PREVIEW: 2024 Incoming Series – Springboks vs Ireland – Test 1

The most anticipated of all the mid-year series gets underway at Loftus with reigning world champions South Africa taking on Six Nations champions Ireland.

Billed as something of a grudge match, there will certainly be no love lost between these two sides when they square off for the first time since last year’s World Cup.

South Africa v Ireland
Saturday 6 July – 17:00
Loftus Versfeld

South Africa 31/100 | Draw 20/1 | Ireland 26/10

Handicap
South Africa (-7.5) 9/10 | Ireland (+7.5) 9/10

It is strange to think that the Boks’ last victory over the Irish came way back in 2016 during the lean old Alastair Coetzee years. Since then, the Springboks have claimed two World Cup titles and seen players come and go for both sides.

The fact that the South Africans have not registered a win over the men from the Emerald Isle since the 18th of June 2016 is certainly being used as motivation for this two-match series.

Speaking of motivation for this series, and RugbyPass certainly have done its job when it comes to adding fuel to the fire with interviews from Damien de Allende and Eben Etzebeth painting the Irish as rather arrogant during the World Cup.

I suppose if you do turn around to your pool stage opponents and tell them you’ll see them in the final when the likes of New Zealand still stand in their way, it does come across as slightly conceited.

Anyway, let’s move away from the titbits from the media and onto the actual meat and drink.

This will be their first proper Test match for the Springboks since their 12-11 victory over New Zealand in last year’s World Cup final, with their 16-52 win over Wales falling outside of World Rugby’s sanctioned Test window.

While they have managed to retain most of that World Cup-winning squad, they will be without Duane Vermeulen who hung up his boots at the close of the tournament while, Damien Willemse, Faf de Klerk and Makazole Mapimpi are both sidelined through injury.

Despite having a couple of his veterans on the sidelines, Rassie Erasmus’s first Bok matchday 23 since returning to the head coaching role is a rather experienced one with 12 of the starting 15 from the World Cup set to to start on Saturday.

The other three players who get starts this weekend were also part of the World Cup-winning squad with Willie Le Roux getting a start at 15, Kwagga Smith running out at eight and Ox Nche starting in the front row.

There is a glimpse towards the Bok future on the bench, however, with Stormers duo of Salmaan Moeraat and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Bulls prop Gerhard Steenekamp all set to be given a chance to impress.

Like their opponents for Saturday, the Irish have lost a couple of players with Johnny Sexton retiring following the World Cup while scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park is out injured and Jack Conan absent due to personal reasons.

The Irish have also brought a couple of young guns on tour with them with Leinster due Jamie Osborne and Sam Prendergast and Ulster’s Cormac Izuchukwu named in the touring squad.

Looking at the recent head-to-heads between the sides Ireland have won
the last three games on the trot with their most recent victory being last year’s 8-13 World Cup pool phase win.

Games between these sides do tend to be close run affairs with the four of the last five games decided by six points or fewer.

Verdict: South Africa (-7.5) 9/10

This looks like a very well-balanced Bok side and I fancy them to win it by more than the handicap especially considering the game is being played at altitude. The loss of Jamison Gibson-Park is also a massive blow to the Irish cause.