David Corkery on rugby: Ireland can take inspiration from Troy Parrott and co for South Africa showdown

Just under two weeks ago, when the Irish football side took to the pristine surface of the Aviva to play against a star-studded Portuguese side, the outcome was deemed a forgone conclusion before a ball was kicked.

Any hopes of the Boys in Green qualifying for the World Cup were going to be put to bed come the final whistle.

Nobody, and I mean nobody, gave Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side a snowball’s chance in hell of getting anything out of this game other than a sack full of abuse and a possible P45.

We all know what happened on that night and even more amazingly what happened last Sunday. In what seems like an overnight occurrence of biblical proportions, Ireland’s chances of qualifying have now gone from zero to possible.

Troy Parrott has become one of Ireland’s most loved sportspeople and Hallgrímsson has gone from the worst national gaffer ever to the best since the flat cap of Jack Charlton ruled the touch-lines of the Euros in 1988 and World Cups of '90 and '94.

God willing, Hallgrímsson and company will do the business in March at the play-offs and give Irish soccer the much-needed boost it needs. For now, the focus switches to the oval ball for a game that can only be viewed as a grudge match between two sides that have so much to play for.

As highly-fancied favourites to finish their Northern Hemisphere tour next week against a struggling Welsh side with another victory, South Africa will be looking at Saturday’s game against Ireland as their last true test of their touring season.

Having finished their last two games with 14 men as a result of two red cards for head high shots, the back-to-back World Cup holders seem to think that World Rugby or the referees of the game are involved in some kind of conspiracy against them. 

As we all know, they are not shy in publicising their all too often eccentric beliefs.

ENFORCERS

What Rassie Erasmus, his coaching staff, and all of his players need to fully understand is that if the players whom he governs are not willing or able to lower their tackle height, the policy enforcers of the game will have little choice but to send them for the early shower.

I would agree that World Rugby has an incredible amount of work to do in making the game safer, and that different interpretations by the whistle holders and TMOs can lead to much disagreement. Unlike the days of old, where high tackles were viewed as just part of the game, the evidence and concern around concussion is now far too compelling to be ignored.

Hopefully, this test will not be influenced by yellow or red cards and the game will be played out in such a way that the best team wins.

I would also hope that whoever returns to their dressing room with their heads stooped in sorrow will just accept defeat and not look to blame anyone else other than the man they see in the mirror.

It really infuriates me when coaches and players come out in the minutes, hours, and days later after the game and look to attribute their side's failures towards something other than their own deficiencies.

Just like the soccer lads, this Irish side will be viewed as underdogs, and it is going to take a very big effort from every single player if they are going to replicate what happened against Portugal.

Dictated by their historical DNA at this point, the Springboks will look to batter the Irish forwards upfront before they look to do anything else with the ball.

Spearheaded by an incredibly powerful front row that will unconditionally target winning their own scrum at ease and then look to bulldoze Ireland, it is going to take every bit of experience from players like Tadgh Furlong, Dan Sheehan, and Tadgh Beirne to keep the Irish scrum from getting locked in reverse gear.

I believe the Irish lineout will also come under some serious pressure and I just can’t see them keeping the 100% win rate that they managed against Australia during last week’s victory.

For Sam Prendergast, the starting 10, and Jack Crowley, there will be no room for error when they are putting boot to ball.

Kicking poorly against players like Cheslin Kolbe and Damian Willemse will result in a major loss of territory or points conceded.

Never having won in Dublin, Erasmus will want to win this game badly and will go to any lengths to do so. My gut feeling for this one is that the visitors will be just too powerful.

Expect fireworks from the off.