Bok forwards coach Proudfoot tries to talk up the Italians

Matt Proudfoot on Monday compared the challenge of facing Italy’s forwards with confronting New Zealand’s big men.

The Bok forwards coach was doing his best not to give the impression the team was taking the challenge of the Azzurri lightly.

He perhaps has reason to.

Friday’s match is effectively a knockout match in pool B of the Rugby World Cup (RWC).

"I would put this challenge as a forward pack on par with the All Blacks.

"They are smart‚ they have a culture of scrummaging and mauling and they put a lot of heat in contesting your ball in the line-out‚" warned Proudfoot.

He then went on to explain how the big men won’t just rely on muscle‚ but that mental fortitude will come into it.

"This is not just a brawn game‚" he said.

"There is a lot of brain going into this plan. Execution under pressure is going to be the key."

Proudfoot has a high regard for Italy’s forwards coach Giampiero de Carli.

"They have a smart forwards coach. They are very tough. You look at how well (Braam) Steyn is playing for them‚ a typical South African.

"That is what they are going to bring to us. It is pretty much similar to what we do. They try and take you on at set phase and there is not much space to get away from it. You have to confront it‚" said Proudfoot.

"They’ve had two years to prepare for this. They’ve had eight days since their last game‚ so they will be up for it. This is their opportunity and we have to be good‚" said Proudfoot.

As much as he talked them up‚ Italy have made very little headway over the last few years.

They’ve won just three of their last 12 Tests‚ but in beating Russia‚ Namibia and Canada they didn’t exactly rise in the estimation of the rugby world.

In fact‚ if they are judged among their peers in the Six Nations they’ve been desperately poor.

They have lost their last 22 matches in the Six Nations and last tasted victory in that competition in February 2015‚ when they beat Scotland.

The Italians have perennially struggled to keep possession and a consequence of their failure to hold on to the ball has been they’ve had to make an inordinate amount of tackles.

That in turn has meant they’ve fatigued matches with their performance levels tapering off towards the end.

They are also poor finishers‚ although that is an area the Boks will be desperate to sharpen as well.