Springboks assistant coach Daan Human and utility forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels have stressed that they will not underestimate Italy in their opening Castle Lager Incoming Series Test at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, saying they respect the Azzurri.
Italy may be ranked 10th in the world, but the Bok duo expect a tough encounter against the visitors, especially given their emphasis on the scrums and the overall quality of their game.
“Unlike the Barbarians, who do not play regularly, Italy does, so we will be facing a proper Test team on Saturday,” Human told SA Rugby.
“The one thing about the Springboks is that we do not underestimate any side, and we know that Italy are very focused on their forward play, so it will be a proper Test match.”
Human elaborated on Italy’s performances this season and in the set pieces.
“They were very competitive in their first two Six Nations matches, and they have a 93% scrum completion rate, which says a lot about that area of their game.
“They also won four scrum penalties and got a penalty try against Namibia, who had a few players who have played in Rugby World Cups before, so we certainly respect them as a team.
“We are not sure who they will play in the pack this weekend, but we know it will be a good contest,” he added.
Boks want to set high standard
Wessels, one of the Boks’ try scorers against the BaaBaas, spoke equally highly of the opposition.
“I faced Zebre Parma and Benetton in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, and we did our homework on those players then, so we know the emphasis they place on the scrums,” said Wessels.
“In fact, Zebre Parma had one of their best seasons this year and beat a few big teams in the competition, so we are expecting a proper battle against them.”
Zoning in on what the Springboks want to achieve up front, Wessels said: “We want to go into this match setting a high standard for ourselves.
“We have massive respect for all the teams we face, and knowing how strong their scrums are, we really want to make a big impact in the set pieces.”
With Wessels equally adept at playing prop and hooker, he said he does not mind which role he has to fill when he takes the field.
“I don’t have a preference. I just want to contribute wherever I am picked, and as much as I feel for Gerhard [Steenekamp] when he got injured, having to play both positions certainly helped me in getting game time at prop and hooker.”
