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South Africa’s Rugby World Cup champions, the Springboks, are gearing up for their second Test against Italy on Saturday, with a strong focus on their highly competitive scrum-half position and a potential milestone for veteran fullback Willie le Roux.
Grant Williams, a versatile speedster who can also play wing, is set to start at scrum-half, highlighting head coach Rassie Erasmus’s preference for multi-positional players.
The battle for the Springboks‘ scrum-half spot is fierce, featuring five contenders.
Two-time World Cup winner Faf de Klerk, who was previously omitted from a European tour, came off the bench in last Saturday’s unimpressive 42-24 win over Italy in Pretoria.
Cobus Reinach will be on the bench in Gqeberha, alongside Jaden Hendricks and promising newcomer Morne van den Berg.
Van den Berg impressed in the Pretoria match with two tries, but he’ll miss the second Test as Erasmus rotates the squad to assess his 45-man roster.
Kolisi Rested, Le Roux Nears 100 Caps
After the Italy series, only two forwards in the 45-man squad will not have played this season: uncapped prop Boan Venter and regular captain Siya Kolisi.
Venter is expected to debut against Georgia on July 19, while Kolisi remains sidelined due to a stiff neck and an Achilles tendon “niggle.”
Erasmus confirmed it was a “tough decision” to rest Kolisi but deemed it “wise” to give the Achilles more recovery time, hoping he’ll play next week.
A significant moment on Saturday will be Willie le Roux’s potential 100th cap, making him only the eighth Springbok to reach this milestone, 12 years after his debut against Italy in Durban.
“Willie has been a stalwart for us… and a fantastic playmaker. We are thrilled to see him achieve this incredible feat,” Erasmus praised, expecting Le Roux to prioritise the team’s performance.
Le Roux, 35, is among 11 changes to the starting lineup from the Pretoria match. The bench will feature three uncapped players: wing/centre Ethan Hooker, prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye, and lock/flanker Cobus Wiese.
Italy Seeks First South African Victory
Erasmus anticipates a determined Italian side, stating, “Italy are a brave and tough team… We need to shift into a different gear (after) an honest and thorough review of what happened last weekend.”
Italy’s coach, Gonzalo Quesada, has made four personnel changes and one positional adjustment in pursuit of their first-ever victory in South Africa against the four-time World Cup winners.
Mirko Belloni earns his first cap at full-back, replacing Jacopo Trulla, who moves to left wing. Alessandro Garbisi takes over at scrum-half; South Africa-born number 8 Ross Vintcent replaces the injured Lorenzo Cannone, and flanker Sebastian Negri comes in for Alessandro Izekor. Like Erasmus, Quesada aims to build squad depth, with only five starters from their final 2025 Six Nations match against Ireland retaining their places.
Gqeberha has historically been an unfavourable venue for Italy, who previously lost 74-3 and 60-14 in the “windy city.
