Springbok flanker Marco van Staden said on Monday that the Boks would not underestimate a passionate Italy this week as the teams prepare to line up at the Allianz Stadium in Turin on Saturday.
Van Staden, who started both Tests against Italy earlier this year in South Africa, said: “They are a team with a lot of passion, and they play with intensity. It will be even more so this weekend with their home crowd behind them. That has a big influence on the way they pitch up on the field.
“They did very well against us in South Africa and placed us under pressure in some areas, so we know they are going to go out there with a lot of passion and intensity.”
With all the depth at loose forward within the Bok squad, Van Staden said it was a group effort to maintain that intensity and training on the field on Saturday against Italy.
“It was a great game over the weekend, and the intensity the players showed was fantastic,” said Van Staden. “As a team we all buy into the plans and prepare as well as possible for each game, even if it’s to help the other players, so that intensity is definitely valuable for us.”