Tommy Bowe has said Ireland are in “a great place” ahead of their meeting with South Africa on Saturday (5.30pm, Live on RTÉ2), but that they will have to cope with the “massive step up” to international Test level.
Bowe said Ireland had trained with “a huge intensity” since getting into camp, and that they were looking to getting off to a good start for what will be a “very big year”.
He said that Ireland would have to be at their best to get a result against the Springboks, but sounded a confident note when he said: "we’re in a great place at the minute.
"We've obviously had a few injuries coming into this, but it gives an opportunity to the squad that Joe and the coaches are trying to build. They have a lot of strength in depth.
“They’ve got some lethal runners with the ball and they attack from deep, can attack from all over the place" - Tommy Bowe on South Africa
"Even for players like myself, who maybe have been out of the last few camps, to come in and try and push for places. I think we’re in a great place going into a huge match this weekend."
Bowe warned, though, about the “massive step up” from club to international rugby and the possibility that Ireland might be caught cold given their will be their first game this season. The Springboks, by contrast, are coming off the back of the Rugby Championship.
"Being our first international match of the season it is going to be maybe a bit of a shock, but we’re going to have to adjust to it very quickly," he said.
“South Africa will be experienced at the kind of level and they’re going to come, all guns blazing, in the first couple of minutes. We’re going to have to be able to combat that, and really lift ourselves, and get ourselves up to the level very quickly.”
He said that the Springboks have evolved significantly since Ireland last played them two years ago, and that although they retained the direct approach for which South Africa are well known, “they’re playing a lot of good rugby as well.
“They’ve got some lethal runners with the ball and they attack from deep, can attack from all over the place.”
