Exclusive: De Villiers Predicts Mind Games as Springboks Prepare for Titanic Ireland Clash

Following their impressive 32-17 win over France in the second Test of their November tour, the Springboks will already have one eye on what is expected to be a titanic battle against Ireland in Dublin on November 22.

This is according to former Springbok captain Jean de Villiers. 

In recent years, there’s always been a bit of extra needle when it comes to Ireland-South Africa fixtures.

Of course, the Springboks once again hold the number one spot in the World Rugby rankings to go with the last two Rugby World Cup titles in 2023 and 2019.

However, as De Villiers points out, the Springboks have a poor record against the Irish, having last triumphed in Dublin back in November 2012.

Ireland: A Crucial Challenge for De Villiers’ Team

“Ireland, that's the other one where we need to tick that box and get a result,” De Villiers told SportsBoom.co.za. 

“We haven't won in Ireland since 2012, I think it is. It's a hell of a long time, and even though we've beaten them, Ireland has very much been our bogey team, I would say, since 2004." 

“So that's going to be a big test for us to get a victory in Dublin and just show what we are capable of, because the Irish will, as we know, be well prepared, they analyse well, and they'll be up for that one.”

Rivalry Set to Ignite Late-November Showdown

Though Ireland have slipped to third in the rankings, there is enough history between the two nations to suggest that the late-November assignment will have the makings of another epic matchup.

While the Springboks did go on to hoist the William Webb Ellis Trophy in 2023, they did lose to Ireland during the group stages. Whenever there’s the slightest chance, the Springboks are reminded of that defeat as their campaign holds something of an asterisk in Ireland. 

“There will be mind games doing the build-up to that game during the week. They've got an experienced coaching staff as well as we do in Rassie [Erasmus] and his team, so there will be some talk before and there will be some taunts thrown out there to see who takes the bait or not.”

South Africa’s Lesser-Fancied Opposition

Before the Ireland clash though, South Africa will take on 10th-ranked Italy on November 15. Then finally after the Ireland fixture, the Springboks will end their tour with 12th-ranked Wales on November 29. The match against Wales should give coach Erasmus the chance to tinker with his lineup.

“With all due respect, I don’t think you can classify the Wales game as a big game. If I’m not mistaken, it’s out of the Test match window as well, so selection-wise it might be a bit different for us, but it’ll be a big one for Wales."

“We’ve got everything to lose in that game where Wales have really struggled, and if they put up a good performance against us, we will be the ones under pressure because we’ve got everything to lose.”

Still, even if Erasmus experiments radically with the 36-player squad at his disposal, it’s difficult to imagine that Wales will pose a real threat to a Springbok team at the height of its powers.