Settled Springbok team announced to face Italy in Nations Championship clash

Ralph Staniforth

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Last updated: 1 hour ago

Ralph Staniforth 1 hour ago

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Springboks select a full strength team to face Italy in Turin.
Six uncapped players are in the squad but not in the starting line-up.
Erasmus aims to build momentum after a loss to Australia.

Strong Springbok side names for Italy clash (Getty Images)

Many were surprised when Springbok head coach, Rassie Erasmus announced his team to face Italy in Turin in the Round 4 Nations Championship clash.

The surprise did not come from the early announcement, that is expected of the South African head coach by now. Rather, the names on the sheet raised some eyebrows.

When the squad was announced a week ago, six uncapped players were in the squad. Given the injuries and the fact that a team is still being built for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, that was not as surprising.

But with Ireland and France waiting over the fortnight post Italy, many expected some of these young guns to be released in what should be considered the easiest game on tour.

However, Erasmus instead went with a full strength side, both with the starters and on the bench. Many have asked why he would take the youngsters with if they were not going to get game time, but much of that can be put down to spending time in the setup on tour.

That said, this is Rassie Erasmus and one shouldn't put it past him to give a debut or two against France and/or Ireland - he certainly isn't adverse to risky selections. Getting a solid victory in Turin will go along way in building some momentum after that defeat to Australia in their last outing.

Springboks Squad vs Italy

15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, Os Nche.

Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Cameron Hanekom, 21 Paul de Villiers, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok

Ralph Staniforth is a South African sports journalist, editor and betting writer who has worked in sports media since 2012.

With a background in Sports Science, he has covered a wide range of sports and interviewed leading players and coaches across South African rugby, cricket and football.

His sports betting work covers both South African and international markets, combining his knowledge of sport with extensive experience analysing fixtures, teams, form and betting markets.

Ralph specialises in football and rugby, while also covering cricket, tennis and golf. His work includes match previews, betting tips, betting guides and broader analysis of the sports betting industry.

You can find more from Ralph at Muckrack and LinkedIn.