Ireland coach Andy Farrell hails ‘brilliant’ antics of Bok counterpart Rassie Erasmus

Bundee Aki of Ireland is tackled by Pieter-Steph Du Toit of South Africa in their 2023 World Cup pool match in Paris. (Photo: Shaun Botterill / Getty Images)

By Craig Ray

5 Jul 2024

The Springboks and Ireland meet as the two top teams in the world rankings, which has made for a fun build-up to the first Test at Loftus on Saturday.

While there is no escaping the fact that the series between the Springboks and Ireland comes with some needle, there is also a healthy respect between the sides.

Ireland coach Andy Farrell has not entered into the game of jabbing each other through the media, which the Boks have engaged in, but he is not offended or angered.

On the contrary, he thinks it’s a good thing for the game. But as a hard man from the north of England, it’s just not his style to play mind games in public.

rassie antics farrell ‘It’s hilarious. It’s brilliant,’ Ireland coach Andy Farrell says about the antics of Rassie Erasmus. But Farrell has decided to focus on the unique position his team finds itself in – in the home of the world champions, with the first crack and beating them on home soil since the World Cup. (Photo: David Rogers / Getty Images)

Rassie Erasmus pulled out his old trick of naming the Irish side last week and came close to getting it right, just missing out on the selection of debutant fullback Jamie Osborne and centre Robbie Henshaw.

“It’s hilarious. It’s brilliant,” Farrell said about Erasmus’ antics. “You think it is though, don’t you? You think it’s good. So do I. It’s hilarious, like. Why not? Why not? I don’t think nothing of it. I think it’s good, it’s interesting.

“There’s a few spelling mistakes there, a few weights that were wrong. I thought it was great.”

On a more serious note, Farrell has decided to focus his energy on the unique position his team finds itself in – in the home of the world champions, with the first crack at beating them on home soil since the World Cup.

ireland boks Kurt-Lee Arendse of South Africa contends for the aerial ball with Hugo Keenan of Ireland during the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match at Stade de France in Paris on 23 September 2023. (Photo: Shaun Botterill / Getty Images)

“I’d probably sum it [this tour] up like this: We’re unbelievably fortunate to have an opportunity to come to South Africa, to such a prestigious ground as well, a ground where a lot of our lads have played but they won’t have played in the type of atmosphere when the South African people come together,” Farrell said.

“That’s perfect for us, it’s exactly what you want.

“We were so fortunate, going to New Zealand and having the tour over there – it’s about finding out about yourself, it’s about growing.

“It’s about trying to get a bit of respect for yourself and hopefully [from] the opposition as well.

“You can’t challenge or test yourself in these extreme ways unless you’ve got the perfect opportunity. That opportunity is here, it’s a privilege to be here and see what we can do.”

Bragging rights

Ireland hold the bragging rights over the Boks in recent years with two wins in the past two years, including at last year’s World Cup when they won 13-8.

It’s something that the Boks will use as motivation – to end the losing streak which sits at three after losing the 2017 clash in Dublin as well.

ireland boks James Lowe of Ireland under pressure from Bongi Mbonambi of South Africa in their 2023 World Cup pool match in Paris. (Photo: Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images)

ireland boks Damian Willemse of South Africa runs with the ball as Faf de Klerk and Jamison Gibson-Park of Ireland look on in their 2023 World Cup pool match in Paris. (Photo: Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images)

Farrell will use the chance of making history by becoming the first Ireland team to win a series in South Africa, as part of his pre-match message.

These chances don’t come often. Ireland and the Boks have only met three times in the past seven years. Ireland have to seize the moment.

“We know our history, we keep it quietly, softly to ourselves,” Farrell said. “We know who we represent, what it’s all about and we keep that softly to ourselves as well.

“Yes, 100 percent we have the chance to make history. Again, you need the opportunity to be able to do that. You need the opportunity to do special things. Certainly, it would be extra special to compete and give a good showing of ourselves, never mind win against the world champions at [their] home.

“Of course there is respect between us. We are all doing the same thing, aren’t we? We are all trying to win top-level Test matches. We all understand the pressures that come with that.

“From our point of view there is nothing but respect for what they have done, continued to do and achieve. The record speaks for itself so how can you not have respect for it?”

Matching physicality

To earn that respect Farrell speaks of, the Irish will have to meet the Boks at the gain line and match the home team’s physicality.

They’ve done it before but not on the highveld in front of a frothing pro-Bok crowd. It’s a daunting, yet exciting challenge for the tourists, something lock Tadhg Beirne is relishing.

ireland boks Cheslin Kolbe of South Africa is tackled by Bundee Aki of Ireland in their 2023 World Cup pool match in Paris. (Photo: Matthias Hangst / Getty Images)

“Like every Test game, every time we come up against South Africa it’s incredibly physical and it’s no different this time,” Beirne rightly pointed out.

“We’re focused on that physical battle, we’re focused on how we can improve from the Six Nations and hopefully we’ll be able to show that on Saturday.

“They do look to bully you, they go after a lot of rucks whether it’s poaching or trying to bully those rucks to get the ball back or even just make it scrappy.

“They want to make the game scrappy by getting into an arm wrestle.

“Some teams don’t want that, they want to just play ball and run it around you. But South Africa are looking to hit it up, bully us up front and then try to get out wide of us.

“That’s going to be a challenge for us and we’re looking forward to it.”

The Boks are also refining their attacking game with the addition of Tony Brown, the former All Black flyhalf, to the coaching staff.

ireland boks paris Faf de Klerk of South Africa watches as Jamison Gibson-Park of Ireland prepares to feed the ball into the scrum under the eye of referee Ben O’Keeffe in their 2023 World Cup pool match in Paris. (Photo: Matthias Hangst / Getty Images)

It’s an appointment that has not gone unnoticed by Ireland, who believe they’ve already spotted subtle changes to South Africa’s attacking game after reviewing the Boks 41-13 win over Wales at Twickenham two weeks ago.

“I saw some of the traits that he [Brown] brings into his coaching, no matter whether he’s coaching Japan or the Highlanders,” Farrell said.

“I know that the Boks will try and play with a little bit more width, how they play with more width is by being direct and shortening you up. That suits the South African way, I think he’s a fantastic addition to the South African team.”

Beirne was also impressed with what he had seen.

“They’re very good at knockout rugby and they’ve proven that in the last two World Cups and they’ve proven that by grinding out wins by one score,” Beirne said.

“It’s a credit to them, they stick to their plan really well and they’re a well-drilled team in terms of what they’re trying to get out of the game.

ireland boks Bundee Aki of Ireland is tackled by Pieter-Steph Du Toit of South Africa in their 2023 World Cup pool match in Paris. (Photo: Shaun Botterill / Getty Images)

“We can expect something different of course, they’ve new coaches going in there and even just from the game against Wales you could see they are trying to be a bit more expansive.

“They’re trying to play a bit more than they were a year ago for sure.

“It does seem like they’re more expansive, I wouldn’t think they’ll change much defensively.

“Fla [new Bok defence coach Jerry Flannery] worked under Jacques [Nienaber], so I think he’s bringing in a very similar defence system that he saw him use for Munster and the Springboks.

“But definitely, attack wise you could see straight away against Wales that they were more expansive for sure.” DM

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South Africa

Bragging rights

Matching physicality