Matt Williams has his take on today’s game, praising the Springboks:
“Change is never easy, but their head coach, Rassie Erasmus, understood there was only one pathway forward to an unprecedented third World Cup win. South Africa had to embrace the risks that running with the ball in hand brings.
This season, the Springboks have had a Road to Damascus-like conversion from playing a barbarically unimaginative game to creating play that is mesmerically beautiful, utilising the immense ball-carrying skills of their outstanding athletes. In embracing the risks of running the ball, they have also unlocked the joys."
South Africa come to town this weekend with two World Cup winners’ medals in the back pocket of plenty of squad members. Yet one of the few frontiers this side under Rassie Erasmus has yet to cross is winning in Dublin.
Daniel Gallan is a South African journalist for Rugbypass and the Guardian. He joins Nathan Johns to explain just how Rassie has done it for so long.
How does he keep his players motivated? How does socio-economic and cultural realities back home play into the rugby psyche? Is to be a Springbok akin to following a cult?
Ireland vs South Africa: rugby’s biggest rivalry?
The match preview from Gerry Thornley:
“Now this really couldn’t have been scripted much better. Okay, it’s ridiculous to even consider the All Blacks and the Wallabies as warm-up acts, but if there was one game to be reserved for the prime teatime Saturday in this autumnal finale, then it was the latest instalment in Ireland’s rivalry with the all-encompassing, all-conquering Springboks, the best side in the world and potentially the best side ever. If this doesn’t get the Aviva feverish then maybe it’s time Irish rugby moved out."
[ Ireland v South Africa: Springbok juggernaut may be too powerful to stopOpens in new window ]
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Ireland’s final autumn international against South Africa at the Aviva Stadium. The game kicks off at 5.40pm.
This is no doubt the toughest match of the lot for Andy Farrell against world number one and world champions South Africa, who are always up for it against the Irish team.
Here are the teams for today’s encounter:
IRELAND: Mack Hansen (Connacht); Tommy O’Brien (Leinster), Garry Ringrose (Leinster), Bundee Aki (Connacht), James Lowe (Leinster); Sam Prendergast (Leinster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster); Andrew Porter (Leinster), Dan Sheehan (Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster); James Ryan (Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Munster); Ryan Baird (Leinster), Josh van der Flier (Leinster), Caelan Doris (Leinster, capt).
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher (Leinster), Paddy McCarthy (Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Connacht), Cian Prendergast (Connacht), Jack Conan (Leinster), Craig Casey (Munster), Jack Crowley (Munster), Tom Farrell (Munster).
SOUTH AFRICA: Damian Willemse (Stormers); Canan Moodie (Bulls), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath); Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers), Cobus Reinach (Stormers); Boan Venter (Edinburgh), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Thomas du Toit (Bath); Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Ruan Nortje (Bulls); Siya Kolisi (Sharks, capt), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks).
Replacements: Johan Grobbelaar (Bulls), Gerhard Steenekamp (Bulls), Wilco Louw (Bulls), RG Snyman (Leinster), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks), Grant Williams (Sharks), Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners).
