Ireland have failed to deliver in high-pressure situations like the Springboks, and should expect a tough time against the world champions in July, writes MARK KEOHANE.
The Boks kick off the 2024 season on 22 June against Wales in London before returning home for a two-Test series against the Irish on 6 and 13 July, in Pretoria and Durban respectively.
Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane claims that Ireland, despite their Six Nations dominance and a historic 2022 series win in New Zealand, falls short in clutch moments on the global stage.
He asserts that during the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Andy Farrell’s charges couldn’t deliver crucial plays when needed, while emphasising that their fluctuating world ranking and victories against Italy and Wales doesn’t validate claims of being the best globally.
Keohane contends that Ireland “are not exceptional”, highlighting their failure to win a World Cup despite going into several of the showpiece events as one of the favourites.
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“Ireland, who entered the 2023 World Cup ranked No 1 in the world, lost 28-24 to the All Blacks in the quarter-final. It was Ireland’s eighth quarter-final defeat in 10 tournaments and, in the history of the World Cup, the Irish have never made it to the last four.” he writes.
“When it came to the clutch moments in Paris, Ireland could not produce in the big plays. The world’s best, the world champion Springboks, by contrast produced every single time in the biggest of plays against France in a one-point quarter-final, against England, in a one-point semi-final, and against the All Blacks in a one-point final.
“The Springboks certainly aren’t as easy on the eye as Ireland, in terms of style, but this doesn’t make them second-best.
“Ireland are a very good side, but they are not exceptional. If they had been they would be the history-makers and not just another squad part of a failed World Cup history.”
Photo: @Springboks/Twitter