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Everything you need to know ahead of the clash in Turin
Italy and South Africa resume their Nations Championship campaigns as two injury-hit sides clash in Turin.
Gonzalo Quesada’s hosts enjoyed an impressive Six Nations but struggled during the first phase of this competition in July, losing all three games to sit bottom of the Northern Hemisphere table.
Their task gets tougher as they take on the world champions without a host of regular first-choice starters in a daunting opening task of what could prove a tricky November.
While Rassie Erasmus is dealing with a few key absentees of his own, the Springboks boss will relish another opportunity to flex his depth as they target more silverware.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Italy vs South Africa is due to kick off at 11.40am GMT on Saturday 7 November at the Allianz Stadium in Turin.
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch every game from the Nations Championship live across ITV’s channels and ITVX. Coverage of Italy vs South Africa begins at 11am on ITV1.
In the absence of Michele Lamaro and Juan Ignacio Brex, hooker Giacomo Nicotera leads the Italy side. Leonardo Marin and Paolo Odogwu partner up in midfield with neither Brex nor Tommaso Menoncello available, while Mirko Belloni will have a key role at full-back.
Up front, Samuele Locatelli makes his debut on the openside with Alessandro Ortombina another new face included having earned his first two caps in July. Danilo Fischetti, Manuel Zuliani, Stephen Varney and Tommaso Allan provide experience on a strong bench.
Italy XV: 1 Muhamed Hasa, 2 Giacomo Nicotera (capt.), 3 Simone Ferrari; 4 Niccolo Cannone, 5 Federico Ruzza; 6 Alessandro Ortombina, 7 Samuele Locatelli, 8 Lorenzo Cannone; 9 Alessandro Fusco, 10 Paolo Garbisi; 11 Monty Ioane, 12 Leonardo Marin, 13 Paolo Odogwu, 14 Ange Capuozzo; 15 Mirko Belloni.
Replacements: 16 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 17 Danilo Fischetti, 18 Ion Neculai, 19 Enoch Opoku-Gyamfi, 20 Ross Vintcent, 21 Manuel Zuliani; 22 Stephen Varney, 23 Tommaso Allan.
South Africa are without Eben Etzebeth and Cheslin Kolbe, among others, this November, but Rassie Erasmus still names a fearsome looking side full of World Cup winners. Ethan Hooker is the beneficiary of Kolbe’s absence while Morne van den Berg gets the nod at scrum half having impressed in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.
Salmaan Moerat and Ruan Nortje form a newer look second-row partnership, while six forwards are ready to provide impact off the bench.
South Africa XV: 1 Ox Nche, 2 Malcolm Marx, 3 Thomas du Toit; 4 Salmaan Moerat, 5 Ruan Nortje; 6 Siya Kolisi (capt.), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Jasper Wiese; 9 Morne van den Berg, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu; 11 Ethan Hooker, 12 Damian de Allende, 13 Jesse Kriel, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse; 15 Damian Willemse.
Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Cameron Hanekom, 21 Paul de Villiers; 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok.