South Africa v Italy: Teams

With their Tri-Nations title defence looming South Africa are looking for a huge improvement in the second Test against Italy in East London on Saturday.

The minnows of Test rugby were far from outplayed during the first Test defeat in Witbank and gave Peter de Villiers' world champions a real run for their money.

The 29-13 scoreline belied a spirited performance from Nick Mallet's Azzurri, who would have gone much closer had they not failed to capitalise on their chances.

But de Villiers knows that the All Blacks will do him no such favours when his team run out for heir first Tri-Nations match in Auckland on July 10.

Announcing his team to face Italy at Buffalo City Stadium on Saturday the coach said he was looking for a strong performance.

"It is important that we get back on track with a showing that will put us on the right note for the All Blacks," he said.

With seven changes to his side, de Villiers team looks a stronger outfit than the one he played in Witbank.

Dominate

Captain John Smit returns to the side following a hamstring strain and former IRB Player of the Year Schalk Burger comes in at flank after missing the first Test with an ankle injury.

Star lock and stand-in skipper Victor Matfield has been rested and will be replaced by tall, mobile Andries Bekker, who is also back from injury.

Bekker's height and skill make up for the absence of Matfield and help the Boks dominate at the line-out, while the loose trio are strengthened by the return of Burger.

Fellow lock Danie Rossouw, one of South Africa's outstanding players this year, was due to start on the bench but been ruled out with a hip injury.

And in the three quarters Jaque Fourie and Juan de Jongh replace Jean de Villiers and Butch James at centres in an effort to provide a better attacking springboard.

Italy have lost all of their nine previous encounters against the South Africans but they will take heart from last Saturday, which was the closest they have ever come to matching the world champions.

Superb

Coach Nick Mallett praised a superb performance by his players against the Sprinboks who he described as the best team in the world.

Surprisingly though he has made even more changes than De Villiers, with nine new faces coming into his starting line-up.

Six of the changes are among the forwards where Italy will again try to match the Springboks in the scrums they struggled in the first Test.

One of those changes however comes as a result of an injury to leading prop Martin Castrogiovanni, who had to leave the field just 18 minutes into the first Test.

South Africa: 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Jean de Villiers, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Juan de Jongh, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 John Smit (c), 1 Gurthro Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 BJ Botha, 18 Danie Rossouw, 19 Dewald Potgieter, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Butch James, 22 Wynand Olivier.

Italy: 15 Luke McLean, 14 Michele Sepe, 13 Gonzalo Canale, 12 Andrea Masi, 11 Mirco Bergamasco, 10 Craig Gower, 9 Simon Picone, 8 Sergio Parisse (capt), 7 Manoa Vosawai, 6 Paul Derbyshire, 5 Marco Bortolami, 4 Carlo Antonio Del Fava, 3 Lorenzo Cittadini, 2 Fabio Ongaro, 1 Salvatore Perugini.
Replacements:16 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 17 Franco Sbaraglini, 18 Quintin Geldenhuys, 19 Alessandro Zanni, 20 Tito Tebaldi, 21 Riccardo Bocchino, 22 Matteo Pratichetti.