'Let them keep talking' - Catt shrugs off Boks comments

Ireland adjunct coach Mike Catt has shrugged disconnected caller comments made by South Africa players successful nan build-up to adjacent month's Test series, saying "for us, it's not a problem".

The Irish and nan Springboks person shared an aggravated rivalry successful caller years, pinch South Africa's Eben Etzebeth and Damian de Allende among those to person stoked nan flames recently.

De Allende said of really nan Springboks felt "disrespected" by dense media disapproval aft a crushing conclusion by Ireland successful Dublin successful 2017 while Etzebeth said nan Irish had been "arrogant" by telling South Africa's players 'see you guys successful nan final' astatine past year's World Cup aft Andy Farrell's broadside won their Pool B encounter.

Ireland, of course, again fell astatine nan quarter-final shape to New Zealand while South Africa went connected to triumph nan tournament, beating nan All Blacks successful nan decider.

Speaking to reporters successful Dublin connected Monday, Catt was not willing successful adding substance to nan fire.

"People tin opportunity what they want, it intends thing to us, it's thing we don't peculiarly interest about," said Ireland's onslaught coach.

"Let them support talking, it's not a problem. It doesn't substance anything, it doesn't make it immoderate aliases worse. We cognize precisely what we request to do to spell down location and beryllium successful."

Catt, who was calved successful South Africa, has been a portion of nan Irish coaching set-up for Ireland's past 2 wins complete nan Springboks - successful Dublin successful 2022 and successful Paris during nan World Cup.

But while Ireland person had nan upper-hand successful nan astir caller meetings, nan back-to-back world champions person dominated Tests played connected South African ungraded pinch 9 wins retired of 10.

"The rivalry's been good, that's what you want astatine Test level, it's why you play nan game," added Catt, who will time off nan Irish coaching squad aft nan series.

"We've been beautiful successful complete nan past 3 times we've played them, they're champing astatine nan bit.

"There's been a batch said successful nan property and this and that, it's getting free of each nan achromatic noise, what's important for america is to put successful a hellhole of a performance, and spell and situation to triumph a bid down successful South Africa.

"It's healthy, you want that rivalry. You want that - not hatred - but immoderate it is that stirs it each up. It's good."

Catt confirmed Ireland person nary caller wounded concerns aft Jamison Gibson-Park was ruled retired pinch a hamstring injury past week.

The squad assembled successful Dublin past week and will depart for Johannesburg connected Tuesday, pinch nan first Test successful Pretoria connected 6 July and nan 2nd successful Durban 7 days later.

While Ireland person not played since nan Six Nations, Rassie Erasmus' Boks warmed up for nan bid pinch a 41-13 triumph complete Wales astatine Twickenham connected Saturday.

"Again, it's a caller coaching unit successful South Africa too. We've sewage a fewer caller changes, truthful it is simply a small spot different, but it's breathtaking and it's why we play nan game," observed Catt.

"It's breathtaking to spell and situation yourself against nan champion successful nan world. That's nan opportunity these guys person got. Hopefully we tin spell make nan astir of it.

"The young boys coming in, came disconnected nan chair sewage their first caps and were electric. Then nan aged heads, your Pieter Steph du Toit, Jesse Kriel and those guys are world class. We request to make judge that we understand really we tin effort and put 1 complete them.

Catt added: "I deliberation we person a clear knowing of what their strengths are.

"How to manipulate those strengths into our favour, it's thing that we request to get correct successful 2 weeks' time.

"We cognize what they're bringing, there's a batch of emotion, a batch of physicality and they're exceptionally bully rugby players. We request to make judge we understand really we tin effort and move them over."