Jerry Flannery draws a clear distinction between the defensive breakdowns against Australia and Scotland — poor discipline letting Australia into the 22, versus Scotland actually going through the Boks in the contact area — and flags first-up tackling as the non-negotiable that must improve. Against Italy, the threats shift: a powerful set-piece launching direct ball, Garbisi's left boot, aerial contestability, and Capuozzo's ability to conjure something from nothing in broken play. Flannery's message is that the Boks need to defend Italy as a system, not just track individuals — and the Pretoria lesson from last season, when a depleted Azzurri pushed the World Champions close, is clearly sitting in the back of the coaching box.
AnalysisSpringboksRugby365
Flannery identifies the defensive fixes the Boks need against Italy
Flannery breaks down what went wrong defensively against Australia and Scotland, why they're different problems, and how Italy's set-piece power, kicking game and aerial threat demand a team-defensive response rather than individual tracking.
- Jerry Flannery
- Springboks
- Australia
- Scotland
- Italy
- Loftus Versfeld
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