Ireland are on top of the rugby world. It is a position the Springboks are desperate to remove them from as they embark on their end-of-year tour.
For that to happen, they will need to win in Dublin this weekend and go on to beat second-ranked France a week later in Marseille. Beating Italy and England would also have to be part of the script.
Their first hurdle, however, may be the most formidable.
Ireland have earned their lofty status on the back of some stunning success against the All Blacks in recent years. In the Six Nations, Ireland beat England, Scotland, Wales and Italy convincingly, but their only blemish, a six-point defeat to France in Paris, cost them the championship.
At home they are tough to beat, having gone unbeaten in their last nine matches in Dublin. The last time they lost at home was in February 2021, when France left the Aviva Stadium arms raised.
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber sagely noted that Ireland’s defence is far less talked about than their attack. “They conceded just 12 points per game in the Six Nations. They have the best defence in the northern hemisphere by far,” Nienaber opined.
How their talisman Johnny Sexton goes about his business with Damian Willemse as his opposite number may lend Saturday’s match some of its defining characteristics.
Longtime servant on his side, Conor Murray, could play in his 100th Test for Ireland if he cracks the nod.
SA’s trip to Marseille to meet France is an equally daunting prospect. Apart from France being on a distinct upward curve, on their last two visits to the port city the Springboks delivered performances they’d much rather forget. On their last visit to the now vastly revamped Stade Velodrome, the eventual champions laboured to a 37-20 win over Fiji in the 2007 World Cup.
SA’s last match in Marseille against France was a full-blown catastrophe. They lost by a record 30-10 to France to set the tone for their disastrous end-of-year tour that also saw them take record beatings at Murrayfield and Twickenham.
In Antoine Dupont, France may have the world’s most celebrated player of late, but they won’t be at full strength. Wings Gabin Villiere and Arthur Vincent, goal-kicking fullback Melvyn Jaminet, flanker Francois Cros and prop Cyril Baille are injured.
The loss of Villiere, who has become a try-scoring merchant and Jaminet, who is their ace goal kicker, will be most keenly felt.
Still, France are the only top-tier team that has gone unbeaten for more than a year.
Though Nienaber keeps pointing to Italy’s 22-21 shock win over Wales at the Principality Stadium in the Six Nations earlier this year, the Azzurri haven’t exactly built on that win.
They struggled to down lowly Portugal, they beat Romania before losing 28-19 to Georgia in July.
They host Samoa this weekend in Padua, and that match should provide a more reliable indicator of their form before they tackle the Boks.
The Boks have won just one of their last four Tests against England. Even more worrying, the Springboks haven’t beaten England at Twickenham since 2014.
They have found ways of unsettling the Springboks with coach Eddie Jones the master puppeteer in proceedings. Nienaber’s task is made even tougher by the fact that the match will be played outside the international window. They are unlikely to get the necessary clearances to play their foreign-based players.
It may, however, provide Nienaber and Co a wonderful opportunity to test their depth before they head into a World Cup year.
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