Erasmus names experienced Springboks side to face Italy in Turin after Wallabies defeat

Rassie Erasmus has named a familiar, experience-laden Springboks side to face Italy at Allianz Stadium in Turin on Saturday, as South Africa look to regroup following their defeat to the Wallabies in Perth that snapped a three-Test winning streak.

The loss to Australia ended a run that had included a 3-1 series victory over the All Blacks in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series. Despite that setback, the Springboks remain top of the Southern Hemisphere table in the Nations Championship, having won all three of their July Tests — a 45-21 victory over England, a 42-28 win over Scotland, and a 43-point triumph over Wales.

Siya Kolisi captains the side from the back row, flanked by Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese. Malcolm Marx, Ox Nché, and Thomas du Toit form an experienced front row, with Salmaan Moerat and Ruan Nortje locking the scrum.

Morne van den Berg and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu take the half-back positions, while Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende — a combined 197 caps between them — start in midfield. Ethan Hooker and Kurt-Lee Arendse are named on the wings, with Damian Willemse returning from injury to start at fullback.

Erasmus was measured in his assessment of the Azzurri, warning his squad against any complacency heading into the fixture.

“Italy are a quality team who will enter this match with immense motivation with an eye on trying to start their home leg on a positive note in front of their home crowd, and they have challenged us well before, so we have no doubt they will come out passionate and driven as ever,” said Erasmus.

“They have quality forwards and backline players, and although they are missing a few key players due to injury, they have a talented squad with players who will certainly want to make their mark with the 2027 Rugby World Cup less than a year away, so they will give everything on Saturday.”

The Springboks head coach also stressed the importance of precision and consistency across the full 80 minutes, with the Nations Championship pool stage reaching its decisive stages.

“The vital factors for us will be to be accurate in our execution and to play for the full 80 minutes, especially given the high stakes at the end of these three pool matches,” Erasmus added. “Make no mistake, they will be raring to go, not only with the Nations Cup in mind, but also to take full advantage of these matches as all the participating teams are preparing for the Rugby World Cup next year.”