Settled Boks and rejigged Ireland both chasing improved performances in second Test

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus. (Photo: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images)

By Craig Ray

12 Jul 2024

The Springboks and Ireland meet in Durban on Saturday to decide the top-ranked team in the world.

Last week was about winning. It was simply about breaking a losing streak against Ireland, and on that score the Springboks got the job done with a 27-20 win at Loftus Versfeld.

The second Test is now about momentum and maintaining a winning streak to carry into the Rugby Championship next month.

Of course, there is still the small matter of the first-ever meeting with Portugal to come in Bloemfontein next week, but that Bok team will look vastly different to the 23 players taking on Ireland at Kings Park in Durban tomorrow.

Siya Kolisi’s men squaring up to Caelan Doris’s unit are stacked with World Cup winners and Test caps – 990 caps in the starting XV, to be exact.

Centres Damien de Allende and Jesse Kriel will combine for a record 30th time in the Boks’ midfield, while six of the eight players in the starting pack have more than 50 caps.

The Boks have such depth in every position now that wing Kurt-Lee Arendse, with 16 caps, is the least experienced player in the starting team. There was a time when having nearly 20 caps was considered experienced.

This matters because the Boks have so many options now, they have a clear picture of what their best looks like, and how to move the pieces to remain formidable while resting and rejigging.

Below par

The Boks played some good rugby in the first Test but were also below par in some areas. They battled at the breakdown, restarts were messy, and the scrums battled until late on. Their defence was cut open by a well-worked Irish move late in the game, and the goal kicking was off. There is a lot to work on.

The reviews this week were honest and pointed. There is a lot to lose if they don’t improve, not least would be the No 1 ranking.

Ireland could go back to No 1 in the world with a 15-point win over the Boks, while with anything less than that the Boks will remain world No 1.

Andy Farrell, Ireland's head coach. (Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images)

Ireland weren’t overjoyed with their own performance either as they shipped an early try where the Boks manipulated space out wide for Arendse to score. Ireland also struggled defensively in the first half, and their scrum malfunctioned badly in the final 10 minutes at Loftus.

While the Loftus outing provided a good spectacle, when stripped back, it was not a game of the high quality these two sides – No 1 and 2 in the world – have put on in the past year.

The pool match at Rugby World Cup 2023, which Ireland won 13-8, was of a massively high quality by both teams. It was accurate and swung on the tightest of margins.

Ireland had to be at their absolute best to win that day, and even then it could easily have gone the Boks’ way with a little more luck.

Last week was less accurate from both sides, and both coach Rassie Erasmus and Ireland coach Andy Farrell have expressed some frustration with their own team’s performances.

Chaotic

“I’ve no doubt it was a great game to watch, it was exciting,” Farrell said. “But it was a bit chaotic at times, there was a lot going on decision-wise, or lack of them.

“It was a proper Test match, and we get that, but when we strip it back from our side we’re disappointed enough. Our first-half performance wasn’t us, it wasn’t us doing things properly. We were passive in many areas.

“It might not seem like that to everyone; to us it was. So, therefore, we need to improve, to commit and be better than we were. You look at the strength of depth that they’ve got and the quality they’ve got, it says everything about where South Africa are at this time,” Farrell said.

“I’ve heard you guys and many experts talk about whether this is the best South African group that they’ve ever had; well, I certainly go along with that type of feeling myself.

“That’s why we’re privileged to come over here and test ourselves. We need to improve because I have no doubt that South Africa are going to be twice as good.”

Changes

While the Boks go into the match with an unchanged 23 from the first Test, Ireland made four changes, three of which were enforced.

Hooker Dan Sheehan, scrumhalf Craig Casey and centre Bundee Aki are all injured. They are replaced by Ronan Kelleher, Conor Murray and Garry Ringrose respectively.

Boks v Ireland Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus. (Photo: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images)

Ireland tour captain Peter O’Mahony has been dropped as Farrell rejigged his pack, moving lock Tadhg Beirne to blindside and bringing in James Ryan to the second row.

O’Mahony wasn’t at his best in the first Test, but it might be a smart piece of psychology by Farrell. Nothing will fire up the Munster hard man more than being overlooked to start this crucial match, so look out for a steely display when he eventually enters the fray.

“You don’t expect those conversations to be easy, and don't get me wrong, he’s (O’Mahony) not accepting and he’s not happy obviously, but he does the right thing for the team,” Farrell said.

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“That’s at the forefront of his mind constantly, and that’s proper leadership. He understands that we want to have a look in this direction to see how it goes. He’s the captain of this tour and it shows the mark of the man how you lead after a bit of disappointment, how you carry on being yourself or not. He’s on the bench for a reason.”

The Boks will be looking for Handré Pollard to produce a better goal-kicking display after missing three of seven shots at goal last week.

Gathering restarts with more accuracy will also be vital. No 8 Kwagga Smith battled last week, spilling a couple of restarts, which put the Boks under unnecessary pressure.

The Boks’ attacking lineout maul has also struggled to gain traction against Ireland’s very good defence

These are small details but in a tight Test they will make a huge difference.

Erasmus was not a happy man, and there it’s almost impossible to imagine anything other than a Bok win.

Teams:

Springboks

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 (captain), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.

Substitutes: 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 Garry Ringrose, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 James Lowe, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Caelan Doris (captain), 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 5 James Ryan, 4 Joe McCarthy, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Ronan Kelleher, 1 Andrew Porter

Substitutes: 16 Rob Herring, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 Ryan Baird, 20 Peter O'Mahony, 21 Caolin Blade, 22 Ciaran Frawley, 23 Stuart McCloskey.

Referee: Karl Dickson (England)

TV: Supersport 5pm

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