...South African captain John Smit...

DEODORANT DEMAND IN DUNBOYNE: If you are a resident of Dunboyne, County Meath, and happen upon a Springbok raiding the toiletries section in your local shop, do not be alarmed!

Strict security measures got the better of Jake White's squad when they went through checks at Heathrow airport in London on the way to their Irish base, and a plethora of shaving foam cans, deodorant sprays, toothpaste tubes and facial creams were confiscated. Some of them were quite pricey items.

Most angered apparently was new team manager Zola Yeye who lost his Armani cologne - maybe Ger Carmody has a spare bottle he could lend him?!!

Meanwhile, without their first choice second row pairing, the Springboks have not been setting the world alight with their training ground lineouts this week. Hooker and captain John Smit was particularly vocal at Monday's session in Westmanstown when a few set piece balls went astray.

'Boks coach Jake White is not one to fret. He said: "It was always going to be difficult without Victor (Matfield) and Bakkies (Botha) here. We've got a completely different lineout on tour - but it's an opportunity for these guys.

"We've got a few days to go so if we prepare properly I'm confident things will be sorted out by the weekend."

'PADDY' PART OF 1906 ORIGINALS: It is a little known fact but the first man to captain South Africa in an overseas Test match was the son of Irish-born parents. One Harry William Carolin, who was nicknamed 'Paddy' because of his Irish roots, lead the tourists out for their clash with Scotland at Glasgow's Hampden Park on November 17.1906.

Carolin's father, an engineer-in-chief on the Cape Government Railways, hailed from Dublin, while his mother was originally from Donegal.

Paddy Carolin, a noted half-back and one of 15 Western Province players in the national squad, took on the captaincy role after Paul Roos had damaged his collarbone in a fixture against Oxford just days previously. The Scots prevailed 6-0 and Carolin went on to win just one more cap, taking his tally to three - fittingly it came against Ireland seven days later when the 'Boks, led by Roos, secured a 15-12 win at the Balmoral Showgrounds in Belfast.

Carolin, who went on to have a successful career as a lawyer, was also a provincial cricketer during his sporting career. His wife Cecil was named after Cecil John Rhodes, the former Prime Minister of the Cape Colony, who was her godfather. Carolin died in 1967, aged 85.

LITTLE MAN, BIG HEART: The achievement of Peter Stringer in winning his 70th cap for Ireland this Saturday should not be underestimated. In a modern era of intense physicality and such monstrous 'hits', Stringer has shown, without question, that rugby is still a game for all shapes and sizes.

5ft 7in and 11 stone - too small for the top level? No way. Just his stats alone, which show his incredible ability to stay fit and available for Test match after Test match, back up just how vital 'Strings' is to Ireland's cause.

The Munster scrum half has won all 69 of his caps in Ireland's last 74 Tests, only sitting out the internationals against the USA (2000), Fiji (2002), Tonga, Samoa and Italy (all 2003). Saturday's encounter with South Africa will mark the 45th occasion that he and his old school mate Ronan O'Gara have lined out together as Ireland's half-backs.

Ireland's most-capped scrum half, Stringer will nip ahead of former record holder Mike Gibson (69 caps) this weekend. moving up to joint-third place on the list of Ireland's most-capped players. He will go level with Ulster centre Kevin Maggs on 70 caps, with only David Humphreys (72) and Malcolm O'Kelly (80) ahead of him.

SAY WHAT?: "I think we can get a bit carried away. South Africa won their last two Tests against New Zealand and Australia and it looks as if they will pick an enormous and physical side.

"All their back five are above 6ft 4in and they have also some very exciting young backs to throw into the mix. We cannot forget that we are playing against South Africa and our record is not exactly great against them. That win in 2004 was the first in nearly 40 years. So that's what we're up against."

- Coach Eddie O'Sullivan plays down suggestions that Ireland are favourites for Saturday's Guinness Autumn Test against South Africa

"We expect Ireland to do a lot of kicking. We hope the taller and bigger wings can win back the ball for us. We must remember that we will be playing on heavy grounds here."

- South African coach Jake White on what sort of game plan he expects Ireland to adopt

"Our captain was a young captain back then. He will have 60 caps and be the most-capped captain (equalling Gary Teichman's record of 36) this Saturday so it is a milestone for him.

"Coming from that 92004) tour and that match, he was young and green them. It's quite important that we have matured from that experience."

- Springboks manager Zola Yeye on hooker and captain John Smit, and whether he and his his team-mates have learned from the controversial try Ronan O'Gara scored two years ago, when he took a quick tap when their backs were turned

BACK IN TIME: 1965: Test Match: Ireland 9 South Africa 6, Lansdowne Road; April 10, 1965

Scorers: Ireland: Try: Paddy McGrath; Pens: Tom Kiernan 2; South Africa: Try: Wynand Mans; Pen: Dave Stewart

IRELAND: TJ Kiernan; KJ Houston, JC Walsh, MK Flynn, PJ McGrath; CMH Gibson, RM Young; S MacHale, KW Kennedy, RJ McLoughlin (capt), WJ McBride, WA Mulcahy, MG Doyle, RA Lamont, NAA Murphy.