South Africa versus Ireland has become the most honest rivalry for the Springboks since Rassie Erasmus took over as the Boks coach in 2018. But now the Boks must win for a first time in Dublin in the Erasmus golden era.
South African fans can mock Ireland for never knowing the feeling of a World Cup semi-final in their history and point to the Springboks’ four gold medals and two bronze in eight attempts.
Irish fans can soften the blow with a ‘three from four’ chant, once in Dublin, once in Paris and once in Durban. And they would not be wrong.
Four matches since 2022, 320 minutes, and half a point separates the two teams.
That’s not romance; that’s accuracy.
Dublin, Paris, Pretoria and Durban ― different venues, different countries, different stakes and the same story: neither team gives you anything for free, but the Irish have enjoyed the night as winners.
The respect between these two sides is real because it has been earned.
For Ireland, beating the Springboks isn’t a novelty anymore.
They’ve done it three times since 2022 against the team being hailed as the greatest to have ever played the game in the professional era.
New Zealand plays Ireland more often than South Africa do. Wales and Italy play the Boks more frequently than the Boks and Ireland meet.
It’s absurd.
The irony is that Erasmus, the architect of this Springbok era, knows Ireland as well as any coach outside their system.
Eighteen months at Munster changed him and sharpened him. He has never hidden his affection for the Irish game and its structures, discipline and people.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu starting at 10 is not a gamble but a statement from Rassie, who has picked a team to score tries and win by more than a point.
The Irish have never hidden their love for Rassie, if not in Galway, Belfast or Dublin, then most definitely in Limerick and Cork.
Call it what you want: redemption, a reckoning or a rematch …
For me, I would disagree with the popular sentiment above.
Saturday, in the schedule, is just a one-off Test match and the two get to go again in Dublin in 2026 in the new Nations Championship league match.
But ...
For me, it is a big one for the Boks, more so than the Irish.
This Springbok team has its identity and it has its trophies, but the only box never ticked is Dublin. Surely, that is big for them.
This is not a World Cup final, but it is a different kind of final.
The Boks have been crowned twice in Paris historically, and twice in the last 24 months they have taken down New Zealand in the Rugby Championship to assert the global hierarchy. But they haven’t conquered Dublin since Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber took over in 2018.
I want to emphasise that they only got to Dublin once, so there has to be context.
But these brilliant World Cup winners have won everywhere away from home, except in Dublin.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu starting at 10 is not a gamble but a statement from Rassie, who has picked a team to score tries and win by more than a point.
Leaving the King of Kicks Handre Pollard in the stands tells you the mindset of Rassie.
He knows he has a bomb squad bench unmatched in the game, but he does not know how the match officials will interpret any South African tackle.
The only unknown for Erasmus and his Boks is if they get to play 15 v 15 for 80 minutes.
If they do, they win, with something in reserve.
Ireland, outside of World Cups, have been outstanding.
The Aviva Stadium is a special home to them and they beat most.
But on Saturday, these South African World Cup winners, world champions and the No 1 side in the world, have to make a statement that they are special and not just most.
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