Can Ireland finally win a series in South Africa?

Announced backmost successful December, 7 months of build-up is astir astatine an extremity pinch South Africa and Ireland group to look each different successful 2 Tests complete nan adjacent mates of weeks.

With Ireland having won past year's rip-roaring World Cup brushwood connected neutral ungraded successful Paris, nan Springboks will beryllium keen for revenge arsenic they look to cement their spot astatine nan apical of nan world rankings.

South Africa are back-to-back world champions while Ireland are back-to-back Six Nations winners.

Andy Farrell's broadside person not played since they clinched nan Six Nations against Scotland successful March, while South Africa returned to action pinch a comfortable triumph complete Wales astatine Twickenham successful June.

Ahead of this month's eagerly anticipated series, present are immoderate storylines to look retired for.

While Ireland person beaten nan Springboks successful each of their past 3 meetings, their grounds successful South Africa is not overmuch to outcry astir pinch 1 triumph and 9 defeats.

That sole triumph came during their 2016 circuit erstwhile Joe Schmidt's broadside shrugged disconnected CJ Stander's 22nd-minute reddish paper to hit nan Boks 20-16 successful Cape Town.

Allister Coetzee's side, however, regrouped to triumph Tests successful Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth, denying Ireland a historical bid win.

Since then, of course, Ireland person won bid against Australia successful 2018 (their first against nan Wallabies since 1979) and nan All Blacks successful 2022, nan second marking a historical first bid triumph connected New Zealand soil.

And while Schmidt's Ireland were a well-oiled unit, Andy Farrell's broadside are arguably moreover better.

The World Cup was yet a disappointment and they grounded to clinch back-to-back Grand Slams successful this year's Six Nations, but they will consciousness they are still good placed to triumph a bid successful South Africa.

Of course, pinch this being a two-Test tour, nan likelihood of a tie increases. But if Ireland tin replicate nan tone that underpinned their wins complete nan All Blacks successful Dunedin and Wellington 2 years ago, they guidelines a chance.

It is besides worthy noting that this could beryllium Ireland's past chance. With nan British and Irish Lions circuit adjacent twelvemonth and nan preamble of nan Nations Championship successful 2026, this could beryllium nan past accepted circuit to South Africa for a while.

An already aggravated rivalry has been deepened successful caller months pinch respective South African players stoking nan flames while speaking to nan media.

Damian De Allende, formerly of Munster, said nan first Test successful Pretoria will consciousness "almost for illustration a war", adding that nan Springboks felt "disrespected" by dense media disapproval aft a crushing conclusion by Ireland successful Dublin successful 2017.

Eben Etzebeth, nan Boks' towering lock, attracted headlines erstwhile he accused Ireland of being "arrogant" by telling South Africa's players "see you guys successful nan final" aft winning past year's World Cup excavation match.

Speaking a mates of weeks backmost during Ireland's only pre-travel media opportunity, onslaught coach Mike Catt said "let them support talking" erstwhile asked astir De Allende and Etzebeth's comments.

When it comes down to it, neither broadside will want to drum up nan sound truthful adjacent to nan opening Test, truthful it will beryllium absorbing to spot really some camps section questions astir nan rivalry this week.

Even without cardinal backline players specified arsenic Hugo Keenan, Jamison Gibson-Park and Mack Hansen, arsenic good arsenic Jack Conan and Iain Henderson successful nan pack, Farrell has a singular level of talent astatine his disposal.

But a batch of those players are successful request of a lift. As was nan lawsuit successful 2022, Ireland headed disconnected for a confederate hemisphere circuit connected nan backmost of a disappointing extremity to nan nine season.

In nan past mates of months, Leinster - who are again nan astir powerfully represented state successful Farrell's squad - person mislaid a Champions Cup last to Toulouse successful extra-time and a United Rugby Championship semi-final to nan Bulls successful Pretoria - nan segment for Saturday's match.

Munster, too, ended nan play successful dispiriting manner pinch a URC semi-final nonaccomplishment to Glasgow.

Defeats of that quality return a while to get complete - whether players attraction to admit it aliases not - and pinch this bid arriving astatine nan extremity of gruelling 13-month season, managing his players' moods and power levels will beryllium cardinal complete nan adjacent fewer weeks.

Rassie Erasmus will sanction his squad for nan first Test connected Tuesday and, moreover though they hit Wales past month, location is simply a consciousness that this is South Africa's first afloat squad outing since nan World Cup.

The triumph successful Twickenham complete Warren Gatland's broadside came without his European-based players aliases nan Bulls contingent who were still progressive successful URC action, while some Cheslin Kolbe and Lukhanyo Am were not considered owed to injury.

The likes of Steven Kitshoff, Canan Moodie and Damian Willemse person been ruled retired of this brace of games, but Erasmus called his sheet "the champion squad available".

The erstwhile Munster head of rugby already mentioned nan 2027 World Cup erstwhile confirming nan group and it will beryllium absorbing to spot really overmuch has changed since nan nighttime they lifted nan Webb Ellis trophy successful nan Stade de France 8 months ago.

The status of Duane Vermeulen leaves a spread to beryllium filled successful nan back-row, wherever Evan Roos and Kwagga Smith are imaginable replacements, while Am's return aft not featuring during nan World Cup creates a logjam successful midfield.