Azzurri gear up for Boks' monster scrum
A common theme this week is that Italy have taken on the ‘underdog’ tag and highlighted the strength of the touring South Africans.
Azzurri coach Gonzalo Quesada is forthright about the tough task facing his team, as they kick off their end-of-year Nations Championship campaign against the back-to-back World Cup-winning Springboks.
Quesada said they face “one of the biggest challenges in the history of Italian rugby” as they take on four of the best teams.
However, have a huge injury crisis.
Italy will be without 15 key players due to injury for the Test against the Boks on Saturday in Turin.
This includes Ignacio Brex, Sebastian Negri, Tommaso Menoncello and captain Michele Lamaro.
The Azzurri will be looking to improve their record against the Boks, having finished bottom of the Northern Hemisphere in the Nations Championship with three losses in July.
However, the injury crisis will be taking centre stage.
In addition to the listed players above, Giulio Bertaccini, Malik Faissal, Riccardo Favretto, Alessandro Izekor, Louis Lynagh, Giulio Marini, Martin Page-Relo, David Odiase, Mirco Spagnolo, Edoardo Todaro and Andrea Zambonin are all injured.
The view from the Italian camp is a mixture of intense determination and immense realism ahead of the face-off against the powerful Bok selection.
Because of the injuries, the Italian camp is viewing this match as a trial by fire for depth-building.
The mindset from the coaching staff is that this is a golden opportunity for these players to show their value on the world’s biggest stage with the 2027 World Cup looming next year.
(Continue below ….)
Recognising the legendary power of South Africa’s forwards, Italy also adjusted their bench strategy to mimic the Springboks by deploying a 6-2 forwards-to-backs split.
The camp knows that to stay alive for 80 minutes against a relentless South African pack, they must maximise their forward cover and match the collision intensity straight out of the gate.
Albanian-born prop Muhamed Hasa will get first-hand experience of the monstrous power they will face on Saturday.
The 25-year-old, capped 11 times since his debut last year, will front up to a heavy-duty Bok front row that includes Thomas du Toit, Malcolm Marx and Ox Nche starting, with Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Gerhard Steenekamp and Wilco Louw coming off the bench.
It will be his first time facing such a monster scrum.
“It’s going to be a tough match against the best teams in the world,” Hasa said at a media briefing in Turin.
“We’re training well and staying focused on our own tasks – on the things we can control.”
He said the many injuries are part of the game.
“We have some significant absentees, but at the same time, it creates an opportunity for other guys to step up.”
Asked about the set pieces, he had no hesitation in how he rates the Boks.
“One of the key aspects of the match will undoubtedly be the scrum,” the prop said.
“South Africa is arguably the best team in the world in that area.
“It’s going to be a challenge.
“We know their strengths, and we’re well aware that they’ll try to impose their style of play,” the Zebre prop concluded.
Veteran lock Federico Ruzza echoed his teammate’s sentiments.
“South Africa represents a massive challenge for us,” the 32-year-old 74-times capped second row forward said.
“They are the reigning world champions and have been performing at their absolute best lately.
“We know their strengths and what they aim to bring to the pitch.
“Our greatest challenge will be to maintain our own peak performance for the full eighty minutes.
“The Boks are experts at capitalising on even the slightest mistake.”
