South Africa will bank on experience and Ireland on a reshuffled team when they clash on Saturday in Durban in the second and final Test between the top ranked rugby nations.
Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has chosen a starting line-up boasting a record 990 caps for the hugely anticipated rematch after his team triumphed 27-20 in Pretoria last weekend.
He also had the rare luxury of naming an unchanged matchday 23 with no injuries after a bruising first Test battle which cost the tourists dearly.
Inspirational Siya Kolisi skippers the world champions and number one ranked nation and lock Eben Etzebeth will add to his 121 Test appearances.
When Ireland coach Andy Farrell picked his team, he could not consider three casualties — centre Bundee Aki (shoulder), scrum-half Craig Casey (concussion) and hooker Dan Sheehan (knee).
He also acted boldly by relegating 106-cap captain and flanker Peter O’Mahony to the bench, promoting another long-serving forward, James Ryan, and making No. 8 Caelan Doris skipper.
Ryan will partner lock Joe McCarthy with Tadhg Beirne switching to the back row in place of O’Mahony. The other forward change is enforced with Ronan Kelleher replacing Sheehan.
South Africa want to triumph again to confirm their status as the top nation after winning the Rugby World Cup a record fourth time in Paris last October.
Despite succeeding in back-to-back World Cup finals, Erasmus had not coached the Springboks to victory over Ireland until last weekend.
And if last weekend was tough for his side, the 51-year-old former South Africa loose forward believes it will even more difficult to succeed at Kings Park stadium.
“There is no such thing as an easy match against Ireland — they are always among the toughest opponents in world rugby,” he told reporters.
“When you look at their line-up, you see quality in every position. They are ranked second in the world for a good reason.
‘Never stops fighting’
“What we witnessed last weekend was a team that never stops fighting, no matter how many points they are trailing by.
“We may be one up in the series, but are assuming nothing. Everyone in the Springbok camp is acutely aware of the magnitude of the challenge that awaits us in Durban.
“I am convinced that Ireland will be even stronger this weekend so it is up to us to better our performance. We have identified areas that need improvement and acted accordingly.”
Farrell has made two injury-related backline changes with Garry Ringrose coming in as outside centre, Robbie Henshaw switching to inside centre and veteran Conor Murray replacing Casey.
The England-born coach wants to celebrate his 50th Test in charge of the Six Nations champions with a series-tying victory and believes his new-look pack can lay the foundations.
“What people are failing to talk about at this time is James Ryan having been a starter for us for many years,” he told reporters.
“He has been a real leader in the Irish set-up and is not happy sitting on the bench. James has demonstrated guts and determination to get his starting place back.”
Turning to Doris, who starred in Pretoria, Farrell said “Caelan leads from the front. He is in outstanding form. Being the best version of yourself is the best form of leadership.”
Farrell also hailed the attitude of O’Mahony after his demotion to a bench consisting of five forwards and three backs while South Africa stick with a six-two split.
“Peter is not happy, obviously, but he does the right thing for the team. That is at the forefront of his mind constantly and is proper leadership.”
The humidity of Durban can induce handling errors and the Springboks have lost three of the past 10 Tests against nations at the 52,000-seat stadium.
No South African rugby follower will forget one of those defeats as arch foes the New Zealand All Blacks ran riot to triumph 57-15 eight years ago in the Rugby Championship.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.