Autumn Nations Series: Ireland face daunting South Africa challenge but have proven Springboks’ bogey side
Ireland head into the weekend’s headline Autumn Nations Series clash against South Africa in Dublin as sizeable underdogs, but recent history suggests things may not prove straightforward for the Springboks.
Rassie Erasmus’ outfit have appeared fearsomely strong this month, starting their autumn with a 61-7 victory over Japan at Wembley, which was followed by impressive 32-17 and 32-14 wins away to France and Italy respectively – both Tests in which they were reduced to 14 players for large spells after permanent red cards.
The win over reigning Six Nations champions France in Paris was a particular show of strength and depth, coming from behind to win a match they appeared dead and buried in.
South Africa picked up a sensational victory over France in Paris two weeks ago despite Lood de Jager’s 38th-minute red card
Ireland, by contrast, have played out a fairly inconsistent autumn to date. They began – albeit undercooked, and after a controversial early Tadhg Beirne red card – with a disappointing 26-13 defeat to New Zealand in Chicago, before a scratchy 41-10 win over Japan in Dublin and then a record 46-19 win over Australia when they appeared far more like their old selves.
How much of that second half surge against the Wallabies was down to the visitors’ visible fatigue – they have played 14 Tests since July – remains to be seen, but such a result was a boost to Ireland’s confidence as much as anything else.
Mack Hansen scored a first-half hat-trick from full-back for Ireland in their record win vs Australia last week
Heading to this weekend, most would class South Africa as the world’s current best side, and that despite them performing in far from vintage fashion to just about claim the Rugby Championship title last month – they lost at home to Australia, nearly lost to the Wallabies on home soil a second time, and also lost to the All Blacks at Eden Park.
But while question marks arose during the Rugby Championship, the Autumn has been a show of power and talent.
Saturday poses a huge challenge for Ireland, therefore, and yet the two sides head into this contest with the Irish having won four of the last five Tests between them. In many ways, Ireland have proven South Africa’s bogey side.
Irish wins have come in Dublin in 2017 and 2022, in Paris at the 2023 Rugby World Cup – which South Africa would go on to win – and in Durban in 2024 to secure a 1-1 series draw.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
In the last meeting between the sides, Ireland secured a stunningly late and deserved 2024 win over South Africa in Durban to secure a 1-1 series draw
South Africa’s sole win over the same time period was a 27-20 victory in Pretoria in a Test dominated by crucial TMO interventions, and a week before Ireland hit back to win on South African soil.
Since Erasmus departed his contract at Irish province Munster in acrimonious fashion a year-and-a-half early to take charge of South Africa in 2017, Ireland have had their number.
While the wins in 2022 and 2023 came as part of a 17-Test winning run which put Ireland as world No 1 and World Cup favourites in France, however, Andy Farrell’s side appear well off those previous levels right now, and have had to bat off suggestions they are a team in decline.
There would be no way better way to prove they are not than by taking the scalp of the current world No 1 Boks again, but it will require their best performance for some time in order to do so.
At the same time, if history is anything to go by, the Springboks will not have it easy in the Irish capital this weekend either. It’s perfectly poised.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
South Africa’s only victory against Ireland over the last five meetings came in Pretoria in 2024
‘Ireland’s physicality must hugely improve if they are to have a chance’
Ireland defence coach Simon Easterby spoke to media this week, and was under no illusions as to the challenge that awaits:
“We’ll certainly take the positives from the (Australia) game, but also understand we need to get better each week and I think we’ve been doing that across the series of three games so far and that’ll need to be the case this weekend against South Africa,” Easterby said.
“You understand that they have strengths that other teams don’t have and you’ve got to find a few weaknesses as well, so we need to be better at what we do with and without the ball.
“That includes our physicality, it includes the ability for us to stop a team scoring tries when they get into our 22 which we weren’t good enough at on the weekend, so that’s international rugby and it doesn’t matter who you play, the physicality has to be a given.
Ireland’s dominant victory over Australia proved morale-boosting, but the task of the Springboks is a fiercely different matter
“I think there’s other things to factor into this series: the challenges of going to Chicago, spending time away, dealing with that loss and building resilience in the squad.
“It’s not always going to be perfect, you’re not going to have it your own way all the time.
“There’s been plenty of open and honest conversations in the group and it’s no better challenge than South Africa coming to the Aviva on the weekend for us to see if we can put a lot of those things into practice that we’ve spoken about trying to improve on.”
In terms of Ireland’s squad, impactful Ulster centre Stuart McCloskey will miss out in a major blow due to a groin injury, but flanker Josh van der Flier and centre Garry Ringrose should return following hamstring complaints:
Enable Cookies
Allow Cookies Once
“It’s been a good weekend for them I guess in terms of getting through what they needed to do in terms of their rehab and they’ve hit the ground running this week,” said Easterby.
“The mood is really good and the lads have trained well today.”
