South Africa lost their their first game in ten years against England last weekend but should have no such trouble against Italy in Florence.
The form
Italy
They were expecting a blacklash from the All Blacks and they got it though it was probably more the case of fringe players trying to catch the eye of the Kiwi coach to consider their promotion to the top team, and they played out of their skins.
The Azzurri lacked skills and organisation; new coach Conor O’Shea will have to perform a minor miracle in this game, and others, to get any respectable results. Moreover a couple of experiments with new players last week did not bear fruit.
Eben Etzebeth – concussed last week and not playing in Florence
South Africa
The Springboks started well at Twickenham against rusty England and were ahead after half an hour, but even so one knew that the Roses just had to find themselves to get the result. Then Etzebeth had to retire and the Boks couldn’t stop England returning to form anyway.
They surrendered too much possession from pilfers, mistakes and kicking the ball away poorly, and when they ran with it, breaks were scarce.
Although they dominated the scrummage so few of them were completed that it didn’t signify.
They chose three tall lineout jumpers but inexplicably did not contest many England throws, even in England territory.
Team news
Italy
Coach Conor O’Shea has elected to retain scrumhalf Giorgio Bronzini and flyhalf Carlo Canna in the starting team; so Edoardo Gori and Tommaso Allan, who were more effective from the bench against the All Blacks, are reserves again.
Italy have made four changes from their starting team but the most significant one is that experienced Toulouse hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini, who was injured against NZ, is not fit to play.
South Africa
Bryan Habana returns from a groin problem to play on the left wing replacing JP Pietersen. Pieter-Steph du Toit was found out playing on the blindside flank at Twickenham and returns to the second row because Eben Etzebeth was concussed. Nizaam Carr takes du Toit’s place in the back row.
Willem Alberts – moves over to the open side
The game plans
Italy
Italy would have noticed that England scrumhalf Ben Youngs broke from the ruck a couple of times with Pieter-Steph du Toit as pillar and try the same ploy using scrummie Giorgio Bronzini. They can’t hope that the Boks will be so reluctant to contest opposition throws to the lineout as a Twickenham; so they should try some quick lineouts before the forest of tall green timber is ready.
And because the kick and chase effort of the Boks at Twickenham was second-class the Azzurri should start a few kicking contests. And throwing an extra man in the ruck now and then may get a dividend also; South Africa lost some ball at the breakdown last Saturday.
South Africa
The Boks won’t spend a lot of their time before the game analysing their opponents and know that they just have to play better to get the result. But they should try to profit from their defensive lineout and establish their scrum superiority as early as they can.
Sergio Parisse – chief cook and bottle washer for the Azzurri
Key players and match-ups
Sergio Parisse v Warren Whiteley
No. 8 Whiteley did not compare well to Billy Vunipola at Twickenham and although Parisse is not the same bruising player as is the big Pom, he will do everything in the stadium but sell the programmes. The more touches Parisse gets the more likely that Italy can keep the scoreline respectable. But in the looser game that is likely in Florence, expect Whiteley to shine.
The centres
The new Springbok midfield against England, Damian de Allende and Francois Venter, were not stellar last week and Venter made some bad decisions on defence. Queenslander Luke McLean, the Italy inside centre, is not the most dangerous of runners, but he and Tommaso Benvenuti could take advantage of the lack of cohesion of the South African pair.
The scrums
The Springboks will have domination here and will ensure that referee Clancy acknowledges the fact early.
Prediction
These teams first opposed each other in 1995 and the Springboks have won all twelve test matches since. They have been through the wringer recently in The Rugby Championship and against England, and need a decent win for morale.
Their player inventory has been corrupted by players fleeing offshore and because of “Transformation” but there are too many good individuals in the team not to beat the likes of Italy, whose results have been so poor recently that their tenure in Six Nations is being questioned.
South Africa by 20
Team lists & details
[one_third last=”no”]
Italy
1. Sami Panico
2. Ornel Gega
3. Lorenzo Cittadini
4. Marco Fuser
5. Andries Van Schalkwyk
6. Francesco Minto
7. Simone Favaro
8. Sergio Parisse (c)
9. Giorgio Bronzini
10. Carlo Canna
11. Giovanbattista Venditti
12. Luke McLean
13. Tommaso Benvenuti
14. Giulio Bisegni
15. Edoardo Padovani
Reserves:
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
[/one_third]
[one_third last=”no”]
South Africa
1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Adriaan Strauss (c)
3. Vincent Koch
4. Pieter-Steph du Toit
5. Lood de Jager
6. Willem Alberts
7. Nizaam Carr
8. Warren Whiteley
9. Rudy Paige
10. Pat Lambie
11. Bryan Habana
12. Damian de Allende
13. Francois Venter
14. Ruan Combrinck
15. Wilie le Roux
Reserves:
16. Bongi Mbonambi
17. Steven Kitshoff
18. Trevor Nyakane
19. Franco Mostert
20. Oupa Mohoje
21. Faf de Klerk
22. Elton Jantjies
23. Johan Goosen
[/one_third]
[one_third last=”yes”]
Details
Date: Saturday, November 19th
Venue: Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence
Kick-off: 13:00 GMT, 07:00 AEDT(Sun)
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), David Wilkinson (Ireland)
TMO: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)[/one_third]
