Ex-Ireland players assess the Springboks and squash doubts over 'big teams'

South Africa’s 35-7 win over New Zealand has put their pool rivals on notice, including Ireland, who will face the Springboks in their third pool match.

Three former Irish internationals have shared their views after watching the Boks dismantle New Zealand at Twickenham.

Former Ireland and Munster hooker Jerry Flannery believed that nothing changes after seeing the All Blacks “completely smashed”.

“I don’t think it changes the tournament, but what it does it gives an idea of how tough the pool is going to be,” Flannery told RTE Sport.

“If anything it sharpens the mind for Ireland when they see a team able to perform like that, particularly against New Zealand.

“Everyone had been talking about New Zealand and how they timed their run into this World Cup.

“The All Blacks were completely smashed by the Springboks.”

Ex-Ireland winger Simon Zebo said the Springboks were “utterly dominant” and the performance by New Zealand showed that you have to be at the top of your game.

“It was a very strong performance from South Africa, their physicality is what their game is built on,” he said.

“They were utterly dominant in every aspect of play but particularly the forwards.

“New Zealand, I didn’t think performed really well. They looked very inaccurate, their attacking shape wasn’t flowing as they would’ve liked to.

“You just need to be very sharp and very on it if you want to compete against a highly motivated Springbok team.”

Former loose forward Jamie Heaslip said that Ireland’s recent success against “bigger” teams showed that they can handle what the Springboks will throw at them.

Ireland toppled the Boks 19-16 in Dublin last November, while they ended France’s 14-game winning streak in February during the Six Nations with a 32-19 win.

Heaslip said the key was to control the pace of the game which Ireland do so well in their attacking shape.

“They loaded up a 7-1 split as well, all sorts of statements being made,” he said.

“But Ireland have done it, they’ve been able to come up against these big teams.

“The narrative at a club level is that the big teams seem to upset us, but at the top level we’ve been able to manage it so far.

“I think we can control the pace in the game and move their team around and control the tempo, we can cause them our own problems.

“It definitely sharpens the focus of the group knowing that the third game in the group is that South African team who are looking pretty menacing.”