04 November 2026
Jerry Flannery spoke highly about Italy ahead of their opening match of the Nations Championship Northern Series against Italy in Turin on Saturday, saying they are a quality team with a strong set piece and dangerous backs, with the Springbok assistant coach making it clear that they expect a massive battle against the Azzurri.
The Springboks may be ranked first in the world, with Italy in 11th place, but Flannery said they posed challenging threats with their forward pack and among their backs, which the Boks would have to contain to get the desired result this weekend.
Italy will be missing several key players due to injury, including Juan Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello, and Sebastian Negri, among others, but Flannery was adamant that they would still field a strong outfit for the encounter, with players who will bring a different dimension to the team.
“We still respect them enormously – when they came to Pretoria last year, they were also missing key players and ran us very closely,” said Flannery.
“They have a really strong set piece. In fact, their scrum was probably among the best in the Six Nations, and that gives them a significant platform.
“They’re also a very well-coached team that does the basics extremely well. They still have players like Ange Capuozzo, who can break a game open from nothing.
“Brex is a really good footballer, and Menoncello is one of the best centres in the world, but they’ve shown real squad depth, and going into a World Cup year, giving more players caps will benefit them long term, so we’re looking at defending them as a team, not just individuals.”
Commenting on what the Boks are expecting from them this weekend, the former Irish hooker said: “If your players don’t make their first-time tackles, Italy will make metres, and that’s what we saw in Pretoria as well.
“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.”
With the top nations from the northern and southern hemisphere set to face one another in the Finals Weekend in London at the end of the month, with the next ranked teams also lining up against one another in each hemisphere in the lead-up to the final match on Sunday, 29 November, Flannery said he believed this tour is similar to playing playoff rugby.
“I think the tour is a good representation of what’s coming heading into a World Cup year,” said Flannery.
“The squad must get together and play games consistently in a short period of time. We’re not yet sure how much we’ll rotate through this period, but for me it’s almost like knockout rugby – the group stages, Round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final, and Final. It’s that kind of intensity.”
The Bok assistant coach, however, was confident that the players were gelling well following two training sessions so far this week and given the fact that they have been together for most of the international season.
“I don't think it’s easy, but I believe it’s fairly similar for most teams competing in the Nations Championship,” said Flannery.
“We were together for a long time previously, and a lot of the current squad were part of that entire period. Obviously, you always want to evolve, but a lot of what we worked on is still fairly fresh in the players’ minds, so it’s a case of getting them together and not overloading them but reminding them about how we do things when we are in Bok camp.”