Grant Williams is ready to seize his moment. The lightning-fast scrum-half has earned his chance to start for the Springboks against Italy this Saturday in what promises to be a thrilling encounter in Gqeberha.
The versatile Williams, who can also slot in as a winger, perfectly fits head coach Rassie Erasmus’s preference for multi-position players. With five scrum-halves battling for the coveted number 9 jersey, competition has never been fiercer in the Rugby World Cup champions’ squad.
Battle for the scrum-half jersey intensifies
The scrum-half position remains the most hotly contested spot in the Springboks lineup. Two-time World Cup winner Faf de Klerk, despite being overlooked for last year’s European tour, made his return off the bench during South Africa’s unconvincing 42-24 victory over Italy in Pretoria last weekend.
Cobus Reinach will provide bench cover in Gqeberha, while rising stars Jaden Hendricks and Morne van den Berg complete the quintet of contenders. Van den Berg particularly impressed last Saturday, scoring two tries and emerging as one of the few Springboks to enhance their reputation against the Azzurri.
However, the promising newcomer will miss Saturday’s clash as Erasmus implements his rotation policy to evaluate all 45 squad members across three matches this season.
Willie le Roux closing in on century milestone
Veteran fullback Willie le Roux stands on the brink of rugby immortality, needing just one appearance to become only the eighth Springbok to reach 100 Test caps. The milestone would come 12 years after his debut against Italy in Durban.
“Willie has been a stalwart for us in the past few years and a fantastic playmaker,” Erasmus praised. “We are thrilled to see him achieve this incredible feat. I have no doubt he will put the team before his own achievement.”
The 35-year-old le Roux is among 11 changes to the starting XV that struggled against Italy in Pretoria, with the bench featuring three uncapped players: wing/centre Ethan Hooker, prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye, and versatile forward Cobus Wiese.
Kolisi’s injury concerns and squad rotation
Captain Siya Kolisi remains sidelined with an Achilles tendon issue, though Erasmus insists it’s precautionary rather than serious.
“It was a tough decision to rest Kolisi, but I feel the wise decision was to rest him for another week,” the coach explained. “It is not a serious injury, but you know how an Achilles tendon is – if you rest it another week it can only be better for the player.”
Italy seeking historic breakthrough
Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada has made strategic changes as the Azzurri hunt their first-ever victory over South Africa on home soil. Four personnel changes and one positional switch reflect Italy’s determination to build on last week’s spirited performance.
Mirko Belloni earns his debut at fullback, while Alessandro Garbisi takes over scrum-half duties. South Africa-born number 8 Ross Vintcent replaces the injured Lorenzo Cannone in a bid to add physicality to Italy’s pack.
Gqeberha’s windy challenge awaits
The coastal city of Gqeberha hasn’t been kind to Italian visitors historically, with the Azzurri suffering heavy defeats of 74-3 and 60-14 in previous encounters. Saturday’s match offers Italy a chance to rewrite that narrative against a Springbok side still finding their rhythm.
“Italy are a brave and tough team and we know that their performance last week will psyche them up going into the second Test,” Erasmus warned. “They will come hard at us and deliver another passionate performance. We need to shift into a different gear.”
With Georgia waiting in the wings for the following weekend’s encounter in Mbombela, both teams know Saturday’s result could set the tone for the remainder of their respective seasons.
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