Boks overwhelming favourites at home against Italy
Centre Jesse Kriel will lead the Springboks against Italy in Pretoria on Saturday. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
There's plenty of rugby on the go to keep fans glued to their screens this weekend, with South African supporters no doubt excited by the start of the Springboks' Test season.
The recent world champions from 2019 and 2023 kicked off their 2025 season with a big win against invitational side, the Barbarians, in a friendly in Cape Town last week, but it's all business from Saturday, with the side set to play 14 Tests this year.
Italy are first up in Pretoria on Saturday. The Boks play them again in Gqeberha next week and end their mid-year schedule with an outing against Georgia in Mbombela.
New captain
The Boks, with new captain Jesse Kriel leading the way in the absence of the injured Siya Kolisi, are packed full of international stars, while coach Rassie Erasmus has selected one debutant, flanker Vincent Tshituka.
Namibia, though not at full-strength with a number of players left at home to rest, warmed up for the Boks matches with a big win against Namibia in Windhoek last weekend.
In 16 previous meetings between the nations, the Boks have won 15, with Italy shocking the world with a 20-18 win at home in 2016.
Since then the Boks have won three in a row, in 2017 (35-6 in Padua), in 2019 (49-3 in Fukuroi in Japan at the World Cup, and in 2022 (63-21 in Genoa).
Erasmus's team are big favourites to win both Tests.
According to Betway, the Boks are 1.00 to win the first Test at Loftus on Saturday, but if you want to take a chance on an upset and potentially winning a bit more, Italy are 25.00 to win. A draw is the most lucrative at 70.00.
In some of the other big matches this weekend, New Zealand are 1.07 to beat France, with a surprise win for France at 10.00, while in Australia the British and Irish Lions are 1.00 to win against the Waratahs, while the odds for a home win for the Aussie side is 14.00.
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