South Africa v Italy: By the numbers

WXV Global Series

ITALY v SOUTH AFRICA @ STADIO OMERO TOGNON, PORDENONE – KO 1.30PM (2.30PM SAST) ON SATURDAY

The match will be streamed live on RugbyPass TV where no local broadcaster

REFEREE NOTES

Holly Wood (England)

Test debut: 30 September, 2023 – Scotland 36-5 Spain

Tests as referee: 10

• Holly Wood will take charge of this fixture for the first time.

• Italy won their only previous encounter with Japan, 24-8 in a WXV 2 warm-up match in Piacenza in September 2024.

• She will also referee the Azzurre for their final WXV Global Series match with USA in Mansfield, Dallas, on 17 October.

• Wood has also refereed South Africa once before, a 38-17 loss to USA in London in March 2024.

• This is her third WXV Global Series match, having already overseen Canada’s 64-26 win over Scotland on 12 September and France’s 29-26 defeat of Australia a week later.

• She has returned to international refereeing following the birth of her second child.

• Wood played for England at the Rugby League World Cup in 2013 before playing union in Australia, England and France.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

2018-25 | Played 4 | Italy 3 | South Africa 1

Points for: Italy 118/South Africa 76 (Avg. score: 30-25)

Highest score: Italy 36 (36-18 on 20 October, 2023)/South Africa 29 (29-24 on 31 August, 2025)

Biggest winning margin: Italy 25 (35-10 on 25 November, 2018)/South Africa 5 (29-24 on 31 August,

2025)

First met: 25 November, 2018 – Italy 35-10 South Africa - Stadio Enrico Chersoni, Prato

• South Africa achieved their first win over Italy at the fourth attempt when they last met at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 in York.

• The Springbok Women were never behind in the match but Italy stayed in the fight right until the end, with back-row Sinazo Mcatshulwa scoring the decisive try eight minutes from time.

• Italy had scored four tries up until that point through Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi, Vittoria Vecchini, Francesca Sgorbini and Sara Seye, with Michela Sillari and Beatrice Rigoni slotting a conversion apiece.

• South Africa had matched them try for try, with Aseza Hele, Nadine Roos, Ayanda Malinga and Sizophila Solontsi crossing the whitewash before Mcatshulwa settled it.

• Byrhandré Dolf only managed to convert two of the tries.

• The victory secured South Africa their place in the quarter-finals of a Women’s Rugby World Cup for the first time.

• South Africa won the match despite only winning 50% of their line-out throws (4/8).

• The Springbok Women also gave away four more penalties than the Azzurre (13-9).

• However, they still managed to dominate possession (56%) and territory (62%).

• South Africa have scored the first try in all but one of the four previous meetings, the exception being on home soil at WXV 2 in 2023.

• Tries tend to be scored early in the fixture, with 11 minutes the longest time it has taken for one side or the other to breach the opposition line.

• This is their first meeting on Italian soil since their first encounter in Prato in 2018, when Italy ran out 35-10 winners when Sofia Stefan scored two of her side’s five tries.

ITALY TEAM NOTES

• Italy’s 55-21 win over Japan in their first match of the WXV Global Series 2026 was their biggest win and highest score in 24 years of playing the Sakura Fifteen.

• Aura Muzzo scored the first and last of Italy’s nine tries, with the remainder of their scores coming from Alessandra Frangipani, Alyssa D'Incà, Vittoria Vecchini, Giordana Duca, Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi – on the occasion of her 50th cap, Francesca Sgorbini and Margherita Tonellotto.

• Italy trailed Japan for an eight-minute period straddling the end of the first quarter and the start of the second.

• Italy visited the opposition 22 on 16 occasions, while restricting Japan to four entries into theirs, conceding tries in all but one of those forays by the Sakura Fifteen.

• The Azzurre made nine line-breaks to Japan’s three.

• It was the third occasion in the last five matches involving Italy to top 75 points.

• Italy have scored 172 points in their last four tests at an average of 43 per game.

• Italy played the final six minutes with 14 players after debutant Natascia Aggio was sent to the sin-bin, only the fifth time in the match that they were penalised.

• Resolute in defence, Italy completed 96% of their tackles (153/160).

• Italy avoided the 2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations wooden spoon when they beat Wales 43-24 in round five.

• It left the Azzurre in fourth place in the standings and still waiting for their first top half of the table finish since they were runners-up in 2019.

• Italy scored a record 144 points, the second time in as many years that they had reached a century, having never done so before in the championship.

• While beaten 61-33 by England, it was the most points they have ever scored in a match against the Red Roses.

• Italy only converted 11 of the 23 tries they scored in open play (47.8%).

• The 196 points Italy conceded is also a national team record for a single campaign.

• The 57 points against Ireland were the most that Italy have conceded against the Irish, beating the previous record of 54.

• Italy led the Women’s Six Nations in turnovers won (44) and jackals (27).

• Italy kicked the ball fewer times in open play than their rivals (98) but Veronica Madia kicked the only 50:22 of the championship.

• Italy struggled at scrum time; their success rate of 87.5% was the lowest in the Women’s Six Nations.

• Italy received five yellow cards, the joint most in the championship, along with France.

• Three of those yellow cards were picked up in the match against England (Veronica Madia, Elisa Giordano and Sara Mannini).

• Following this match, the Azzurre will complete their WXV Global Series 2026 campaign with two matches against the USA on 17 and 24 October.

SQUAD NOTES

• Milan prop Laura Foscato and back Natascia Aggio both made their Test debuts against Japan at this venue last weekend.

• Benetton prop Giorgia Cuoghi was called up to train with the team this week in preparation for this match as Vittoria Zanette has picked up a knock and was being assessed.

• Zanette has not made team with Alessia Pilani replacing her at tighthead prop.

• Elisa Giordano brings the experience of 83 tests with her to number eight, prompting a shift to blindside flanker for Francesca Sgorbini.

• Michela Sillari will move to 99 caps for the Azzurre when she lines up alongside Sara Mannini in midfield, the centre now one away from becoming her country’s fourth female centurion after Sara Barratin, Lucia Gai and Sofia Stefan.

• Alyssa D’Inca moves to the left wing as a result of Sillari’s return, meaning Francesca Granzotto drops to the bench.

• Mascia Jelic is in line to become the 230th player to represent Italy in Test rugby, having been named on the bench. Her brother Ratko has played for Italy’s sevens team and Zebre Parma.

COACH NOTES

• Italy went into the WXV Global Series with a new head coach in Plinio Sciamanna.

• Sciamanna had been an assistant coach of the Azzurre for five years.

• He succeeds Fabio Roselli, who had an 18-month spell in charge before leaving his post last month. Roselli won seven of his 15 Tests in charge.

SA TEAM NOTES

• Following last weekend’s 50-19 defeat to Wales, South Africa have conceded a half-century of points in each of their last two tests (also 52-20 in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry match v New Zealand).

• South Africa only played 21 minutes of the first half against Wales with their full complement of players, following a yellow card to Lindelwa Gwala in the 21st minute and a red card to Danelle Lochner in the 35th minute.

• Lochner has since had the red card rescinded following a referral by the Foul Play Review Committee (FPRC) for a full disciplinary hearing.

• South Africa trailed 38-5 at the break against Wales in Cardiff, with Felicia Jacobs scoring their only points of the first half.

• Jacobs’ try was South Africa’s 50th of 2026.

• Maria Tshiremba and Maceala Samboya crossed within a six-minute spell as the Springbok Women staged a brief rally in the third quarter, with Byrhandré Dolf converting both of the tries.

• Tshiremba has scored four tries in her two tests, having scored a hat-trick on debut against Fiji following her move to 15s from sevens.

• South Africa had three more entries into the opposition 22 than Wales (14-11) but could only muster an average of 1.3 points per visit as opposed to Wales’ 4.5.

• It was their heaviest loss and the most points they have conceded in 22 years of playing Wales.

• It was only the second time this year that South Africa have failed to score 20 points (also a 26-19 defeat v USA).

• Second-row Vainah Ubisi is South Africa’s leading try scorer in 2026, with six.

• Jakkie Cilliers is the team’s leading points scorer with 54, including two tries.

• The Springbok Women have broken new ground this year by hosting a series against the USA, playing an away series in Fiji and a first-ever game on home soil against New Zealand.

• South Africa began 2026 with a successful defence of their Rugby Africa Women’s Cup Performance Division title following a 35-20 win over hosts Kenya in the title decider on 31 May.

• They had already beaten Madagascar 64-5 and Uganda 47-20 in Nairobi.

• Following this Test, South Africa will continue on their travels, taking on Spain in Seville on 4 October before returning home to face Ireland in Cape Town on 24 and 31 October.

SQUAD NOTES

• South Africa have opted for co-captains as they look to bounce back against Italy with scrumhalf Unam Tose and flanker Sizo Solontsi handed the honour for the first time.

• Regular captain Babalwa Latsha will start from the bench as Franzel September and Laurian Johannes-Haupt opt to reshuffle their side as they continue to build combinations on the road to Women’s Rugby World Cup 2029 in Australia.

• Byrhandré Dolf shifts from fullback to flyhalf to join Tose at half-back, while Shiniqwa Lamprecht is the new centre partner for Maceala Samboya in a much-changed backline.

• Maria Tshiremba shifts across to the left wing with Alicihia Arries and Jakkie Cilliers completing the back three.

• South Africa also welcome back Lerato Makua, who last played in their series win over Fiji in August, and Aseza Hele to join Solontsi in the back row, while Catha Jacobs moves forward to partner Vainah Ubisi in the second row.

• There is also an entirely new front row as Yonela Ngingolo, the most-capped player in the squad on 47 Tests and Nombuyekezo Mdliki will prop down either side of Anushka Groenewald.

COACH NOTES

• Franzel September and Laurian Johannes-Haupt were appointed as co-head coaches after Swys de Bruin stepped down on the eve of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series match against New Zealand.

• They have already fulfilled the role on two previous victorious tours this year, for the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup and the two-Test series in Fiji.

• Junior Springboks assistant coach Melusi Mthethwa has been drafted in as part of the coaching team.

• Dave Wessels, SA Rugby’s General Manager for High-Performance, assisted the squad in Wales and will be involved in preparations for this Test as well.

• De Bruin initially joined the union’s high-performance department in August 2024 before being appointed Springbok Women coach.

• During his time in charge of the team, the 66-year-old led the Springbok Women to new heights, headlined by their run to the quarter-finals of Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.

• The team also entered the top 10 of the World Rugby Women’s Rugby Rankings for the first time.

• In total, De Bruin won 14 of the 21 Test matches he presided over (66.7%).

WORLD RUGBY WOMEN’S RANKINGS PERMUTATIONS

• Italy can regain the sixth place they lost last weekend if they beat South Africa, providing that the USA don’t better their margin of victory in beating Wales.

• However, a beaten Azzurre will fall another place with whoever wins between Scotland and Australia in Edinburgh replacing them in seventh.

• South Africa cannot improve on 10th place even with a win by more than 15 points as they can’t quite catch the loser of Scotland v Australia.

• A beaten Springbok Women’s side could fall two places if Wales and Japan can upset USA and Ireland respectively.

DID YOU KNOW…?

• This will be their first meeting on Italian soil since their first encounter in 2018 when the Azzurre ran out 35-10 winners in Prato.

• South Africa secured a first victory in their most recent meeting at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 in England, the 29-24 success even to secure a first-ever quarter-final spot.

• Giana Viljoen (South Africa) takes charge of Spain and Brazil for the first time, having only made her Test debut in the middle last weekend with Fiji's win over Hong Kong China.

Italy Women starting XV: 15 Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi (capt), 14 Aura Muzzo, 13 Michela Sillari, 12 Sara Mannini, 11 Alyssa D'inca; 10 Emma Stevanin, 9 Sofia Stefan; 8 Elisa Giordano, 7 Alissa Ranuccini, 6 Francesca Sgorbini; 5 Giordana Duca, 4 Alessandra Frangipani; 3 Alessia Pilani, 2 Vittoria Vecchini, 1 Silvia Turani. Replacements: 16 Chiara Cheli, 17 Laura Foscato,18 Gaia Dosi, 19 Giulia Cavina, 20 Mascia Jelic, 21 Alia Bitonci, 22 Beatrice Rigoni, 23 Francesca Granzotto.

Springbok Women starting XV: 15 Jakkie Cilliers, 14 Alichia Arries, 13 Maceala Samboya, 12 Shiniqwa Lamprecht, 11 Maria Tshiremba; 10 Byrhandré Dolf, 9 Unam Tose (co-capt); 8 Aseza Hele, 7 Lerato Makua, 6 Sizophila Solontsi (co-capt); 5 Catha Jacobs, 4 Vainah Ubisi; 3 Nombuyekezo Mdliki, 2 Anushka Groenewald, 1 Yonela Ngxingolo. Replacements: 16 Micke Gunter, 17 Sanelisiwe Charlie, 18 Babalwa Latsha, 19 Nomsa Mokwai, 20 Logan Welman, 21 Aphiwe Ngwevu, 22 Felicia Jacobs, 23 Libbie Janse van Rensburg.

Italy v South Africa - Saturday @ Stadio Omero Tognon, Pordenone - 2.30pm (SAST)

Referee: Holly Wood (RFU)

Assistant Referees: Maria Latos (DRV), Emily Hope (RFU)

Television Match Official: Dan Jones (RFU)

Split Screen/FPRO: Hamish Smales (RFU)