Jerry Flannery has urged the Springboks not to be misled by Italy's injury list ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship Northern Series opener in Turin, warning that the Azzurri remain a genuine threat across the park.
Italy are without Juan Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello and Sebastian Negri, among others, but Flannery pointed to the Pretoria meeting last year as proof that a depleted Italian squad can still push the world's top-ranked side hard. "We still respect them enormously – when they came to Pretoria last year, they were also missing key players and ran us very closely," he said.
Flannery identified Italy's scrum as a particular danger, describing it as probably among the best in the Six Nations, and flagged Garbisi's left-footed kicking game and Capuozzo's ability to manufacture something from nothing as areas requiring tight defensive discipline. "If your players don't make their first-time tackles, Italy will make metres," he said, adding that controlling the aerial contest and the breakdown off Italy's kick-chase would be central to the game plan.
Despite the absences, Flannery maintained Italy's squad depth is genuine, noting that in a World Cup year giving fringe players caps serves their long-term interests and will produce a motivated, differently configured outfit.
On the broader context of the Nations Championship, Flannery drew a direct parallel with knockout rugby, describing the tournament structure — with Finals Weekend in London on 29 November — as analogous to a group stage through to a final in terms of intensity and consequence. "It's almost like knockout rugby – the group stages, Round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final, and Final. It's that kind of intensity," he said.
Flannery expressed confidence that the squad is cohering quickly after two training sessions, noting that many of the current group were part of the extended international season and have the Bok systems fresh in memory.
Morne van den Berg, who starts at scrumhalf alongside Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu in the halfback pairing, said he is feeling sharp and ready for the occasion.