Ireland and South Africa will meet for the first time in a Rugby World Cup on Saturday in a blockbuster that pitches the world number one Irish against the defending champions.
Ireland and South Africa will meet for the first time in a Rugby World Cup on Saturday in a blockbuster that pitches the world number one Irish against the defending champions.
Ireland come into the match on a 15-match winning streak which includes a victory over the Springboks last November and a Six Nations Grand Slam this year.
The Springboks, though, look as if they are peaking at the right time and inflicted a record 35-7 defeat on fellow three-time champions New Zealand in a warm-up match.
Both sides have two wins from two so far, although the South Africans may have an advantage over the Irish in that they were given a proper run-out in the 18-3 win over Scotland.
AFP Sport picks out three potential key areas for the match at the Stade de France:
„It is a risk but a calculated one,“ said South Africa head coach Jacques Nienaber after he and director of rugby Rassie Erasmus opted for a split on the replacements bench of seven forwards and one back.
It is the same tactic as they deployed in the thrashing of the All Blacks in August, although Nienaber said he does not view the two opponents as similar.
A first ever at a World Cup, Nienaber dismissed concerns of it being dangerous for their opponents.
„In terms of player safety, I don’t get that,“ he said.
„Nothing to stop anyone else doing that.
„[It’s a] sad day if you are innovative within the laws and people want to change that.“
Nienaber says several of the forwards on the bench can fill in in the backs.
