The Springboks will kick off their 2025 Test season with a highly anticipated clash against Italy this Saturday at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. The match is scheduled to start at 17:10. Under the guidance of Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus, the Boks head into this encounter as clear favourites. They are buoyed by a dominant head-to-head record against the European side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here’s a detailed statistical breakdown of the history and milestones leading up to this Test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Saturday\u2019s encounter will mark the 17th meeting between the Springboks and Italy<\/a>. South Africa has historically had the upper hand, winning 15 of those matches. The only blemish on the Boks\u2019 near-perfect record came in 2016. Italy stunned the rugby world with a narrow 20\u201318 win in Florence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their first-ever meeting occurred on 12 November 1995 in Rome, shortly after the Springboks had lifted their maiden Rugby World Cup trophy. That match ended in a 40\u201321 victory for South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over the course of their rivalry, the Boks have racked up 764 points and 102 tries. In contrast, Italy has scored 195 points and just 16 tries. The most emphatic result came in June 1999. The Springboks humiliated the Italians 101\u20130 in Durban, still the biggest winning margin in the fixture’s <\/a>history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n