Jordi Murphy has dismissed any fears that Ireland's players could wilt in the face of a Springbok onslaught in their final game of a marathon season.
Saturday's third and final test (KO 4pm, live radio commentary on RTÉ Radio 1 and live match tracker on RTÉ.ie) against South Africa in Port Elizabeth comes 323 days since Ireland lined out in their opening match of the season, a World Cup warm-up clash with Wales last August.
In contrast, the South Africans are at the start of their international season, but despite having an arduous campaign under their belts, Murphy, who lines up in the back row this weekend alongside Jamie Heaslip and CJ Stander, believes Ireland will benefit from another up-tempo battle.
"That’s one of the things the strength and conditioning staff have done so well, they’ve got us rested up on down days and a couple of us that didn’t play last week are obviously very well rested," the Leinster man told RTÉ Sport.
"So I don’t think fitness levels will be a problem for us, it’s the end of a long season but the job that Joe and the backroom staff are doing here to keep us in good health is really working.
"I’m looking forward to a nice, fast game and I‘m sure everyone who’s going to be on the pitch is looking forward to that."
Despite the disappointment that followed last weekend's second-half surrender in Ellis Park, there is still a historic series victory up for grabs after Ireland claimed their first ever Test victory on South African soil seven days earlier.
And Murphy added that the unique prospect of winning the series was likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that Ireland's players would do everything to grasp.
"There’s no coming back the week after next," he said. "It’s one of those things, you might not ever get the chance to be part of another touring party in South Africa, so we know it’s make or break now.
"I think as a squad we really want to do a good job on them this weekend. It’s definitely all to play for."
