Rassie to freshen up? New-look Springboks team to play Italy will be hungry to perform

Last week, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus signalled that he would freshen up his side for Saturday’s Test against Italy in Turin. After the pressure-cooker encounter against France in Paris, he will be doubly keen to give sore bodies a rest.

It is not about underestimating the Italians — far from it. The Azzurri impressed in their win over Australia last week, a team that had earlier beaten the Boks at Ellis Park this year.

Two factors are expected to guide Erasmus when he names his match-day 23 on Thursday afternoon: the need to rest key players ahead of next week’s crunch clash with Ireland in Dublin, and the desire to reward the wider Springbok squad on tour.

Trust in his back-up players has been a hallmark of Erasmus’ tenure. When given a chance, the replacements often seize the opportunity with such intensity that first-choice players suddenly find themselves under pressure.

A prime example is the outside centre position. At the start of this season, Jesse Kriel seemed untouchable, even captaining the team. But when he was rested to give Canan Moodie a shot, Moodie’s performance was so impressive that Kriel found his place under threat.

Speaking shortly before kick-off at the Stade de France, Erasmus said he wanted to examine Moodie in a midfield partnership with Ethan Hooker. He also indicated a desire to give Handre Pollard a run after Sacha Feinberg Mngomezulu and Manie Libbok had been preferred at 10 over the last five games.

Expect a largely new backline: Morne van den Berg at scrumhalf, Pollard at flyhalf, Hooker and Moodie in the midfield, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Edwill van der Merwe on the wings, and Damian Willemse at fullback.

The loose trio is also likely to be rotated. Jasper Wiese, Siya Kolisi, and Pieter-Steph du Toit have all played heavy minutes this season. Even though Kolisi only featured for the first half in Paris before making way for Ruan Nortje after Lood de Jager’s red card, a new combination could see Kwagga Smith at number eight, Franco Mostert on the blindside, and Marco van Staden on the openside. Van Staden’s inclusion will be crucial, given Italy’s dominance at the breakdown last week, while Smith and Mostert offer additional strength over the ball.

In the second row, Erasmus faces a different challenge. With Lood de Jager suspended and Eben Etzebeth likely to be rested ahead of Ireland, Jean Kleyn — yet to play on tour — and the relatively fresh RG Snyman are expected to start.

The front row will also see some rotation. Asenathi Ntlabakanye, called up after Ox Nche’s injury during the tour opener against Japan, is set to get game time, either starting alongside Zachary Porthern or serving as his backup. Johan Grobbelaar is poised to start at hooker, with Gerhard Steenekamp at loosehead prop.

With 33 players on tour — the same number he would take to a World Cup — Erasmus is treating this five-week European trip as a “mini-World Cup.” The combination of rotation, opportunity, and strategic rest should keep the squad sharp while testing Italy’s mettle in Turin.

South Africa (probable): 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Ethan Hooker, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Kwagga Smith, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Jean Kleyn, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Zachary Porthen, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.

Bench: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 Ben-Jason Dixon, 21 Andre Esterhuizen, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok.