Jacques Nienaber knows all about his teams having a target on their back and says that’s perhaps why Ireland didn’t win the Six Nations in the swashbuckling manner many fans have come to expect.
The current Leinster senior coach led the Springboks to the 2019 World Cup and four years later South Africa were crowned champions again after seeing off the best France, England and New Zealand could throw at them in the knockout stages.
Andy Farrell’s Ireland started off the defence of their crown with a stunning demolition job on Les Bleus in Marseille.
They followed up with victories over Italy and Wales without ever reaching similar heights.
Defeat to England followed in round four with Ireland looking out of sorts in London as their shot at an historic double Grand Slam ended.
But they had enough in reserve to get the job done against Scotland on Saturday, albeit after some nervy moments in a 17-13 win.
The suggestion that Ireland may have lacked energy in the final games was put to Nienaber and he had a different theory about expectations around winning teams.
"Sometimes [fans] get in such a habit of winning, I’m talking about the country, not the team or the players, they are so used to Ireland winning that sometimes the way they win is maybe not what they want," said the 51-year-old.
"But they won back-to-back Six Nations. I’m not saying people aren’t celebrating it, I’m just saying the energy levels...teams get themselves up to play against Ireland because they were the top team.
"To win a back-to-back competition like the Six Nations is massive and one must see it for that.
"You are the target, you are the [team] that everyone wants to play against. The opposition can’t wait to play against Ireland."
Ireland’s sixth Six Nations title sets up a mouth-watering two-Test summer series against the World Cup winners, in Pretoria on 6 July and in Durban one week later.
It’s an unofficial match-up between the world’s top two ranked sides and a chance for South Africa to arrest a three-match losing streak against Ireland, which includes a pool stage win for Farrell’s men at the World Cup last year.
"I think the two Test matches against Ireland sold out in an hour or two," added Nienaber.
"All the tickets are gone because everyone wants to test themselves against the best.
"Ireland want to test themselves against South Africa, the world champions currently. South Africa want to test themselves against Ireland, the northern hemisphere champions.
"South Africa...were due to play them in the year that there was Covid, in 2020, so it’s actually a team that South Africa hasn’t played a lot.
"I was there six years and we only played Ireland twice. We don’t get tested against them often, which we would have loved.
"They will cherish having Ireland there because they are number two in the world. It will be a 1 v 2 clash going into that series.
"It’s only two Test matches so both will have a good crack at it to get a series win.
"It will be something they will look forward to.
"The last time they played South Africa was 2016. I was defence coach for those three Test matches [which Ireland lost 2-1] before I came to Munster so it’s eight years since they’ve been in South Africa.
"I know South Africa, the public, the players, they would love to have Ireland there."
Leinster play Zebre Parma in round 12 of the BKT URC on Saturday (7.35pm, live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player).
Follow the RTÉ Sport WhatsApp channel for the best news, interviews, analysis and features, as well as details of our sports coverage across all RTÉ platforms.
