Springboks focus on key improvements ahead of Italy decider
Image: BackpagePix
Improvement in certain areas of their game plan is what the Springboks are chasing on Saturday when they take on Italy in the second and final Test match in Gqeberha.
They've identified a few key aspects, like the breakdown and set piece, where they want to do better in the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (5.10 pm start) as they look to seal the series.
Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus made several changes for Saturday's clash and while it could cost the team some continuity, they want to see other players get some needed game time ahead of a jam-packed season.
'We always want to build strong squad depth, and I am happy for the guys who are getting an opportunity in this game,' Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick said on Friday.
'They didn't get a chance against the Barbarians or in the first Test, but they are getting that opportunity now in the second game. This will be a tough clash. Last week was our first official Test match for the year. If I look at the first half and the intensity we started with, that is exactly what we wanted.
'However, we didn't follow that up in the second half. We started up 28-3 and in the second half, we saw how they played. I said that not a lot of people have seen the growth in the Italian side under their new coaching staff. They had good results in the Six Nations.'
Stick highlighted the Italian kicking game and their dangerous outside backs as two of their main weapons. The key thing is for the Springboks is to improve their play as they head into the second Test of the season.
On the potential debuts of tighthead prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye, utility forward Cobus Wiese and utility back Ethan Hooker, Stick is excited.
'Ethan has a lot of potential, the way he is playing for the Sharks. The debut of Asenathi will also be special. Ethan is a brilliant player. If you put him on the wing, he performs. You put him at centre, he performs. Hopefully, he will get an opportunity, and we make it special for them (the debutants) as well.
'If we don't give these guys a chance, why are they at the camps? A lot of these guys deserve this. We are not too worried that it will be a 'new' team. They have been part of our training sessions, and they know what the main focus point is.
'They are experienced and mature enough to understand what needs to be done. This wake-up call (in the first Test), I am glad we got it at the start of the season. There are a lot of things that needed to be fixed. But we trust the guys selected and whatever needs to be done, they will get it done.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
eNCA
3 hours ago
- eNCA
Springbok Wiese banned for four matches over head butt
DURBAN - South Africa No 8 Jasper Wiese has been banned for four matches after head-butting Italy prop Danilo Fischetti in last weekend's Test victory in Gqeberha, World Rugby announced on Tuesday. The 29-year-old back-rower will miss a one-off Test against Georgia in Mbombela this Saturday and three Rugby Championship matches -- two at home to Australia and one against New Zealand in Auckland. Wiese will be available for selection when the Springboks face the All Blacks in Wellington on September 13, seven days after the first meeting between the sides. South Africa then face Argentina twice to complete their Rugby Championship schedule. They meet France, Italy, Ireland and Wales during a November tour to Europe. Wiese was red-carded after 22 minutes of the first half in the second Test against Italy when South Africa were leading by 10 points. The Rugby World Cup title-holders went to win Saturday's game 45-0. His place in the team to face Georgia this weekend will be taken by his younger brother, Cobus Wiese, who made his Test debut last Saturday. Jasper Wiese played for the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein and Leicester Tigers before joining Japanese outfit Urayasu D-Rocks last year. dl/iwd
Daily Maverick
5 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Siya Kolisi back to lead new-look Boks against Georgia as Rassie continues to grow depth
Springbok flank Siya Kolisi will play his first Test of 2025 when he captains the side against Georgia in Nelspruit on Saturday. It's an indication of the Springboks' depth that despite naming three uncapped players for Saturday's clash against Georgia, the squad still boasts more than 900 Test caps. Captain Siya Kolisi returns with his 92 Test caps to bolster the stats, while there is a start for Cobus Wiese at No 8, which looks like the most interesting experiment in coach Rassie Erasmus' latest lineup. In all, the Bok starting XV, which includes an entirely uncapped front row of Boan Venter at loosehead, hooker Marnus van der Merwe and Neethling Fouché at tighthead, has 484 Test caps. Venter has impressed for Edinburgh this year, and Van der Merwe was one of the best players in a competitive Scarlets team during the United Rugby Championship. Their selection also highlights the excellent decision by the South African Rugby Union to allow the Bok coach to select overseas-based players. Eight of these 23 are registered to foreign clubs. The impressive Test cap number is bolstered by the return of lock Eben Etzebeth, who will earn his 133rd cap, while centre Damian de Allende also starts after sitting out the second Test against Italy. Last week, Erasmus favoured an inexperienced bench, with three uncapped players. This week, while the starting XV, outside of Kolisi, Etzebeth, De Allende (88 caps) and Pieter-Steph du Toit (87 caps), has limited experience, he has stacked the bench with proven winners. Bongi Mbonambi, Vincent Koch and Thomas du Toit are the front row reserves. Lock RG Snyman returns, with Kwagga Smith covering the back row options in a traditional 5-3 split between forwards and backs. Faf de Klerk and Handré Pollard provide vast halfback experience while two-time World Cup-winner Damian Willemse completes a formidable bench. With the three newbies, Erasmus has now awarded seven new caps in 2025. Kolisi's return means that the Boks have used 46 players this year already. They continue to build depth while winning. 'We wanted to make sure that Siya is 100% fit before selecting him, so it's great to have him back in the squad, while Boan, Marnus, and Neethling have been training hard and deserve their chance,' said Erasmus. 'Marnus and Neethling played against the Barbarians, so they have an idea of what international rugby is about, while Boan has shown great potential at club level and with the squad in the last few weeks, and we are looking forward to seeing him play. 'Building squad depth has been one of our pillars as a squad since 2018, and they are all undoubtedly ready to make the step-up.' Wiese for Wiese Jasper Wiese, who was red-carded against Italy at the weekend for a headbutt, has been given a four-match ban by World Rugby's disciplinary tribunal. He will miss the next four Bok Tests, which include two home contests against Australia, and the 6 September clash against the All Blacks at Eden Park. He was impressive in the first Test against Italy at Loftus, gaining metres with every carry while also making himself felt in defence. But his moment of madness in the second Test has cost him and the team, and the Boks must now improvise at No 8 if they want the same ball-carrying threat. Cobus Wiese, who started his career at the Stormers as a flank, has been used at lock at the Bulls this season. But he showed enough in the last 20 minutes of the second Test against Italy to suggest a return to the back row might not be a bad move. He was prominent in the loose with some strong carries. The Wieses don't mind the physical stuff. While Cobus Wiese isn't as quick as Evan Roos or Smith, he does pack a punch in contact and can set the tone for winning the gain line battle. It's a huge opportunity for Cobus Wiese, considering everything leads to that massive showdown at Eden Park without Jasper Wiese. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu also starts in a Test for the first time since last August, when he led the line against the All Blacks, and has a chance to shine. Manie Libbok's polished performance last week, which was a masterclass in creating opportunities for his outside backs, must give him the inside line for the big Tests later this year. With Aphelele Fassi back at fullback, the return of Kurt-Lee Arendse, and Edwill van der Merwe completing the back three, the attacking potential is salivating. Canan Moodie gets another go at outside centre as Erasmus looks for depth in a position that has belonged exclusively to Jesse Kriel and Lukhanyo Am for the better part of seven years. While the level of the opposition this week and the gulf in class, with all due respect, is below what will come later in the year, the players need to show the coaches that they can stick to the plan and stay on script. The game has the potential to devolve into an unstructured runaround, which might be fun to watch but will serve little purpose in the bigger picture. Essentially, the players have more to lose than they have to gain in this outing. 'We know how passionate and intense this Georgian side is, and they will be determined to make a strong statement,' said Erasmus. 'So we selected some experienced players who we would like to get more game time before the Rugby Championship, and give a few of the younger players who have put up their hands another run … so we are pleased with the balance we have in this group.' DM
TimesLIVE
9 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Kolisi's return timely to test battle readiness for bigger Bok challenges
There is a timely return for Springbok captain Siya Kolisi in Saturday's one-off Test against Georgia in Mbombela. His return is significant as it gives the Bok brains trust a proper insight into his battle readiness for the Rugby Championship that starts next month. Kolisi, whose season has been interrupted by injury, is no stranger to making rapid recoveries before heated battles. This was perhaps best evidenced with his return to fitness from a serious knee injury before the 2023 Rugby World Cup. He will also be relieved to return to the field as the Springboks deepened their player depth not just in personnel but experience before the 2027 World Cup. This is a particularly taxing year for the Boks, with away engagements in New Zealand, France and Ireland. Squad renewal may become a hot topic should the back-to-back Rugby World Cup champions fall off the pace this year.
