Since the draw was made for this tournament way back on 14 December 2020, this game has been circled in the calendar of Irish and South African rugby fans.
Alongside the Rugby World Cup opener between hosts France and New Zealand, this meeting of Ireland and the Springboks stands out as the highlight of the pool stages.
The top ranked side in the world against the defending champions, with both sides appearing to be at the top of their respective games as the World Cup reaches a boil.
And with uncertainty now around the availability of France's captain and leader Antoine Dupont for the rest of the tournament due to a facial fracture, could this be a dress rehearsal for the 28 October final?
TV
South Africa v Ireland is live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, with coverage getting under way at 7pm.
RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player will also have live coverage of Scotland v Tonga on Sunday from 4.45pm.
RADIO
Listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1 with Michael Corcoran and David Humphreys.
ONLINE
Follow a live blog on RTE.ie/sport and the RTÉ News App followed by report, reaction and player ratings.
WEATHER
It looks like we're going to have ideal conditions for rugby on Saturday night in Paris. Dry conditions are forecast all day around Saint-Denis, with temperatures expected to fall to the mid teens by kick-off, with very low winds and humidity around 60%.
While Ireland come into this game on top of Pool B with two bonus-point wins from two games, defeat against the Boks would leave them in must-win territory against Scotland in the final game of the group stage on 7 October.
They could secure a place in the quarter-finals with a bonus-point win, but there appears to be little chance of that happening, with South Africa boasting the meanest defence in the game right now, conceding just one try and 10 points total across their last three games.
A win of any kind would put Ireland in a commanding position ahead of that final game against Scotland, where they would simply have to avoid a heavy defeat to ensure they're playing quarter-final rugby.
Let's not think too far down the tracks though, because with this game there are subplots around every corner, with Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber plotting the downfall of several of his future players, with the South African joining Leinster at the conclusion of the tournament.
An already-hyped game had its dial turned all the way up on Tuesday when the world champions announced their squad for the weekend. The starting side showed few surprises, with Eben Etzebeth back in the second row following a shoulder injury and just one change from the side that saw off Scotland in the opening round, as Bongi Mbonambi replaces injured hooker Malcolm Marx.
It was the replacements bench that got tongues wagging, with the Springboks picking seven forwards and just one back, a not-so-subtle indication of how they plan to take on Ireland this weekend.
When Andy Farrell named his Irish squad on Thursday, he resisted temptation to play the Boks at their own game, sticking with what he knows.
There's just one change from last week's win against Tonga, with Jamison Gibson-Park preferred to Conor Murray at scrum-half.
Rónan Kelleher is retained at hooker after an impressive showing against Tonga a week ago, with the Leinster hooker supported on the bench by Dan Sheehan who has recovered from a foot injury. Kelleher is the only change from the pack which performed excellently against South Africa last November in the 19-16 win.
Bundee Aki continues in the centre where he wins his 50th Irish cap. He'll be hoping his 50th is similar to his first, with Ireland hammering South Africa 38-3 in that game in 2017.
Aki has been Ireland's standout player in the opening two games, scoring four tries and carrying 39 times, more than anyone at the tournament.
As well as Sheehan recovering from his foot injury, Finlay Bealham is also available after coming through a head injury assessment last week, while Farrell can call upon plenty of big game experience through Murray, Iain Henderson and Robbie Henshaw.
South Africa: Damian Willemse; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe; Manie Libbok, Faf de Klerk; Steven Kitshoff, Bongi Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe; Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert; Siya Kolisi (capt), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jasper Wiese.
Replacements: Deon Fourie, Ox Nche, Trevor Nyakane, Jean Kleyn, RG Snyman, Marco van Staden, Kwagga Smith, Cobus Reinach.
Ireland: Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Johnny Sexton, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong; Tadhg Beirne, James Ryan; Peter O'Mahony, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris.
Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Dave Kilcoyne, Finlay Bealham, Iain Henderson, Ryan Baird, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, Robbie Henshaw.
Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)
AR: Mathieu Raynal (France)
AR: James Doleman (New Zealand)
TMO: Brendan Pickerill (New Zealand)
WHAT THEY SAID
Andy Farrell (Ireland head coach): "It's not a must-win, it’s not a do-or-die type of game but it’s pretty important to both teams, let’s put it that way. It’s always nice to win but we’ve always looked at ourselves mainly as far as the performance goes. It’s a challenge that we are ready for and looking forward to."
Jacques Nienaber (South Africa head coach): "Ireland are a quality team with a strong pack of forwards and talented backs, and they play with a lot of speed, so we know what we have to do to deliver a top-drawer performance for things to go our way. We faced them late last year and we've been keeping an eye on their performances this year, so everyone knows what we have to do this weekend."
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
Ireland 19-16 South Africa - Aviva Stadium, Dublin (5 November 2022)
Ireland 38-3 South Africa - Aviva Stadium, Dublin (11 November 2017)
South Africa 19-13 Ireland - Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth (25 June 2016)
South Africa 32-26 Ireland - Ellis Park, Johannesburg (18 June 2016)
South Africa 20-26 Ireland - Newlands, Cape Town (11 June 2016)
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