Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick made it clear on Friday that the Boks would not underestimate Italy going into Saturday’s Castle Lager Outgoing Tour match, and said the hosts pose immense dangers within their pack and backline.
The teams will cross paths at the Allianz Stadium in Torino at 14:40 (SA time).
“It’s a tough week because we are facing a team that comes off a good game against Australia, while a few other players are getting an opportunity to play, and that motivates us immensely,” said Stick.
“The players have been working very hard and waiting for their opportunity, such as Handre (Pollard) and Canan (Moodie), among others, so 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.
Commenting on the speculation in the media that the matchday squad was not the strongest the Springboks could select, Stick brushed off the criticism, saying: “There’s no such thing as a trial match when it comes to the Springboks. It’s going to be a tough game, and 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.”
With the decision to select No. 8 Marco van Staden as the back-up hooker, Stick said the coaches have been working with him to fulfil this role when necessary for some time now.
“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 with a couple of fetchers in their team, and it’s great that we can move him to hooker later in the game.”
Zooming in on the new Bok backline partnerships, Stick said: “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. 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.”