For the Springboks Saturday’s Test against Italy could mark a new beginning for the team or the end of the line for under-fire coach Allister Coetzee.
A much-needed win after only four victories in 10 Tests this season‚ would give the Boks a huge boost with Wales looming in Cardiff next week.
But equally‚ defeat would make Coetzee’s position untenable.
Flank Nizaam Carr makes his first start‚ in the familiar openside role‚ which he played under Coetzee when he was Stormers’ coach.
Wing Bryan Habana returns for his 124th Test cap while the bench sees three changes with prop Trevor Nyakane‚ flank Teboho Mohoje and flyhalf Elton Jantjies all coming in after last week’s 37-21 loss to England.
With conditions expected to be wet and cool‚ the Bok pack‚ with Pieter-Steph du Toit returning to his more natural lock role‚ will have to set the foundation.
The fact that the halfbacks and the centres are unchanged from last week will add some continuity and hopefully more fluidity to the team’s attack and more structure to its defence.
Italy will ask questions at the breakdown where Carr will have to curb his natural instincts to fulfil a linking role while Willem Alberts’ ball-carrying will be crucial to get the Boks over the gainline.
“Hopefully we can take a step closer to becoming the team we want to be on Saturday‚” captain Adriaan Strauss said. “It will be a physical battle‚ but first and foremost we have to be clinical. We haven’t done that for 80 minutes this season.
“I’m totally focused on being processes-driven – I’ve always been like that. Coach Allister Coetzee said this week we had to take a step up in everything we do‚ which included the training sessions. Within the training sessions every aspect had to be better.
“On match day our processes – lineouts‚ scrums‚ breakdown‚ finishing and defence all have to improve. Winning is massively important‚ and even though our focus is not on the end result in itself‚ but we need a win.”
TEAMS:
Italy: 15-Edoardo Padovani; 14-Giulio Bisegni‚ 13-Tommaso Benvenuti‚ 12-Luke McLean‚ 11-Giovanbattista Venditti‚ 10-Carlo Canna‚ 9-Giorgio Bronzini; 8-Sergio Parisse (capt.)‚ 7-Simone Favaro‚ 6-Francesco Minto; 5-Andries Van Schalkwyk‚ 4-Marco Fuser; 3-Lorenzo Cittadini‚ 2-Ornel Gega‚ 1-Sami Panico. Replacements: 16-Tommaso D’Apice‚ 17-Nicola Quaglio‚ 18-Simone Ferrari‚ 19-George Fabio Biagi‚ 20-Abraham Steyn‚ 21-Edoardo Gori‚ 22-Tommaso Allan‚ 23-Tommaso Boni
Springboks: 15-Willie le Roux‚ 14-Ruan Combrinck‚ 13-Francois Venter‚ 12-Damian de Allende‚ 11-Bryan Habana‚ 10-Pat Lambie‚ 9-Rudy Paige‚ 8-Warren Whiteley‚ 7-Willem Alberts‚ 6-Nizaam Carr‚ 5-Lood de Jager‚ 4-Pieter-Steph du Toit‚ 3-Vincent Koch‚ 2-Adriaan Strauss (capt)‚ 1-Tendai Mtawarira. Reserves: 16-Bongi Mbonambi‚ 17-Steven Kitshoff‚ 18-Trevor Nyakane‚ 19-Franco Mostert‚ 20-Teboho Mohoje‚ 21-Faf de Klerk‚ 22-Elton Jantjies. 23-Johan Goosen.
- TMG Digital/TMG Sport
New beginning or beginning of the end for Boks and Coetzee in Florence?
For the Springboks Saturday’s Test against Italy could mark a new beginning for the team or the end of the line for under-fire coach Allister Coetzee.
A much-needed win after only four victories in 10 Tests this season‚ would give the Boks a huge boost with Wales looming in Cardiff next week.
But equally‚ defeat would make Coetzee’s position untenable.
Flank Nizaam Carr makes his first start‚ in the familiar openside role‚ which he played under Coetzee when he was Stormers’ coach.
Wing Bryan Habana returns for his 124th Test cap while the bench sees three changes with prop Trevor Nyakane‚ flank Teboho Mohoje and flyhalf Elton Jantjies all coming in after last week’s 37-21 loss to England.
With conditions expected to be wet and cool‚ the Bok pack‚ with Pieter-Steph du Toit returning to his more natural lock role‚ will have to set the foundation.
The fact that the halfbacks and the centres are unchanged from last week will add some continuity and hopefully more fluidity to the team’s attack and more structure to its defence.
Italy will ask questions at the breakdown where Carr will have to curb his natural instincts to fulfil a linking role while Willem Alberts’ ball-carrying will be crucial to get the Boks over the gainline.
“Hopefully we can take a step closer to becoming the team we want to be on Saturday‚” captain Adriaan Strauss said. “It will be a physical battle‚ but first and foremost we have to be clinical. We haven’t done that for 80 minutes this season.
“I’m totally focused on being processes-driven – I’ve always been like that. Coach Allister Coetzee said this week we had to take a step up in everything we do‚ which included the training sessions. Within the training sessions every aspect had to be better.
“On match day our processes – lineouts‚ scrums‚ breakdown‚ finishing and defence all have to improve. Winning is massively important‚ and even though our focus is not on the end result in itself‚ but we need a win.”
TEAMS:
Italy: 15-Edoardo Padovani; 14-Giulio Bisegni‚ 13-Tommaso Benvenuti‚ 12-Luke McLean‚ 11-Giovanbattista Venditti‚ 10-Carlo Canna‚ 9-Giorgio Bronzini; 8-Sergio Parisse (capt.)‚ 7-Simone Favaro‚ 6-Francesco Minto; 5-Andries Van Schalkwyk‚ 4-Marco Fuser; 3-Lorenzo Cittadini‚ 2-Ornel Gega‚ 1-Sami Panico. Replacements: 16-Tommaso D’Apice‚ 17-Nicola Quaglio‚ 18-Simone Ferrari‚ 19-George Fabio Biagi‚ 20-Abraham Steyn‚ 21-Edoardo Gori‚ 22-Tommaso Allan‚ 23-Tommaso Boni
Springboks: 15-Willie le Roux‚ 14-Ruan Combrinck‚ 13-Francois Venter‚ 12-Damian de Allende‚ 11-Bryan Habana‚ 10-Pat Lambie‚ 9-Rudy Paige‚ 8-Warren Whiteley‚ 7-Willem Alberts‚ 6-Nizaam Carr‚ 5-Lood de Jager‚ 4-Pieter-Steph du Toit‚ 3-Vincent Koch‚ 2-Adriaan Strauss (capt)‚ 1-Tendai Mtawarira. Reserves: 16-Bongi Mbonambi‚ 17-Steven Kitshoff‚ 18-Trevor Nyakane‚ 19-Franco Mostert‚ 20-Teboho Mohoje‚ 21-Faf de Klerk‚ 22-Elton Jantjies. 23-Johan Goosen.
- TMG Digital/TMG Sport
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos