Springboks v Ireland preview: ‘Bomb Squad’ to power world champions to another ‘nail-biting victory’, ending Irish hoodoo

Call it war, a grudge match, unfinished business or all of the above; but on Saturday, a modern-day rugby rivalry resumes as the Springboks and Ireland lock horns in Pretoria.

It’s the double world champions up against the most consistent team in the world over the last three years as two powerhouses of Test rugby collide in the rugby cathedral that is Loftus Versfeld.

For South Africa, it’s an opportunity to finally clinch that sought-after victory over Ireland, having failed to do so since Rassie Erasmus returned to the fold, losing thrice under his tutelage and again before he arrived.

As for Ireland, it’s a case of showing once again that they are a powerhouse rugby nation that has famously defeated the mighty All Blacks twice in their backyard just two years ago.

It makes for what is arguably the biggest mid-year series since the clash between New Zealand and Ireland and, in many ways, a bigger one as two heavyweights of the game collide.

Where the game will be won

On paper, there is really not much splitting the two sides as the world’s number one and two teams face off, which leads us to believe that every small battle won will go a long way to deciding the match.

There are however key battle grounds, namely the gain-line, the air and the set-pieces which is generally stock-standard within a Test match of this quality but is somewhat injected with added oomph this time around.

If Ireland can win the gain-line on attack and get quick ruck speed, then the Springboks’ defence – arguably the best in the business since 2019 – will struggle to contain them. Conversely, if they cannot generate that quick ruck speed, then they will be pelted backwards by the abrasive Bok defenders.

Willie le Roux and the Bulls showed just how much the aerial game can factor into the tempo and momentum of a game in Pretoria during the United Rugby Championship semi-finals, but really, they will be won and lost in the set-pieces.

Ireland thrives off of clean lineout ball, something which they were denied against South Africa during the tense World Cup pool match, while the Springboks prosper with a dominant scrum – again something that was negated in Paris last year.

Both set-pieces will be a launchpad for success for either side and one that will set the tone for the rest of the encounter.

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Last time they met

What they said

What hasn’t been said is perhaps more fitting. From the comments from the Irish media during and after the World Cup to the Springboks players throwing grenades on posts and everything in between, there has been no shortage of hype and build-up to this match.

However, we will park the remarks of Eben Etzebeth, Damian de Allende and others on podcasts for now and discuss what was said this week.

Notably from Springboks flyer Cheslin Kolbe, who started the last match between the two sides in Paris last year. The double World Cup champion believes that South Africa can take some learnings from that defeat but added that it is all history now.

“Looking back, there were a lot of learnings we could take from the last match we played against them,” said Kolbe.

“It brought us back down to earth during the World Cup. But that’s history. Our focus is now on this weekend’s game.

“There are a few other players getting an opportunity, and as a team, we want to bring the physicality back ourselves and enjoy the occasion.”

Meanwhile, the altitude has also been a hot topic this week with the clash taking place at 1,350m above sea level.

“When I got back from Japan it took time to get used to the altitude, but we’ve been here for a few weeks now and Ireland have also been here for a few days, so we cannot count on that,” Kolbe added.

Meanwhile, fellow back Handre Pollard was eager to get back on his old stomping ground.

“Ah, it’s lovely, man it’s a special place, I keep it dear to my heart, and I spent seven good years at the Bulls, and I love playing at Loftus – one of the great stadiums in the world to play rugby, especially to play at a sold-out Loftus, a Test match, it is going to be a special day,” he said.

Ireland assistant coach Paul O’Connell had this to say about Loftus: “I wouldn’t say it’s not relevant [altitude and home ground advantage]. You know what the place is going to be like. It’s a fantastic stadium, it has a brilliant tradition of rugby.

“Their fans absolutely love it, they love playing a part in the game. You have to be aware of that, but for us it’s about focusing on ourselves as much as possible. When we do that, we tend to do all right.”

Previewing the Springboks, he added: “They are world champions. They have good continuity in their playing group. They know what they stand for and I reckon there is a lot of confidence in their group at the moment so it’s a massive challenge for us to be away from home, but our boys are looking forward to it.

“They’re an excellent set piece side, an excellent lineout side, always have been. We’ve been a little specific about them, but it’s been mainly about us doing our stuff better across the board, and boys enjoy doing that. We enjoy focusing on ourselves.”

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Players to watch

Before his injury setback in the latter stages of the Bulls’ season, Kurt-Lee Arendse was arguably the most in-form back in the world as he carved up teams in the URC and Champions Cup. Defensively and offensively, Arendse is simply outstanding and if he can hit his top form again, he is going to cause Ireland all kinds of issues.

It’s hard not to look at the Springbok front-row and while the starters will certainly hope to put Ireland under the cosh, the return of Malcolm Marx is a massive boost for Erasmus and his charges. The simply world-class hooker cruelly had his World Cup cut short with a training ground injury but has worked his way back to full fitness, featuring against Wales in the Boks’ first Test match of the year. When fully fit, he is easily one of, if not the best hookers in the game and was sorely missed the last time these two sides faced off. His impact off the bench is bound to play a big role in the match’s outcome.

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Finally, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu gets his second chance to shine off the bench for the Springboks after making his Test debut against Wales. The 22-year-old was freakishly calm throughout his performance and is a real star not only for the future but right now as he gets his first shot in front of the home crowd.

As for Ireland, Joe McCarthy has been a revelation for the side this year, impressing throughout the Six Nations, have nailed down a starting role. The abrasive second-rower is just the kind of player that Ireland has needed in their pack and has delivered stunning performances in 2024. He will be crucial to their battle on the gain-line and Ireland will need another big shift from the 23-year-old.

In recent seasons, the Ireland matchday squad has been rather easy to predict, but Farrell threw a curveball this week, naming Jamie Osborne in his starting line-up as the Leinster star makes his Test debut at full-back. Osborne enjoyed a marvellous season with Leinster but played almost exclusively in the centres, which makes his selection at 15 a real roll of the dice. He has played in the position at youth level and a handful of times for Leinster in recent seasons but now has the massive job of filling Hugo Keenan’s void in such a crunch Test match.

With Jamison Gibson-Park ruled out of the series through injury, Craig Casey has a tremendous role to play for Ireland as he takes over the starting scrum-half role, linking up with Munster teammate Jack Crowley. The nippy number nine thoroughly deserves his chance, but with it comes the weight of expectation as he fills in for Gibson-Park, who has been truly sensational for Ireland this year and is a key cog in their attack. It’s a big Test for the young half-back, who not only carries the weight of expectation but will also have the towering figure of Etzebeth charging down on him with just about every box kick he hangs up.

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Main head-to-head

There are tantalising head-to-head battles across the two matchday 23s, but perhaps none as much as the clash at number eight between Kwagga Smith and Caelan Doris.

While Etzebeth and McCarthy will be crucial to generating and quashing momentum, Smith and Doris take on similar roles but at the breakdown as they lock horns.

The decision to back Smith in this position may have taken some by surprise following the strong showing of Evan Roos against Wales, but after starring off the bench at the World Cup, he has been entrusted with the iconic Green and Gold number eight jersey following Duane Vermeulen’s retirement and Jasper Wiese’s suspension.

No player was as effective at winning turnovers in the world as Smith last year, and he rose to the occasion, particularly in the knockout stages of the World Cup.

As for Doris, while he is excellent in the defensive rucks, he thrives when his side has the ball in hand and dispels poaching threats wonderfully. His ability to replicate that once again will be key throughout the 80 minutes.

Prediction

Ireland’s demolition of the Springboks in 2017 is the one outliner between the two sides since 2016, with the five other fixtures being decided by a margin of seven points or less and expect no different this time around.

It will be a battle of passion, attrition and skill as two world-class teams go toe-to-toe, which makes it nigh-on impossible to call. This time around, home-ground advantage is bound to play a factor, with the Springboks winning the first Test by a single point or by a one-score margin in another nail-biting match.

The respective benches are bound to influence the outcome of the match, and that is where the Boks look to have the slightest of edges with their infamous ‘Bomb Squad’.

Previous results

2023: Ireland won 13-8 in Paris
2022: Ireland won 19-16 in Dublin
2017: Ireland won 38-3 in Dublin
2016: South Africa won 19-13 in Port Elizabeth
2016: South Africa won 32-26 in Johannesburg
2016: Ireland won 26-20 in Cape Town
2014: South Africa won 29-15 in Dublin
2012: South Africa won 16-12 in Dublin
2010: South Africa won 23-21 in Dublin
2009: Ireland won 15-10 in Dublin
2006: Ireland won 32-15 in Dublin

The teams

South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Kwagga Smith, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Salmaan Moerat, 20 RG Snyman, 21 Marco van Staden, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu

Ireland: 15 Jamie Osborne, 14 Calvin Nash, 13 Robbie Henshaw, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 James Lowe, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Craig Casey, 8 Caelan Doris, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Peter O’Mahony (c), 5 Tadhg Beirne, 4 Joe McCarthy, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan, 1 Andrew Porter
Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 James Ryan, 20 Ryan Baird, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Ciaran Frawley, 23 Garry Ringrose

Date: Saturday, July 6
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Kick-off: 17:00 local (16:00 BST)
Referee: Angus Gardner (RA)
Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (RFU), Mike Adamson (SRU)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)

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