Irish rugby needs the boost of a victory over South Africa on home soil

IRELAND face South Africa in the opening game of their two-Test Series in Pretoria on Saturday knowing that it will take an almighty effort to extend their run of three wins over the current world champions.

Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has signalled clear intent by naming twelve of the players that started last year’s World Cup final for this opening Test.

Unsurprisingly South Africa have gone with a 6-2 split on the bench, as they are obviously going to target Ireland up front. 

This was the approach when the sides met in the pool stages of the World Cup in Paris when Erasmus unleashed a 7-1 split that night. 

Ireland ignored what their opponents did completely, going with a conventional 5-3 bench split, and they were rewarded for sticking to their guns with a 13-8 victory that saw them top their pool.

South Africa would go on to have the last laugh, however, as they peaked in the knockout stages to win their fourth William Webb Ellis trophy.

Ireland coach Andy Farrell has ignored the temptation to experiment as he has picked his strongest available squad to travel. 

The aim is to win what would be an historic first ever Series on South African soil. Ireland won a Test Series in Australia in 2018, and followed that up with the seismic Series win in New Zealand in 2022. 

Here is a chance for a lot of this squad to complete the full set of Series triumphs over the southern hemisphere big three.

Ireland have won in South Africa previously, winning 20-16 under the stewardship of Joe Schmidt back in 2016, even though CJ Stander had been sent off in the 22nd minute, but the Series win eluded them on that occasion.

The build up has been dominated by some stirring by the Springboks in the press, with former Munster man Damian de Allende stating this first Test will feel “almost like a war”, and Eben Etzebeth has been effectively accusing Ireland of arrogance by saying that in the aftermath of the World Cup pool game: “You shake the guy’s hands and probably 12 out of the 23 when I shook the hands told me, ‘See you guys in the final’”.

Some Irish fans were unhappy with these comments, but you have to admit he has a point. 

South Africa went and won the competition, while Ireland were dumped out by New Zealand in the quarter-final.

It goes without saying that this is going to be extremely physical and attritional, and that Ireland are going to have to be at the peak of their powers after what has been a long hard season for the players.

Ireland won the Six Nations title in the spring, but the failure to secure a second successive Grand Slam meant that the campaign ended in somewhat of a flat fashion, while at club level Leinster failed at the final hurdle in the Champions Cup once more, and both Munster and Leinster came unstuck in the URC semi-finals in disappointing fashion.

Irish rugby could do with a boost right now. 

A win in Pretoria would certainly suffice in that regard.