Ireland ‘unlikely’ to topple Springbok ‘mentality monsters’
INTERVIEW: Former hooker Bernard Jackman was brutally honest in his assessment of Ireland ahead of Saturday’s Nations Series clash against the Springboks in Dublin.
The Irish had a dull start to their November Tests until last weekend’s comprehensive 46-19 win over Australia.
After losing to New Zealand in Chicago, Andy Farrell’s troops bagged an unconvincing win against Japan before showing glimpses of their old selves against the Aussies.
They’ve picked up some much-needed momentum, but the Springboks will be a completely different kettle of fish, according to Jackman, who represented Ireland nine times.
“I think it’s been underwhelming to be honest, until last Saturday,” he told Rugby365.
“We had a lot of players who played for the British & Irish Lions, so they came back from their holidays late and had one round of the United Rugby Championship [URC] and then played the All Blacks.
“They were undercooked, and we saw that against the All Blacks. Against Japan, the second half was better, but the first was poor. Our line-out malfunctioned, and there were concerns about the state of this team.
“I thought on Saturday against Australia, we saw the benefits of the players being in camp for three weeks. From our point of view, scoring 46 points, six tries and a record winning margin against Australia, you must be happy with that.
“However, there were elements of the game that weren’t pleasing ahead of what’s the hardest game of the Autumn against the Springboks.”
In the past fortnight, the Boks survived two onslaughts and had to see through their clashes against France and Italy with 14 men on the park after controversial red cards to Lood de Jager and Franco Mostert, respectively.
Nevertheless, the world champions reigned supreme thanks to the sharpness, proactiveness, and mastermind brain of Erasmus, who was brave and made big calls in crucial moments.
Those two victories, in hostile environments and under tough circumstances, were character-building exercises for the number-one-ranked team in the world.
Meanwhile, Ireland’s performance against the Aussies brought some calm to a concerned nation.
They dominated the collisions, had most of the ball possession, and played in all the right areas of the field.
Despite showing improvement from their opening two matches, Jackman isn’t convinced it will be enough to topple the mighty Boks.
“To get a win would be magical, but that’s going to be incredibly difficult,” he admitted.
“If we can implement the style of play we want for periods of the game and challenge the Springboks, that would be important.
“I don’t think we need to win this game. South Africa is clearly the best team in the world, and maybe 15 points better than everybody else.
“It’s not imperative we win this week. The big thing is that we’re competitive and we continue to look like the team of old, where we are comfortable on the ball and asking questions of their defence.
“It would be amazing to win, but it’s highly unlikely.”
The Boks have made significant strides since their last meeting with Ireland over a year ago in Durban.
Ireland won that clash 25-24 after a last-gasp drop kick by Jack Crowley, which levelled the series at 1-1.
A lot has changed since then, and the Boks will bring to the party various threats, including a stacked forward pack and an evolving backline likely to be steered by the exciting Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
The scrums will be heavily contested, and both teams will fancy their chances in the aerial battle, a department in which the Boks usually thrive.
With that in mind, Jackman outlined some of the key areas Ireland needs to sharpen up to be able to live with the Springboks.
“We have to limit the number of scrums and be accurate with our handling and not have too many knock-ons.
“Our aerial game against Australia was the best it’s been for a long time, but was that down to Australia’s weaknesses?
“I think we must kick a lot of cross-field kicks. Our game is built on finding the edge, getting the ball to width and being able to find the shape of that.
“We had six cross-field kicks against Australia, and we were accurate and used those extensively. That will be a huge part of getting the ball into our wide players.
“We also have to be so good in our carries and cleaning, and deal with the multiple threats the Boks will have at the breakdown.”
Andy Farrell is expected to have some big names returning for this weekend’s battle.
On Monday, the IRFU confirmed that forward Josh van der Flier would be available for selection after recovering from a hamstring injury he picked up against the All Blacks.
Garry Ringrose is likely to feature as well as Thomas Clarkson, who has been cleared of all HIA protocols.
The one selection conundrum facing the Irish boss, however, is that of the flyhalf position. Last week, he opted for Sam Prendergast over Jack Crowley.
It’s a position Ireland hasn’t found stability in since the retirement of Johnny Sexton in 2023.
“I’m not sure who should be the number one flyhalf, to be honest, they are both very talented players,” Jackman added.
“They both have different strengths. Sam’s kicking is better, and Jack’s defensive game is better, and they’re both very good playmakers.
“I have a feeling he will start Jack against the Springboks purely for the defensive effort.”
Jackman was also in full praise for the Boks after the grit and character they showed to overcome adversity against France and Italy.
“I call them mentality monsters. They are the toughest team mentally that has ever been in rugby.
“You never really sense any panic from them; they just stick to the task and use their bench. I haven’t seen a team that’s mentally tough or as brave as the Springboks.”
Both the Springboks and Ireland will name their teams for Saturday’s clash on Thursday.
