Jerry Flannery is pushing back against the narrative that the Boks' defence is structurally broken, arguing that the Scotland and Australia performances were disappointing for entirely different reasons. The Scotland game was the more alarming of the two — Italy running through the Boks in open play — while the Australia capitulation was driven more by poor discipline that repeatedly gifted the Wallabies field position inside the 22. He's satisfied that the Scotland-specific issues were addressed the following week against Wales, but acknowledges the broader trend: global attack is outpacing defence, points conceded are rising across the board, and defensive coaches everywhere are under pressure. On Italy in Turin, Flannery is clear-eyed about the threat despite their injury list — their scrum, Garbisi's kicking game, and Capuozzo's ability to create something from nothing are the focal points — and the Boks' plan is to defend Italy as a system rather than chase individual matchups.