Boks won't under-rate Italian challenge

Italy may feel like a bit of a come down after the massive victory over France, but the Springboks will know that they are every bit as dangerous if they aren’t taken seriously.

The two tests earlier in the year were testament to that. The Loftus victory - which in the end was comfortable enough for the Springboks - also showed some cracks.

To see an Italian team march a Bok team 30 metres in a rolling maul was eye-popping and their play to make the Bok bomb squad look ordinary won’t be forgotten.

Nor will the fight they showed this past weekend to beat Australia and claim a Southern Hemisphere scalp for their troubles.

Italian club sides in the past few years have scored more than a few victories over the South African franchises, with both the Stormers and Sharks having lost there last season and the Lions this season.

But franchise sides aren’t the Boks and it emerged already last week that the Boks were once again honing their two-squad system with a number of players that weren’t in the France match day 23 likely to take the stage against Italy.

COMPETITION WITHIN THE SQUAD

For these players it will be a chance to again impress and remind the Bok management of their worth, all while keeping up the high standards the team have shown all season.

But that Loftus game won’t be forgotten.

All week long the Boks have spoken with high regard to the Italian team - their attacking threats in Tommaso Menoncello and the speed of wingers Louis Lynagh and Monty Ioane, not to mention the impressive talent of Ange Capuozzo, who can rip open any defence.

There are enough players in the Italian squad to make any team struggle, as the Wallabies found out and in front of their own crowd and with momentum they can be a handful.

These warnings were echoed by a handful of Bok players this week as they looked forward to the clash, first from Damian Willemse and then from flanker Marco van Staden.

WARNINGS ON ITALY

“Italy have built their team all around,” Willemse said.

“They defend and attack well and they have great players who can pull strings for them. It’s going to be a big challenge, especially in the air.

“Set-piece wise, they are a good mauling team and can also take it up front. Their wings can get up high, so they have a good team throughout.

“It’s going to be a super contest and they are definitely going to bring it to us. They are on a high after their win last week and rightfully so. They have been playing very good rugby, as we saw in July when they came to South Africa.

“We managed to get the win in the first game in Pretoria and then in Gqeberha, but I have also played for the Stormers in Italy against Zebre Parma and Benetton.

“They have good players who have made the step-up. They are also well coached, so it’s going to be a huge battle on the field — and we are looking forward to it.”

GOOD PACK

Van Staden said the pack was highly underrated and could cause problems if they weren’t taken seriously.

“As we saw in South Africa, they have hard-working loose forwards, they get over the park and into a lot of work, especially the breakdowns, so they will come hard for us.

“Their line-outs are good and they are a good scrumming team.

“They put Australia under a lot of pressure at the breakdown, and we saw that when they played us at home.

“That’s a massive focus for them. And I think they got a lot of reward out of that over the weekend,” Van Staden explained.

The Boks know the threat, and they know they can’t afford to keep one eye on next weekend’s clash against Ireland without making sure this box is ticked as well.

Fans may expect a good Bok victory over Italy after the highs of Paris, but the Boks know they will need to work to get that.

Luckily this isn’t a side that rests on its laurels, nor is likely to take this contest lightly. The competition within the squad will make sure of that.

The Boks name their side for the clash on Thursday.