Stander Questions Ireland Mentality Ahead Of South Africa Tests | Balls.ie

There has been plenty of talk from the Springbok side in recent weeks, as South Africa prepare for the visit of Ireland in a two-test series.

Though it has not traditionally been the fiercest of rivalries, the fervour around Ireland v South Africa fixtures has certainly been ramped up in recent years.

At last year’s World Cup, the two sides met in the pool stages, in what many saw as a precursor to a potential rematch in the final.

South Africa went on to claim their fourth World Cup triumph, while Ireland once again exited at the quarter-final stage – something which has been weaponised by more than one in the Springboks camp of late.

Cheslin Kolbe threw a sly dig at Ireland by suggesting they would put any debate about South Africa’s credentials as the world’s best team to bed in this two-test series. Meanwhile, Eben Etzebeth accused the Irish squad of “arrogance” after their pool stage victory over the Boks last year.

Etzebeth claimed that several Irish players said that they would see South Africa again in the final – before yet another unfortunate exit at the last-eight stage.

The “quarter-final curse” hangs over the Irish team. With many of the squad also plying their trade for Leinster, question marks have been asked about the back-to-back-to-back Champions Cup final defeats for the province and what that says about the Irish mentality.

Former Ireland international CJ Stander this week gave his two cents on the situation and said that he feels a “mind block” is holding the Irish players back from believing they deserve their place in the latter stages of tournaments.

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CJ Stander questions Leinster and Ireland ‘mind block’

(The discussion on Leinster and Ireland’s mentality begins at 12:00 in the above video)

CJ Stander appeared on RugbyPass’ Boks Office podcast this week alongside Springboks legend Schalk Burger to look ahead to the South Africa v Ireland test series.

Stander was asked whether he felt the perceived issues around Leinster’s inability to get over the line in major games was spilling over into the Irish squad.

The former Munster man gave thoughtful answer, saying that he was concerned that the Irish squad lacked belief about their ability to win the biggest games.

I always thought that thing flows over from Leinster through to Ireland – but Leinster have been successful.

Three or four years ago they won the URC, back then the Pro12, Champions Cup, so they have been successful and they still are.

I just think, if you look at the players and we’re talking about experience. In the 2019 World Cup, we went and played with our core team every game.

We didn’t bleed people in there, we didn’t rest. I remember being three games in and realising, ‘I’m tired, I can’t make this.’ Not from being overworked, but being undone, not training wise.

That mentality, Ireland still need to find that place of ‘okay, we are good enough to be in a semi or a final.’ Sometimes, maybe overconfidence yes to say, ‘we’re going to be there,’ or sometimes they used to go, ‘okay, we’re not good enough, we’re gonna get stuffed.’

It’s years and years and years of getting to the quarters and not getting past it. It is unfortunately a mind block.

Though the disappointment of last year’s World Cup has been a major talking point in the lead up to this series, this is a fixture in which Ireland have definitively had the upper hand of late.

The Boks last beat Ireland in 2016, the last time the two sides met on South African soil. In the interim, Ireland have claimed three wins – while South Africa have won two World Cups.

It’s set up to be an enticing test series, with Andy Farrell’s Irish squad looking to silence a few questions that have been asked of them of late.

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