Three months on from finishing third in the RBS 6 Nations, Ireland end the season with what is sure to be a testing tour of South Africa. Cape Town hosts the first of three matches against Allister Coetzee’s new-look Springboks.
2016 SUMMER TOUR FIRST TEST: Saturday, June 11
SOUTH AFRICA v IRELAND, Newlands Stadium, Cape Town, 5pm local time/4pm Irish time (live Sky Sports 1 HD/RTÉ Radio 1/IRFU Live Blog)
Team News: Hooker Rory Best captains the selected Ireland team and is joined in the front row by Jack McGrath and Mike Ross, who will win his 60th Ireland cap this weekend – 58 of them as a starter.
Devin Toner and Iain Henderson pack down together in the second row, with Henderson set for his first international appearance since last year’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final defeat to Argentina.
Openside flanker Jordi Murphy is also back in the starting line-up, featuring for the first time since the Argentina game, while CJ Stander will be stationed on the blindside against the country of his birth and Jamie Heaslip wins cap number 86 at number 8.
Conor Murray and Paddy Jackson are the half-backs, as Jackson replaces injured out-half Jonathan Sexton for only his second Test start in two-and-a-half years. The Ulsterman’s last start came in Cardiff in last August’s Rugby World Cup warm-up win over Wales.
Jackson’s provincial colleague Luke Marshall, who ends his two-year absence from the international scene, will line out at inside centre, combining with Connacht PRO12 winner Robbie Henshaw.
Jared Payne makes the move from centre to full-back for his first start in the number 15 jersey, with wingers Andrew Trimble and Keith Earls joining him in a back-three that boasts 127 caps.
Three members of Connacht’s league-winning side – Finlay Bealham, Ultan Dillane and Kieran Marmion – are included on the bench along with Sean Cronin, Tadhg Furlong, Rhys Ruddock, Ian Madigan and Ulster flyer Craig Gilroy, who is aiming for his first Test appearance since November 2014.
All three South Africa v Ireland Tests will be broadcast live on Sky Sports 1 HD this month. Visit irishrugby.ie and the IRFU’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube pages for all the latest news, images and videos from the tour of South Africa.
Meanwhile, new South Africa head coach Allister Coetzee has named Faf de Klerk as the only uncapped player in the team to face Ireland.
Coetzee has included six players in the matchday 23 who did not feature at the Rugby World Cup last year, ushering in a new era for Springbok rugby. They are the Emirates Lions quintet of Faf de Klerk, Elton Jantjies, Warren Whiteley, Julian Redelinghuys and Lionel Mapoe, who will earn his first start for the ‘Boks, as well as DHL Stormers hooker Bongi Mbonambi, the only other uncapped player in the selection.
Scrum half de Klerk has been in good form this season for the Lions in the Super Rugby tournament and he earns a starting berth alongside experienced out-half Pat Lambie, who has played in 50 Tests for the ‘Boks.
Adriaan Strauss will become the 57th player to lead out South Africa as captain, with the 30-year old Vodacom Bulls hooker playing in his 55th Test for his country.
Strauss will pack down between Tendai Mtawarira, who has earned 75 caps to his name, and Frans Malherbe. Coetzee picked Lood de Jager and Eben Etzebeth as his lock pairing, while the loose trio consists of Francois Louw, Siya Kolisi and the experienced Duane Vermeulen.
Among the backs, Coetzee opted for an experienced all-Cell C Sharks back trio of Willie le Roux, JP Pietersen and Lwazi Mvovo. Lions outside centre Mapoe earns his second ‘Bok cap and partners Damian de Allende in an exciting midfield.
A total of eight players in the team started in the Springboks’ most recent Test, last October, when they defeated Argentina 24-13 in London to clinch the bronze medal at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. They are Mtawarira, Malherbe, Etzebeth, Louw, Vermeulen, de Allende, Pietersen and le Roux.
SOUTH AFRICA: Willie le Roux (Cell C Sharks); JP Pietersen (Cell C Sharks), Lionel Mapoe (Emirates Lions), Damian de Allende (DHL Stormers), Lwazi Mvovo (Cell C Sharks); Pat Lambie (Cell C Sharks), Faf de Klerk (Emirates Lions); Tendai Mtawarira (Cell C Sharks), Adriaan Strauss (Vodacom Bulls) (capt), Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers), Eben Etzebeth (DHL Stormers), Lood de Jager (Toyota Cheetahs), Francois Louw (Bath), Siya Kolisi (DHL Stormers), Duane Vermeulen (Toulon).
Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers), Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls), Julian Redelinghuys (Emirates Lions), Pieter-Steph du Toit (DHL Stormers), Warren Whiteley (Emirates Lions), Rudy Paige (Vodacom Bulls), Elton Jantjies (Emirates Lions), Jesse Kriel (Vodacom Bulls).
IRELAND: Jared Payne (Ulster); Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster), Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht), Luke Marshall (Ballymena/Ulster), Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster); Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster); Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) (capt), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), CJ Stander (Munster), Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster).
Replacements: Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht), Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), Ultan Dillane (Corinthians/Connacht), Rhys Ruddock (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht), Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster), Craig Gilroy (Bangor/Ulster).
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant Referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Matthew Carley (England)
Television Match Official: Jim Yuille (Scotland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): South Africa to win: 1/10; Draw: 40/1; Ireland to win: 11/2
Pre-Match Quotes: Rory Best (Ireland) – “A lot of these guys have been in and around the squad a little bit and wanted a chance but certain key players that are established in the squad, and playing so well, it doesn’t allow them the opportunity; some of these guys now have their opportunities (on Saturday).
“I suppose whenever you’re a young kid – it’s been a while since I was a young kid playing rugby – but all you want is an opportunity and then it’s yours, at least you then dictate what you do with it. I think for me, as captain of these guys, it’s very exciting to see what this young talent can deliver.
“The week has gone well. We had three days back in Dublin before we flew out last Sunday night. I suppose we’ve looked at two big days being Tuesday and Thursday, it’s went well. Obviously, we have a few guys that are in that maybe haven’t been in that many squads in the past. For a few guys, I think it’s their first squad but I still think we’ve got a lot of guys that have been around for a while.
“So, we’ve settled in reasonably quickly but, look, we’re under no illusions. It’s one thing training in semi-contact on a Tuesday or Thursday with a team run today versus a full-blown Test match here (at Newlands) tomorrow.
“We’re under no illusions, we’ve prepared well all week but we know that we have to step it up a gear. In terms of the mental side of things, we’ve had the beauty, I suppose, of being out of the European Cup so we had a bit of a freshen-up between the Six Nations and now.
“It has been a long season but that freshen-up with a few weekends off towards the tail-end of the season has really helped guys. You know with missing a few players and getting new guys in, they give a burst of enthusiasm anyway so it’s a great squad to be around at the minute but, ultimately, I suppose the mood next week will be reflected on what happens tomorrow evening.”
Adriaan Strauss (South Africa) – “It’s the start of a new journey for this team, so we definitely want to set down a marker and standard for ourselves. Of course the result will always be important, but it’s more about the way we want to play and the way forward.
“Every player in world rugby who gets the opportunity to represent his country lifts his game. The Irish are a very proud nation and they will lift their game for sure, so we have to be prepared for that.
“I had a chat (with my cousin Richardt) a few days ago by text and I’ve been looking forward to seeing him. We are good mates and I respect him as a rugby player. I’ve played against him twice before and the tally is 1-1.”
Pre-Match Links –
Tour Diary – Arrival In Cape Town
Tour Diary – Team Announcement Day
Tour Diary – Captain’s Run And Coaching Kids
Head-To-Head: Ireland v South Africa
Recent Meetings –
2010: GUINNESS Series: Ireland 21 South Africa 23, Aviva Stadium
2012: GUINNESS Series: Ireland 16 South Africa 12, Aviva Stadium
2014: GUINNESS Series: Ireland 29 South Africa 15, Aviva Stadium
Support Ireland on www.irishrugby.ie/facebook or search #ShouldertoShoulder or #RSAvIRE on www.twitter.com/irishrugby.
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