Overview
- On Monday Rassie Erasmus named a largely full-strength matchday 23 for Saturday's Test in Turin with Salmaan Moerat starting at lock after a year out.
- Six uncapped players travel in the 37-man squad to be exposed to Springbok structures but none were picked for the Italy matchday 23.
- Young flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed has reported a sore shoulder and may return to South Africa for scans and further assessment.
- Italy enter the game badly weakened by injuries with media reports and the federation confirming roughly 15–17 players unavailable.
- South Africa lead the Southern section on points difference against New Zealand and are prioritising margin, squad management and World Cup prep across matches in Paris, Dublin and the Finals at Twickenham.