Benetton Treviso will not bolster their touring squad with a galaxy of resting international stars before they face the Isuzu Southern Kings at the Madibaz Stadium on Saturday.
Fifteen regular players were absent from the Treviso team when they were beaten 31-25 by the Cheetahs on Saturday because they were on duty for the Italian team in the European autumn internationals.
The Benetton players involved with the Italian team were Tommaso Allan, Tommaso Benvenuti, Luca Bigi, Dean Budd, Simone Ferrari, Marco Fuser, Jayden Hayward, Luca Morisi, Sebastian Negri, Tiziano Pasquali, Luca Sperandio, Abraham Steyn, Tito Tebaldi, Cherif Traore and Alessandro Zanni.
Though the autumn internationals have run their course, there are no plans for Benetton to call up the cavalry.
In their last international on Saturday, Italy were thrashed 66-3 by the All Blacks in Rome.
Though their Test players are out of the picture, Benetton will be able to call on two South Africans.
There will be no love lost when former Kings lock Irne Herbst, now playing for Benetton, squares up to his former teammates on Saturday.
Another South African, scrumhalf, Dewaldt Duvenage, is also expected to be in the Italian lineup.
Benetton coach Kieran Crowley said he would only consider calling his Test players back from their break if his touring squad encountered major injury concerns.
“We will have a look at the medical report and see whether we need to bring anyone in,” he said.
“Those boys have just been through a four-Test series and they will need a break. We won’t bring in anyone in to replace anyone unless there are injuries,” Crowley said.
“Benetton have full confidence in the group we have brought to South Africa.
“We did not come here just to keep the score down or just to give the guys experience.
“We have come here to win games and we are bloody disappointed that we did not beat the Cheetahs.
“They will hopefully grow from that experience.
“If we come back here in two years’ time, and we in are in a similar position, we will close it out rather than let them get away with it.
“It is a learning curve.” Crowley is expecting a tough duel in Port Elizabeth.
“The Kings will be desperate for a result at home,” he said.
“It will be interesting to see how our boys react. This is the first time for them being in the team with so many players back in Italy.
“It is about backing up now and we had a reasonable performance against the Cheetahs.”