Loose forward Kwagga Smith says for the Springboks to be considered true world champions, they have to start playing like it.

Smith and his teammates are in the Eastern Cape this week, working on putting in a performance they can be proud of after their stuttering victory at Loftus Versfeld.

He came on in the second half along with other members of the Boks’ famed bomb squad, and was the one player singled out by coach Rassie Erasmus for actually making an impact.

“We want to stay the best team in the world, but we need to be honest with ourselves. Our performance did not meet the standards we set for ourselves an honesty about that is an important requirement in our environment.”

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The Boks failed to put away the Italians in the second half, despite a healthy 28 – 3 lead at halftime. It eventually ended 42-24 with the Azzurri managing to do something very teams can boast having done against the Boks: a maul try.

Smith told Netwerk24 conceding that try was one of the biggest disappointments on the night.

“We are very disappointed with that. Over the past three seasons, we didn’t concede many tries from rolling mauls so it’s something we definitely need to take a look at. ”

Smith – now a veteran with over 50 Tests – says their intensity at the breakdown left a lot to be desired.

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“They really came hard for us at the breakdown and competed in large numbers. They disrupted us and starved us of any momentum. It was a mess.”

But Smith says this week presents a new opportunity for the team to work on those elements that failed them at Loftus.

“That frustration will motivate us for the second Test. Luckily we have the week where we can train well and rectify what went wrong.”

Dankie Pretoria! The support was yet again amazing, thank you! Next stop: Gqeberha! 🔥#Springboks #ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/HAdYkgB2r3

— Springboks (@Springboks) July 6, 2025

Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images