...South African captain John Smit...
DEODORANT DEMAND IN DUNBOYNE:If you are a resident of Dunboyne, County Meath, and happen upon aSpringbok raiding the toiletries section in your local shop, do not bealarmed!
Strict security measures got the better of Jake White's squad when they went through checks at Heathrow airport inLondon on the way to their Irish base, and a plethora of shaving foamcans, deodorant sprays, toothpaste tubes and facial creams wereconfiscated. 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 notbeen setting the world alight with their training ground lineouts thisweek. 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 isnot one to fret. He said: "It was always going to be difficult withoutVictor (Matfield) and Bakkies (Botha) here. We've got a completelydifferent 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.
PaddyCarolin, a noted half-back and one of 15 Western Province players inthe national squad, took on the captaincy role after Paul Roos haddamaged his collarbone in a fixture against Oxford just dayspreviously. The Scots prevailed 6-0 and Carolin went on to win just onemore cap, taking his tally to three - fittingly it came against Irelandseven days later when the 'Boks, led by Roos, secured a 15-12 win atthe Balmoral Showgrounds in Belfast.
Carolin,who went on to have a successful career as a lawyer, was also aprovincial cricketer during his sporting career. His wife Cecil wasnamed after Cecil John Rhodes, the former Prime Minister of the CapeColony, who was her godfather. Carolin died in 1967, aged 85.
...Peter Stringer training with the Irish squad...LITTLE MAN, BIG HEART: The achievement of Peter Stringer in winning his 70th cap forIreland this Saturday should not be underestimated. In a modern era ofintense physicality and such monstrous 'hits', Stringer has shown,without question, that rugby is still a game for all shapes and sizes.
5ft7in and 11 stone - too small for the top level? No way. Just his statsalone, which show his incredible ability to stay fit and available forTest match after Test match, back up just how vital 'Strings' is toIreland'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 withSouth Africa will mark the 45th occasion that he and his old schoolmate 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 twoTests against New Zealand and Australia and it looks as if they willpick an enormous and physical side.
"Alltheir back five are above 6ft 4in and they have also some very excitingyoung backs to throw into the mix. We cannot forget that we are playingagainst 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'reup against."
-Coach Eddie O'Sullivan plays down suggestions that Ireland arefavourites for Saturday's Guinness Autumn Test against South Africa
"Weexpect Ireland to do a lot of kicking. We hope the taller and biggerwings can win back the ball for us. We must remember that we will beplaying on heavy grounds here."
- South African coach Jake White on what sort of game plan he expects Ireland to adopt
"Ourcaptain was a young captain back then. He will have 60 caps and be themost-capped captain (equalling Gary Teichman's record of 36) thisSaturday so it is a milestone for him.
"Comingfrom that 92004) tour and that match, he was young and green them. It'squite important that we have matured from that experience."
-Springboks manager Zola Yeye on hooker and captain John Smit, andwhether he and his his team-mates have learned from the controversialtry Ronan O'Gara scored two years ago, when he took a quick tap whentheir 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: TJKiernan; KJ Houston, JC Walsh, MK Flynn, PJ McGrath; CMH Gibson, RMYoung; S MacHale, KW Kennedy, RJ McLoughlin (capt), WJ McBride, WAMulcahy, MG Doyle, RA Lamont, NAA Murphy.