a wonderful attacking game but is technically gifted too.
As mentioned above, Manuel Zuliani was brilliant in the first Test and will be eager to replicate that form in Port Elizabeth. The Italian back-rower has been a thorn in the side of so many Test teams of late and has arguably been the form loose forward for the Azzurri this year. If the Springboks don’t protect the ball at ruck time, Zuliani will be adding more turnovers to his already impressive tally.
The man of the moment, all eyes will be on Willie Le Roux on Saturday as he joins an exclusive club of players to have represented the Springboks in 100 Test matches, becoming just the eighth player to raise the bat for South Africa. The veteran full-back enjoyed a fine run of form, helping the Bulls to the URC final and will be eager to make a show of his milestone match. The ‘Assist King’ has certainly had his detractors in the past, even now still, but hopefully that is all put to the side for Saturday to celebrate a wonderful career that includes two World Cup trophies and a British and Irish Lions series victory. He is far from the pacey outside back that forced his way into Heyneke Meyer’s squad back in 2013, but he has developed into one of the best playmakers in the game.
Joining Le Roux in an exciting back-three is Edwill van der Merwe, who earns a long-awaited second Test cap after debuting against Wales in the Boks’ first game of 2024. In a similar mould to the likes of Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe, Van der Merwe has pace, power and is incredibly agile for a man his size. A pocket rocket speedster, the Sharks-bound winger has the skillset to cause all kinds of havoc for the Italian defence.
Meanwhile, on the bench, Erasmus is set to usher in three new Springboks with gigantic tighthead prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye, powerhouse utility forward Cobus Wiese and exciting back Ethan Hooker in line for debuts. Ntlabakanye impressed against the Barbarians but faces a far sterner challenge this weekend against a fully-fledged international team, while Wiese has the chance to play alongside his brother Jasper for the first time. He has taken his game to another level since joining the Bulls from Sale Sharks and deservedly earned a maiden call-up and now debut. A classic blindside-lock hybrid, Wiese will bring real abrasiveness and aggression to the Bok pack in the latter stages of the game. Finally, Hooker shone mostly on the wing for the Sharks but offers options in both centre positions. A dazzlingly talented back, the rookie has an all-court game already marrying pace, power and game smarts beyond his years. He shows real promise of a long career at the highest level, and this looks to be the start of that journey.
Main head-to-head
While the head-to-head of Negri and World Rugby Player of the Year Du Toit is certainly tasty, the influence of the respective benches is just too good to ignore as the Springboks’ Bomb Squad goes up against Italy’s Grenade Squad.
Quesada anointed his replacements, the Grenade Squad, after their performance in the first Test, with the inexperienced charges outscoring the Boks’ famed Bomb Squad.
It was a remarkable feat not just because of the gulf in experience but also considering the fact that it was the first time in 14 consecutive matches that the Springboks had not outscored their opponents in the second half of a match. Backing that effort up would be an astonishing feat.
Particularly considering the make-up of the new Bok Bomb Squad, which has a fresh feel to it. Sure, there are seasoned campaigners like Ox Nche and Cobus Reinach, who have performed these roles marvellously in the past, but they are joined by hungry rookies who can help reignite the explosive edge. Jan-Hendrik Wessels shifts to cover hooker with the juggernaut frame of Ntlabakanye on debut.
Cobus Wiese and Evan Roos add pace, power and aggression while Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Reinach are more than capable of speeding up or simply controlling matters in the halfbacks with Hooker adding a real punch to the backline. It’s not a traditional Bomb Squad with a 6-2 or 7-1 split, but Andre Esterhuizen could well shift to the flank yet again to add more pace akin to Kwagga Smith’s role. The purpose of the Bok bench isn’t always to dominate physically, but rather influence the game in the manner required and this new set is more than capable of doing precisely that.
Prediction
Erasmus was far calmer during his team announcement presser than he was post-match in Pretoria, but one has to think that he read the riot act to his charges in the aftermath of the performance in the administrative capital. Even though the team has been largely changed, expect the Springboks to be more accurate, ruthless and hellbent on righting the wrongs of last week.
Several of these Springboks players also have a point to prove and have the opportunity to force Erasmus’ arm and get more regular minutes in Green and Gold in 2025.
As for the Azzurri, it will be a mighty task to replicate that impressive 40 minutes last weekend. They do have youth on their side, which can often be advantageous in the sense of being somewhat fearless and have the energy for a quick turnaround.
However, they are bound to feel the wrath of the world champions, who will flex their strength in depth and charge to an emphatic victory, bettering their 18-point margin, charging to a win over 25 points to celebrate Le Roux’s milestone in style.
Rassie Erasmus: ‘I definitely made a mistake with Willie le Roux’
Previous result
2025: Springboks won 42-24 in Pretoria
2022: Springboks won 63-21 in Genoa
2019: Springboks won 49-3 in Shizuoka
2017: Springboks won 35-6 in Padua
2016: Italy won 35-6 in Florence
2014: Springboks won 22-6 in Padua
2013: Springboks won 44-10 in Durban
2010: Springboks won 55-11 in East London
2010: Springboks won 29-13 in Witbank
2009: Springboks won 32-10 in Udine
2008: Springboks won 26-0 in Cape Town
The teams
South Africa:15 Willie le Roux, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Salmaan Moerat (c), 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Thomas du Toit
Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Evan Roos, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23 Ethan Hooker
Italy: 15 Mirko Belloni, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Tommaso Menoncello, 12 Marco Zanon, 11 Jacopo Trulla, 10 Giacomo Da Re, 9 Alessandro Garbisi, 8 Ross Vintcent, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Andrea Zambonin, 4 Niccolò Cannone (c), 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 1 Danilo Fischetti
Replacements: 16 Pablo Dimcheff, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Muhamed Hasa, 19 Matteo Canali, 20 Alessandro Izekor, 21 David Odiase, 22 Stephen Varney, 23 Giulio Bertaccini
Date: Saturday, July 12
Kick-off: 17:10 (local), 16:10 (UK)
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
Assistant Referees: Matthew Carley (RFU), Hollie Davidson (SRU)
TMO: Tual Training (FFR)
FPRO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
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