O'Shea: Venter the engineer
Venter has been appointed Azzurri defence coach until the World Cup in 2019.
"Brendan [Venter] is one of the most respected engineers in the world," Azzurri head coach O'Shea said.
"We are very lucky he has decided to work with us. When we face a difficult opponent, I know that Venter is the right person to go to."
The Six Nations match against Wales on February 5 marks the debut for O'Shea as head coach in the tournament.
"I could not wait to gather the players after the November test, to work with them and coach them for the first time in an incredible competition as the Six Nations is a privilege. We have a great responsibility towards Italian rugby, we are at a crossroads and this group of players must work to give our young people a different future, " said O'Shea.
"I'm not stupid, I know that my work will be assessed by comparing the results of Italy, but I want our focus to remain totally on our performance, because we can control it directly, it depends on us," he added.
O'Shea has stuck with his side that stunned the Boks with a 20-18 victory in November and Italian stalwart Sergio Parisse will retain his role as skipper.
"Sergio has the same motivation of a youngster. He is an example for all, a great protagonist. If Italy one day will have a stronger player than him, he will be an extraordinary player,"
The Azzurri coach further emphasises the importance of preparing the side not only for the Six Nations but for the 2019 World Cup as well.
"We have a lot of talent in the group like Parisse, but also Campagnaro, Reed and others.
"As manager and as a group we have to think about the short, medium and long term: being competitive in the Six Nations is the first; the second will be World Cup and the third is to leave a legacy for the young people in Italy,"
