- Italy vs South Africa prediction article for Nations Championship breaks down form, key players, odds and H2H meetings ahead of the clash.
- The two sides will lock horns on Saturday November 7, at Allianz Stadium.
- Kick off set for 2:40pm EAT.
Italy host world champions South Africa on Saturday afternoon at Allianz Stadium in Turin for a Round 4 clash in the inaugural Nations Championship.
Rassie Erasmus’s top-ranked Springboks arrive in Italy sitting proudly at the summit of the Southern Hemisphere standings, with a perfect 15 points from three matches.
Meanwhile, Gonzalo Quesada’s Azzurri find themselves anchored to the bottom of the Northern Hemisphere table without a single point to their name.
South Africa are locked in a dead heat with New Zealand on 15 points and currently lead the table thanks to a superior points differential (+81 compared to the All Blacks’ +51).
Securing a commanding victory is essential before heading into massive away tests against France and Ireland.
The Springboks resumed their 2026 international campaign by sweeping England, Scotland, and Wales during the July Nations Championship window before winning a thrilling 3-1 “Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry” series against the All Blacks.
While an experimental Springboks lineup suffered a rare 42-38 slip-up against Australia in a one-off September Test, Erasmus has recalled his heavy artillerry to ensure there are no further surprises.
For Italy, playing in front of a passionate Turin crowd represents an urgent battle for pride, an opportunity to end a miserable losing streak in the competition, and a chance to demonstrate their progress against the undisputed kings of world rugby.
Their promising momentum from a strong Six Nations campaign earlier this year, which featured memorable home victories over Scotland and England, has completely evaporated in the Nations Championship.
The Azzurri have been outmatched across their opening three tournament fixtures, shipping 131 points while scoring just 37, leaving them with a bruising -94 points differential.
What time does the Italy vs South Africa match kick off?
The two nations will meet on Saturday, November 7, at Allianz Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 2:40pm East Africa Time.
CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!
Italy vs South Africa team news
Erasmus has taken no chances, naming an intimidating squad built around the core group that conquered New Zealand.
Captain Siya Kolisi leads a formidable back row alongside Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese, while electric young playmaker Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu gets the nod at fly-half, operating behind the experienced midfield pairing of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel.
On the other hand, Quesada is navigating an outright injury crisis, with 16 players sidelined, including his regular captain.
This has forced him to field a starting XV featuring only five regular first-choice selections.
Hooker Giacomo Nicotera takes over the captaincy, while winger Monty Ioane celebrates his milestone 50th Test cap.
Italy vs Springboks lineups
- Italy: 15 Mirko Belloni, 14 Ange Capuozzo, 13 Paolo Odogwu, 12 Leonardo Marin, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Alessandro Fusco, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Samuele Locatelli, 6 Alessandro Ortombina, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Giacomo Nicotera (c), 1 Muhamed Hasa.
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: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche.
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.
Click here to register as a SportPesa customer
Italy vs South Africa head-to-head record and recent meetings
The Boks have dominated this rivalry historically, winning 17 of their 18 all-time Test meetings, with Italy’s lone triumph coming a decade ago in Florence, back in November 2016.
The two sides clashed three times in 2025, with the Springboks sweeping all three encounters.
Most recent meetings
- 2025: Springboks won 32-14 in Turin.
- 2025: Springboks won 45-0 in Gqeberha.
- 2025: Springboks won 42-24 in Pretoria.
- 2022: Springboks won 63-21 in Genoa.
- 2019: Springboks won 49-3 in Shizuoka.
- 2017: Springboks won 35-6 in Padua.
- 2016: Italy won 35-6 in Florence.
Italy vs South Africa prediction
South Africa head into this clash as firm favourites to secure another victory and extend their dominance over Italy.
It has been a decade since Italy toppled the world champions, and the Azzurri will look to make the most of their home advantage as they attempt to end their miserable run in the competition.
We cannot completely rule them out, especially with a passionate home crowd behind them, but upsetting the Springboks will be a tallorder.
We do not expect a particularly high-scoring affair, despite South Africa’s attacking firepower.
With a depleted backline, Italy will have to make the most of their available resources, stay disciplined defensively, and prevent the visitors from exploiting gaps.