A taste of what’s to come – Ireland’s spicy series with Springboks looms
Andy Farrell will be hoping all of his key men come through today unscathed.
NO ONE CAN accuse the South Africans of being disinterested in this summer’s two-Test series against Ireland.
Tickets for the games in Pretoria and Durban sold out in hours back in March. That appetite among supporters is matched by the Springboks themselves. It seems as though they have been unable to stop talking about Ireland and with a notable amount of spice.
Damian de Allende recently outlined how the Boks had felt disrespected by the Irish media as far back as 2017 and we know from the recent Chasing the Sun series that Rassie Erasmus stoked that fire again during the World Cup last year, playing clips from Off the Ball to psyche his players up.
Eben Etzebeth claimed that 12 of Ireland’s matchday 23 in Paris for their World Cup pool game said, ‘See you guys in the final’ as they shook hands after Ireland’s win. Rather than viewing it as good manners, the Boks lock felt these 12 Irish players might be overlooking the threat of New Zealand in the quarter-final.
Cheslin Kolbe, meanwhile, has suggested that there has been “a lot of talk about Ireland deserving to win the World Cup” but it’s unclear where he has heard or read all of this chat. “We’ll see in July,” said the outstanding Boks wing.
This might seem like infantile stuff to people in Ireland but it’s not to the Springboks. We know they have a Michael Jordan-esque ability to find ways to motivate themselves. Erasmus is an expert at helping his teams to play with a chip on their shoulder.
In fact, center de Allende and out-half Handré Pollard recently disclosed that Erasmus had motivated his team by telling them about South Africa’s loss of the right to host the 2023 World Cup, which they used as fuel for their quarterfinal matchup against France.
South Africa was the official favored host, but after two voting rounds, France was declared the winner by World Rugby.
De Allende stated on the Big Jim Show, “Once we realized what actually happened and Rassie explained what actually happened, it gave us a bit of an edge for the quarter-final.”
You could have been forgiven for thinking that political maneuvering at union level wouldn’t be relevant to players’ motivation levels but Erasmus never misses a beat. He knows that his South African players are at their best when he pulls the emotional levers and he’s good at finding them.
Playing Ireland is the perfect way for the Boks to get back up to speed in their first campaign since their World Cup final victory last October. Beating this Irish team is the one score Erasmus’ men still need to settle.
Even though very few people actually think it, he will be framing this as a chance to disprove the notion that Ireland are the best team in the world. The Boks were the last men standing at last year’s World Cup but even though they won the war, losing that pool-stage battle to Ireland hurt. It doesn’t sit well with the South Africans that Ireland have won three in a row against them.
Ireland, meanwhile, get a shot at taking down the world champions and winning a Test series in South Africa for the first time. So this is going to have edge.
Andy Farrell will be watching today’s URC semi-finals with the hope that lots of his key men shine for Munster and Leinster but equally keeping his fingers crossed that they all come through unscathed ahead of Ireland’s touring squad being announced next week.
It’s pleasing for the Ireland boss to see Garry Ringrose in for his long-awaited return for Leinster. The outside centre’s cutting edge on both sides of the ball is crucial for Farrell’s side.
Ireland already know Hugo Keenan, their first-choice fullback, won’t be available, so Farrell will be closely monitoring Jimmy O’Brien’s performance for Leinster at number fifteen today.
Given that Mack Hansen of Connacht, a potential fullback, hasn’t played since January due to a shoulder injury, O’Brien appears to be the favorite to start at number 15 against the Springboks.
If not, Ireland’s squad is probably going to look similar when they play the reigning world champions. In July, Farrell shouldn’t be too concerned about the future; his only responsibility is to choose the best 23 players he can find and give it his all to defeat the Boks.
It remains to be seen if Peter O’Mahony continues as skipper for Ireland, having been appointed for the Six Nations campaign earlier this year. The Cork man is keen to keep playing for Ireland and Farrell has always held O’Mahony in huge regard. When you’re going to battle with the Boks, you need your warhorses.
Whether Ireland sticks with the 6/2 bench split that they employed three times in the Six Nations will be interesting to see. Ireland rejected the idea of playing 6/2 against the Boks at the World Cup, claiming they would continue to do things their own way, but they have found success with it ever since. Because of Ciarán Frawley’s adaptability, it is feasible.
Tomorrow is the last audition for some of the people who were not selected for the Six Nations squad earlier this year. Farrell has undoubtedly chosen his squad for South Africa already, but players like Shane Daly will be hoping that a memorable final show could change any minds.
Many of Ireland’s main players will benefit from playing at high altitude with Leinster today, giving them a taste of what to expect when they take on the Boks in three weeks. The Boks have also been in Pretoria this week. In preparation for their first Test of the year against Wales in London next weekend, Erasmus has welcomed his team into camp, with the exception of the Bulls players and a few others like RG Snyman of Munster.
The reality is that the Ireland Tests are the major fixtures this year for the Boks, even more so than the Rugby Championship that comes after. That game will provide him the opportunity to consider a few alternative options.
Erasmus will be without the versatile Damian Willemse, a key man in their use of 6/2 and 7/1 benches, while wings Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie will miss the first Test and Cheslin Kolbe is also a doubt.
The Boks will be without several of its most recognizable players for the entirety of the series due to injuries to Steven Kitshoff, Jean Kleyn, and Lood de Jager. Nevertheless, we are aware of the depth of South African rugby.
Notable changes have also occurred within the Springboks coaching staff: former Ireland hooker Jerry Flannery replaced Jacques Nienaber as defensive coach, while Felix Jones was replaced as attack coach by the creative Tony Brown.
Even though the URC semi-finals are taking center stage today, and there will be a showdown the following weekend, anticipation for the first Test in Pretoria in only 21 days is building.