Irish connections mean nothing ahead of World Cup clash, says Boks’ Nienaber

A blockbuster match is set for the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Saturday night as the top two ranked sides in World Rugby, Ireland and the Springboks go head to head in their World Cup pool B clash.

The Boks have a number of connections to Ireland that could help them prepare better for the match, but coach Jacques Nienaber believes that neither team really has the upper hand in that department.

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However SA Rugby director of rugby Rassie Erasmus and Nienaber spent a number of years in charge of Munster, locks Jean Kleyn and RG Snyman currently play for Munster while Kleyn featured for  Ireland at the 2019 World Cup. Also, assistant coach Felix Jones is a former Irish international and Duane Vermeulen spent the past season playing for Ulster … giving the Boks some inside knowledge of Irish rugby.

“The teams have been facing one another for years, and just as they know us, we know them,” said Nienaber of the rivalry.

“At the end of the day both teams have immense respect for one another, and while this aspect may be entertaining for the fans, the match will come down to who plays the most effective rugby on the day.”

Short turnaround

The Boks returned to training on Tuesday after taking Monday off due to their match against Romania being on Sunday, with them having a shortened week heading into the Irish clash, which Nienaber admits they are well prepared for.

“We’ve known for a long time that we would have a shorter turnaround for this match, and we planned accordingly in terms of training and team selection for the last two games,” said Nienaber.

“The early kick-off against Romania also assisted as we had the whole night on Sunday to begin our recovery, so we are ready for what lies ahead.”