Springboks v Ireland: ‘Unfinished business’ takes centre stage at Loftus as ‘brawn and beauty’ collide – seven storylines
Our six storylines ahead of the clash between the Springboks and Ireland.
Here we go! The Springboks and Ireland collide at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday in what is one of the most anticipated Test series in recent memory.
South Africa head into the clash off the back of a resounding win over Wales in their first Test since hoisting the William Webb Ellis Cup aloft in Paris last year.
While Rassie Erasmus and co. were welcomed by a partisan expat crowd at Twickenham Stadium, they enter another stratosphere in Pretoria as the baying home ground gets the opportunity to see their back-to-back World Cup winners in action for the first time this year.
Meanwhile, Andy Farrell and his Ireland charges arrive on the Highveld having recovered from their World Cup disappointment and hangover by sealing a successive Six Nations crown, cruising to the title despite the hiccup against the English.
Recent history between the two nations and all the talk in the build-up will be put to bed when Luke Pearce blasts his whistle at around 5 pm local time on Saturday.
Before then, we take a look at the five talking points ahead of what promises to be one of the best mid-year international fixtures in some time.
Unfinished business
Erasmus dispelled talk of ‘unfinished business’ in his press conference on Tuesday, only for the Springboks‘ social media accounts to use that caption in a rather tasty hype video for the opening encounter.
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Unfinished business 😳#Springboks #ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/GFz5s12nib
— Springboks (@Springboks) July 2, 2024
Ireland have been South Africa’s bogey team in recent years, being the only side that the Boks have not knocked over since Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber returned to right the ship after Allister Coetzee’s disastrous tenure as head coach.
Erasmus has predicted a ‘brutal’ Test and added that the build-up has made it ‘really juicy’ and while he didn’t want to reference revenge or unfinished business, it is quite clear that the Springboks mean business as they look to get that last monkey off their back.
Farrell and his charges will see this as another opportunity to create a bit of history after beating the All Blacks in New Zealand for the first time and becoming the first Irish side to clinch a series victory in Aotearoa. Their recent record against the Springboks is a favourable one, but in South Africa, they have won just once in their history – something which they will be hellbent on changing.
Fatigue from a long season
For many of the players taking to the pitch on Saturday, it’s been nigh on non-stop since the Rugby World Cup, and while modern-day sports science and player safety protocols mean that those who do trot out onto the green Loftus grass are physically fit and firing to go, there must be some mental fatigue.
This will undoubtedly impact the players, whether they realise it or not, as the Irish players look to finish their international season on a high – particularly after their club disappointments in the United Rugby Championship and Investec Champions Cup – while the South Africans kick-start their Test campaign.
There will be no need for added motivation, but one has to think that a raucous Loftus crowd will certainly play its part.
The scrum
When it comes to the Springboks, the scrum is always a hot topic, and this Test match is no different.
World Rugby’s decision to remove the scrum option from the free-kick has yet to influence a game, but that could all change on Saturday if Ireland see it as an out when under pressure.
The South Africans have made it quite clear that they will always target the set-piece as a source of penalties and an opportunity to march up the pitch, and that will not change anytime soon.
There is no doubt about the fact that the scrum will be a major battleground in Pretoria, and if Ireland want to have a chance at clinching a second win in South Africa, their pack will need a far better scrummaging performance than the one Leinster produced against the Bulls at the same ground a few weeks back.
The majority of the starters against the Bulls feature against the Boks, too, with Tadhg Beirne the one outliner in the front-five. Last time out between the Boks and Ireland, the latter managed to get some parity and were on the right side of the referee’s whistle, and they will have to recreate that form again.
Altitude and bench
But it won’t just be the starters that will need to rise to the occasion, as it will take a full 23-man effort at altitude, which will take its toll.
Ireland loosehead Andrew Porter has become renowned for his ability to go a full 80 minutes in the front-row but against the Bulls he looked knackered when called to the sidelines in that URC semi-final. Perhaps he has better acclimatised this time around but there is also the added toll which a Test match takes on the body.
South Africa have backed the 6-2 split on the bench, preparing for a massive battle up front, particularly at the breakdown with the ‘fetchers’ Malcolm Marx and Marco van Staden included, but again, roll the dice with just two backline replacements.
The bench is bound to have a massive say in the result, and the eight selected from both teams are of real quality.
Jamie Osborne curveball
Versatility has never been as valued in Test rugby as is right now and that’s certainly highlighted by Farrell’s decision to back debutant Jamie Osborne in the starting full-back role against the Springboks.
Osborne has not played a single senior match at full-back this season and has done so just twice for Leinster in past seasons having represented Ireland U20s in the role. He shone through the 2023/24 campaign in the centres for his province but fills Hugo Keenan’s void on Saturday in the number 15 jumper.
It’s certainly a gamble for Farrell as many Ireland fans will still have the memory of Robbie Henshaw’s performance against England in the Six Nations where he simply could not cover the backfield as the then Eddie Jones-led Red Rose outfit marched to victory.
Still, Osborne possesses all the skills and attributes to thrive at the highest level as a full-back, particularly a belter of a left boot, but the added stress of a Test debut at Loftus against the world champions is certainly a big ask.
For the Springboks, they will be wary of zoning too much into the selection at full-back as they can target the rookie but leaning too much into that tactic could derail their pre-set plans.
Ireland team winners and losers as rookie’s ‘major weapon’ adds another threat to Springboks
Filling key voids
Sticking on the subject of replacing key players, Farrell has also handed the scrum-half duties to Munster nugget Craig Casey in what will be his most high-profile start for his country.
Casey links up with his clubmate Jack Crowley – who has seamlessly filled Johnny Sexton’s vacancy in the number 10 jumper – taking on the responsibility of running the Irish attack.
Jamison Gibson-Park has been crucial in assisting Crowley in running the fluid attack since Sexton’s retirement, but now the two Munster youngsters have the responsibility to themselves.
Meanwhile, the Springboks needed to make three changes to their starting XV which defeated the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup final with Steven Kitshoff and Damian Willemse ruled out through injury and Duane Vermeulen retiring.
Erasmus turned to the bench against New Zealand for the answers with the straightforward selections of Ox Nche and Willie le Roux taking the places of the injured duo but the call at number eight was far more interesting.
With Jasper Wiese seen as the heir to Vermeulen’s number eight jersey, his absence through suspension flung the selection door right open and after a standout performance against Wales it looked to be Evan Roos to fill the void against Ireland. Alas it was not to be as Erasmus backed the World Cup star and ‘Bomb Squad’ veteran Kwagga Smith to bring his dynamism and breakdown expertise from the first whistle.
Brawn v beauty
In the Chasing the Sun 2 documentary series, Erasmus repeatedly makes reference to Ireland’s intelligence and beauty with the ball in hand, stressing that the Boks would need many of their smarts in order to impose their trademark abrasive approach to the game on Farrell’s side.
Earlier in the week, respected pundit Bernard Jackman noted that the Boks aren’t lauded as much as they perhaps would like because of their ‘suffocating’ tactics, and on Saturday, the two contrasting approaches clash in a battle for superiority.
One has to feel that the victor on Saturday will be the one who manages not only to impose their style on their opponents but also to match their rivals’ strengths.
Last year, this fixture was dubbed ‘the greatest Rugby World Cup pool stage match of all-time’, and all signs point towards something near that standard, if not better.
READ MORE: Bernard Jackman: Where the Springboks will look to ‘bully’ Ireland
