Bruised Boks take on battered Irish

The Springboks can repair some of the damage they suffered earlier this year by beating Ireland in tomorrow's Test at Lansdowne Road in Dublin.

The Boks have won only four of nine Tests this season and coach Heyneke Meyer is under pressure.

There are subplots as well - the Irish, decimated by injuries and still smarting from a 60-0 loss to the All Blacks, are going to throw everything at the Boks is one.

Few sides do backs-to-the-wall as well as South Africa, but Ireland enjoy fighting their corner. Throw in the fact that debutant Ireland hooker Richardt Strauss is a former SA under-19 World Cup winner, and the ante is lifted even higher.

Both sides enter the contest with a confidence crisis after losing to the All Blacks in their last outings, the Boks having lost 32-16 to the world champions last month.

South Africa are without hooker Bismarck du Plessis, lock Andries Bekker, flank Schalk Burger, centre Frans Steyn and wing Bryan Habana.

Ireland are missing their two greatest modern warriors, lock Paul O'Connell, who captained the 2009 British & Irish Lions to South Africa, and talismanic centre Brian O'Driscoll, considered the greatest Irish player of all time.

They're also without hooker Rory Best, flanks Stephen Ferris and Sean O'Brien and fullback Rob Kearney, making this the most vulnerable Irish side the Boks have faced since 2004.

No 8 Jamie Heaslip will lead the Irish for the first time while hooker Strauss, cousin to Bok hooker Adriaan Strauss, is new to the Test arena.

Ireland coach Declan Kidney, perhaps getting his excuses in early, was quick to point out that injuries were more disruptive to Ireland than to South Africa.

"The tradition of South African rugby is the set piece and physicality that they bring to their all- round game so the fact that they have a few knocks won't change that," Kidney said.

Goal-kicking has been the Boks' Achilles heel all season and in the Four Nations it particularly hurt them. During those matches five kickers landed only 23 out of 45 shots at goal.

Jaco Taute's inclusion over Juan de Jongh raised many eyebrows, but the coach opted for the former's bulk over the latter's light feet and swerve. De Jongh could come on from the bench late in the game.