Irish Rugby may be back in the ascendency after a dominant win over a rudderless Australia, but a completely different challenge awaits this weekend.
To put 46 points on an out of sorts Australia side will be satisfying for head coach Andy Farrell, but world champions South Africa will look to exploit any potential weak points in Dublin.
Ireland used their kicking game to launch a lot of their attacks against the Wallabies. That ability to kick pass and move teams from side to side is very effective when playing on the front foot.
Sam Prendergast started the game in complete control. From long spiral kicks to spiral bombs, he dictated the game in the opening quarter.
The game was finished with a combination of Jack Crowley's kick pass to Rónan Kelleher and then Jamison Gibson-Park’s immediate kick to the other side of the pitch for Robbie Henshaw to slide over in the corner.
Kick passing is a tactic that can unlock this South African defence.
While Australia struggled hugely in the aerial battle, the Springboks are likely to be more formidable opponents. They have put so much emphasis on their own attacking kicking game that they have mastered the art of transferring kick pressure under Rassie Erasmus.
Tony Brown’s addition to their coaching team has changed their style, but their DNA is to win personal battles and aerial scraps. Rassie has been known to experiment with different tactical plans and strategies this far out from a World Cup. He might have a variation on their current game plan that he wants to try out in a game of less consequence.
Either way, he won’t set his team up for failure when it comes to the tactical kicking battle. Mack Hansen’s return to Ireland’s back three has given them another dimension in the air, which will make this weekend’s game even more thrilling.
Ireland’s attack hasn’t been particularly crisp of late, notwithstanding an impressive haul last time out.
As with any rugby team, when Ireland struggle at the gain line in their set piece launch play, they struggle to regenerate fast ball.
They’re very innovative from the set-piece and when it gets them in behind the opposition they tend to keep momentum and cause trouble for their opposition.
There were only a few times when Farrell’s side struggled for that momentum against Australia, but winning the first gain line will be a whole lot harder on Saturday. Rugby is always more difficult against the most physical teams, especially when the best team in the world is the most physical of them all.
While Ireland’s lineout was much improved last weekend, South Africa have one of the most disruptive lineout defences in world rugby. It won’t have helped that they are now without two lineout operators in Lood de Jager and Franco Mostert after their successive red cards against France and Italy.
Still, they have more than enough squad depth to fill those lineout roles and go after Ireland at source, before they go after them in the first collision.
Ryan Baird has taken over as Ireland’s defensive lineout guru and took two in a row against Australia. He’ll have a big say in how the lineout contest is settled.
While the penalty count was lower from an Irish perspective, they won’t be happy with how they let the Wallabies back into the game in the first half. Joe Schmidt’s side should never have been within a score at half time.
Ireland gave away a poor breakdown penalty, despite Karl Dickson very clearly telling them to leave the ball. They had at least three offside penalties, one mindless one from Bundee Aki on a kick chase when he chased too soon, and two others as a consequence of momentum from Australia.
Ireland will have to live in the fight a bit longer against South Africa.
They can’t stray offside that easily when the opposition gets territorial pressure. When Australia scored their second try just on the stroke of half-time, captain Harry Wilson rightly asked the referee if the team warning would extend into the second half.
Ireland were repeatedly infringing at that stage, but the visitors couldn’t capitalise on that pressure in the second half.
When South Africa smell blood, they won’t let you off the hook. They’ll double down and force Ireland into poor decisions and when similar pressure is applied, Ireland will see more yellow cards.
To beat the best teams, discipline is a huge part of keeping possession, winning the territorial game and stopping the opposition attack. When Ireland beat South Africa at the 2023 World Cup, they had two less penalties than South Africa, and only three penalties conceded in the first half.
Luckily, between Faf de Klerk and Manie Libbok, South Africa missed 11 points from the tee that day. Three of those were penalties. On another day, Ireland’s second half discipline may have cost them a famous win.
The international window is coming to a crescendo and Ireland have kept the best opposition until last.
They’ll be disappointed with the All Blacks loss, particularly the final quarter, but since then, they’ve built momentum with 87 points scored in attack across two games.
It will be a significant step up this weekend.
Watch Ireland v South Africa in the Quilter Nations Series on Saturday from 4.30pm on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on the RTÉ News App and on rte.ie/sport. Listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1
