Rugby Italia, this counts the injured and launches Belloni against South Africa

After the first match lost 42-24 with a good performance, good Gonzalo Quesada still changes and for the second challenge of Port Elizabeth (Saturday at 17.10) launches a “almost” debutant from the first minute in the home of South Africa World Champion: the extreme of Rovigo (which has already signed with the zebras for the next season) Mirko Belloni. The former number 15 of Italy under 20 (he played the six category nations and the World Cup in 2024) has always played in the Italian championship, and made his debut with Namibia entering only 9 minutes from the end. A courageous move for the blue coach, which is not new to experiments of this type: often successful, it must be said. Moreover, Lorenzo Cannone also hurt among the many injured people (despite having recovered Negri) other names that revealed that able to play with South Africa came out. “In every crisis there is an opportunity, and we are taking advantage of it to give opportunities to new players who have given us back great signals. We close this tour with a much deeper team than before. For now with the 73 points made at Namibia and with what South Africa shows last Saturday it is a positive tour, but now we have to close well” said this, who then explained the choice to launch Belloni: ” More in the world, and they are all high kicks to go to contend for the ball in the air and take it back, so the extreme is put under great pressure and Belloni in this can give us a great hand, also because it allows us to move Trulla – which is equally strong on the high balls – and therefore to have two players who can help us to defend a very difficult situation “said Coach Questa by explaining his choice.

between injuries and recoveries

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Between injuries and recovering the list of injured after the first match with South Africa has stretched again, with Lorenzo Cannone forced to leave the field on a stretcher: “An important loss. Usually there is always a ballot between him and Vintcent, but against the Springboks we had chosen him because for the type of opponent we faced could give us so much physicality”. Sebastian Negri, another very important element, perhaps the most important on a physical level considering that the Azzurri will challenge South Africa for the second time in 7 days. In the third line confirmed Obviously Zuliani, amazing a week ago in Pretoria. The captain will still be Niccolò Cannone, also the author of a great match with the Springboks, while in front of Fischetti, Bartolomeo and Ferrari confirmed. Instead of Fusco, not brilliant last Saturday, there is Alessandro Garbisi who instead made the difference from the bench, while Giacomo da Re as number 10 is confirmed: “He has made a beautiful tour and we wanted to give him further continuity, we now know that behind Allan and Paolo Garbisi there is another player who can stay at the international level. Obviously sorry for Montemauri (the only one of the 33 summoned to play no game). Well”. Nothing to do instead for Odogwu, not yet 100% of the condition. Trulla as said moves to the wing while on the other side Lynagh is confirmed, with Menoncello and Zanon Centers.

South Africa

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Rassie Erasmus did not take Pretoria’s second half at all, who even ended with a partial of 21-14 for Italy, despite the final victory for 42-24 of the Springboks. At the end of the match, the technician had spoken oxymorically about “frustrating victory”, clearly saying that he would change many players to give new energies to the team. And so it was: 11 changes out of 15 in the owner formation, even 16 out of 23 between the field and the bench. Libbok Manie Space, which has remained a little on the edge lately, while the now legendary Willie Roux celebrates 100 appearances in the Springboks. Kolisi still does not recover, in the third line confirmed Van Staden and Wiese with the addition of Pieter-Steph du Toit, the best player of the world final of 2023. The usual Bomb Squad (this time with only 5 ahead though) with NA (devastating as a starter last Saturday) and the very heavy debutant Ntlabakanye (153 kg) ready to release the hell from the bench. Also present were the other debutants Cobus Wiese and Ethan Hooker (brother of the number 8 Jasper). Upon attention to the extremely open Reinach and the talented Mngomezulu, capable of magic in the middle of the field.

The formations of South Africa-Italy

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South Africa: 15 Willie Le Roux, 14 Edwill Van Der Merwe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Marco Van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Salmaan Morat (C), 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Thomas du Toit

Available: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Ox NCC, 18 Ashenathi Ntlabakanye, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Evan Roos, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Sacha Feinberg-Mangomezulu, 23 Ethan Hooker.

Italy: 15 Mirko Belloni, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Tommaso Menoncello, 12 Marco Zanon, 11 Jacopo Trulla, 10 Giacomo da Re, 9 Alessandro Garbisi, 8 Ross Vintcent, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Andrea Zambonin, 4 Niccolò Cannone (Captain), 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Tommaso di Bartolomeo, 1 Fiscchetti

Available: 16 Pablo Dimcheff, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Muhamed Hasa, 19 Matteo Canali, 20 Alessandro Izekor, 21 David Odiase, 22 Stephen Varney, 23 Giulio Bertaccini