Wiese: 'This group still have a lot to prove'
EXCLUSIVE: Springbok No.8 Jasper Wiese spoke one-on-one with Rugby365 and shared his insights ahead of the side’s Nations Championship Test on Saturday at Allianz Stadium.
The bulldozing loose forward was part of the team that won a two-match series against the Azzurri last season in South Africa, but those Tests weren’t all smooth sailing.
The Italians won the second half in the first Test at Loftus Versfeld, having bullied the Boks at the breakdown and scored maul tries with relative ease.
On a personal note, Wiese had a day to forget after receiving a red card in the second Test at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium for an alleged headbutt, but now has the opportunity to right those wrongs this weekend.
*Also read: The scary list of players the Boks have in ‘reserve’
Wiese touched on what the team experienced in Pretoria and how the Boks plan to combat what the Italians might throw at them.
“Yeah, last year [at Loftus Versfeld] they scored a 20 metre maul try against us and they slowed our breakdown point down a lot, so that’s quite been a talking point this week,” Wiese told Rugby365 from the Springboks’ hotel in Turin on Wednesday afternoon.
“The coaches prepared the matchday squad very well for that in training and for us to stay on top of our game and not become complacent when we face them.
“They’ve got a couple of good breakdown ball poachers in their side; if a guy like [Manuel] Zuliani is playing, he will be a massive threat at the breakdown.
“Basically, we need to nullify those threats by any means and bring our physicality to the front and hopefully impose our game on them.
“They are a very physical outfit and a very passionate country, and you can’t take that away from them, but if we fire on all cylinders, we can give a few shots.”
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Wiese compared the Nations Championship format to a World Cup and admitted that this tournament will be a measuring stick to see how the team is tracking in their quest to defend their RWC title next year.
“It’s a pretty good set-up for us; we have three matches in as many weeks, so it’s a good challenge to see if we can get ourselves up every week.
“We have Italy this week, which is a very physical side, followed by France and Ireland.
“I’m not saying we’re thinking too far ahead, but for us to see if we can get up each game, where it’s almost like the play-off stages in a World Cup.
“I feel this tournament is a good test for us. This group still have a lot to prove and will be massive for us to see where we are.”
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Always working on perfecting his craft 😎💯🔥
Link to the #EXCLUSIVE interview with @rugby365com: https://t.co/ScbvrPhxWW
🌐#Rugby365 #ITAvRSA #NationsChampionship https://t.co/Kwl3NSL2uH
— Rugby365 (@rugby365com) November 4, 2026
Wiese added: “It’s 100 percent a mental thing to get yourself up for a match; physically, the coaching staff are keeping us really well prepared.
“I don’t think there’s much you can do physically, but maybe mentally it’s your individual responsibility to get yourself up for a Test.
“The coaches prepare us very well and give us all the tools we need for every weekend.
“At some point, a game plan and all that becomes irrelevant; you have to get yourself up.”
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