So-called 'world's best' Ireland set for Springbok reality check
The kegs of Guinness have been emptied and the confetti has all been swept away. Now that Ireland have secured a second consecutive Six Nations title, attention turns to a heavyweight clash that will categorically prove which team is the undisputed best in the world: Andy Farrell’s Irish, or the double world champion Springboks.
It seems neither group really wants the label just yet. Despite Finn Russell, Steve Borthwick, Sam Warburton and a host of prominent voices hailing Ireland as the game’s number one team, Farrell himself has shifted the accolade south to the Springboks. For his part, Rassie Erasmus swatted aside the conversation in a recent press conference.
Fine. If they won’t get into it, we will. So let us pick at the entrails and cast our gaze into a crystal ball. A lot can change in four months, and no doubt these words will blow up in my face if any of the predictions below prove to be even slightly off. With that said, here’s why South Africa will claim a two-nil series victory and, in doing so, end an eight-year winless streak against Ireland.
Let’s start with our feet in the past. When Ireland arrived in South Africa in June 2016 uncertainty hung heavy in the air. These were not the titanic iterations we have today but two groups finding their feet. Joe Schmidt’s tourists – with Farrell serving as defence coach – had spluttered their way through that year’s Six Nations campaign, finishing third with only two wins. What’s more, the previous year was marked by a disappointing quarter-final exit at the World Cup.
South Africa were a work in progress. This was Allister Coetzee’s first assignment as head coach. In a squad of 31, 17 would go on to win the World Cup in 2019 though 20 players had fewer than 15 Test caps under their belt.
Ireland won a shambolic opening game in Cape Town, 20-26, their first ever victory over the Springboks in South Africa. But that only woke the bear. The Boks won the next two Tests and with them the series. These weren’t blockbuster performances but, at the time, it felt as if some sort of cosmic balance had been restored.
That is what the Springboks do; more often than not, they win games they’re supposed to win. When a team triumphs by a solitary point on three consecutive occasions to claim a World Cup, it is South Africa, and no one else, that gets over the line. Dismiss this as happenstance, but then take it up with New Zealand’s Will Jordan who recently said that it was “no fluke”.
All the great teams have this aura. The English of 2003 and the All Blacks under Richie McCaw had the same sense of indomitability. Ireland, as they’ve shown, don’t quite have that yet. They offered glimpses of it by winning a series in New Zealand and then a Six Nations grand slam a year later, but another quarter-final exit at the World Cup proved they couldn’t rise when weighted down by expectation. Their loss to England this month further enhances this argument.
Which means they’ll arrive in South Africa having received a reality check but still buoyed by the hype that surrounds them. Hype, however, marches in lockstep with pressure. Only one of our protagonists seemingly has the stuff to cope with it.
Of course there are more pragmatic rugby reasons why the Springboks should be confident. Home crowds play a role in elite sport and the South African public will be baying for what they would regard as retribution for Ireland’s hubris. They’ve already claimed Ireland’s unofficial fan song as their own, bastardising it, twisting it to offer fealty to Erasmus. Now, having bought every ticket available in Pretoria and Durban, they’ll create an intimidating atmosphere for their guests, especially at Loftus which, at the best of times, is as welcoming as a Roman slaughterhouse.
Then there’s the altitude. Not a factor on the coast in Durban but it will come into play in Pretoria. Given this is (criminally) a two-Test series, that first encounter could be decisive, forcing the loser to chase the game in the second. With South Africa able to effectively field a second pack, it is easy to envisage tiring Irish forwards running out gas in the closing stages. Unless they have a lead come the 65th minute, they could get blown away.
Speaking of second packs, Ireland adopted a six-two bench split in three of their five Six Nations matches. It worked against Italy and France (who also went with the same strategy) but combusted against England. This was seen as a victory for the spirit of rugby against the impending suffocation caused by lumbering meaty men. This is overly simplistic. Instead, the focus should be on Ireland’s backs not having enough versatility to cope when tasked with a positional shift, and the lack of an all-round game from some key forwards.
This is not a problem for South Africa. Damian Willemse, like Frans Steyn before him, can play in six positions in the backline. Canan Moodie can operate across five positions. Grant Williams is faster than most Test wingers. Pieter-Steph du Toit and Franco Mostert could play in either the back or second row. What’s more, South Africa’s penchant for the six-two seems to be a ploy catered to their strengths and not one born out of the desire to shoe-horn in an ageing captain. With respect to the great Peter O’Mahony, the extra forward on Ireland’s bench appeared to be a counterweight to his waning powers.
England proved that if you get in the face of the Irish if you cram bodies in their well-oiled machine and stifle their continuity you can beat them. No other team disrupts the opposition like South Africa. They remain the masters of the rush defence and, unlike their World Cup game against Ireland, when they stubbornly refused to go to the line-out as if they were holding back cards, they’ll let rip with everything they’ve got in July.
Because this series matters to South Africa. For more than a decade the Springboks lived in the shadow of the All Blacks. Now, with two World Cups and a British & Irish Lions series, they’ve forged a dynasty. Or, should I say forging? They’re not done yet. Taking the scalp of a truly brilliant Irish team would underline their supremacy. And there is nothing more dangerous in rugby than a Springboks side on a mission.
Comments on RugbyPass
Why cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
31 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
31 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
31 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
31 Go to comments