Ex Ireland internationals Ian Madigan and Darren Cave have outlined the areas they believe will decide the Irish heavyweight Nations Championship reckoning with South Africa in two weekends, with the pair arguing that Andy Farrell’s side must first prove they can match the Springboks’ clash before any talk of a shake-up begins.
The discussion arose after Ireland’s victory Argentina he Virgin Media Sportswith attention quickly turning to the looming test against the reigning world champions.
For Madigan, it all starts up front.
Reflecting on Ireland’s humiliating loss to the Boks in Dublin last year, the formerLeinster and the Ireland fly-half insisted on a scoreboard that did not tell the full story of how dominant Rassie Erasmus’ side were.
“If you think back to the game against South Africa last year, even though it wasn’t a comprehensive defeat on the scoreboard, it was a comprehensive defeat looking at it,” Madigan said.
“We were beaten, up front. In particular, our scrum couldn’t hold up.”
However, Madigan believes the Irish pack has evolved significantly since then and has pointed to several strikers he believes are now operating at an elite level.
“I think our front five is becoming truly world class,” he said.
“I thought Porter was outstanding last night, along with the likes of Sheehan and Furlong. Joe McCarthy has really stepped up to the potential we know he has. That’s the foundation of whether or not we can compete with South Africa.”
Madigan also highlighted the aerial battle as a critical area against a Springbok side known for squeezing opponents through territory and pressure.
“And then the aerial contest is such a big part of the game now, and we get the ball aerially accurate to give our wingers a chance to win the ball back.
“You can’t give a South African team access to the game in that area. And if we can be competitive in both those areas, we have the attacking game to really challenge them.”
Cave agreed that Ireland’s scrum remains a key battleground, arguing that the psychological damage inflicted by South Africa on their last visit to Dublin could have been as significant as the result itself.
“I think it’s not just the result of the game in South Africa, because last time they came to Dublin, they won, but it was the way and their ability to just say, like, ‘We’re going to settle, and we’re going to race, and we’re going to race, and we’re going to nullify that part of your game.'”
Ex Ulster The center added: “I think mentally and emotionally … if South Africa come to Dublin and destroy our contention, then it’s a long way to get back to really believing you can beat that team at the World Cup.”
While Cave admitted he would have concerns if the teams met in the World Cup final tomorrow, he stressed Ireland still have time to develop further before rugby’s biggest stage arrives.
“If this was the World Cup final, I’d be a little nervous, but remember, we’ve still got a year to go. There’s still time to grow.”
Cave also called for more exposure to players outside Ireland’s established core, citing Ulster’s Tom O’Toole and Connacht’s Sam Illo as examples of squad members who need more opportunities in high-pressure environments.
“I’d like to see O’Toole and Sam Illo get more game time, players who we know are good but they’re not in that world-class category. So these guys need to play in these type of games again.”
The conversation then turned to whether Ireland should try to mirror New Zealand’s plan by keeping the ball alive and attacking in transition rather than engaging South Africa in a territorial kicking contest.
Cave’s answer was convincing.
While the Springboks were once seen as a side built almost exclusively around power, shooting and dominance, he believes they have added enough attacking firepower to become a far more complete challenge.
“I think the thing that’s really scary about the South African team is the depth we’ve touched, but it’s also their ability to change the way they play,” he said. “South Africa used to be that Nienaber team, which was kick and kick, kick and break. But when you look at it now, we know what their front five is doing, we know what their set is doing, we know what their shooting game is doing.”
Cave then pointed to the individual brilliance now available to Erasmus at outside back.
“But I also think, from an X-factor point of view, those players, they’re actually probably at the top … if not the top, they’re the top three in the world in terms of players that you can just say, ‘Do it.’
“Especially now that they’ve moved away from Pollard at 10 in Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
“The ones like Sasha, like Kurt-Lee Arendse … Kolbe doesn’t play. Like, they have it.
“And if I had trained and played against them, I would have asked to go back to the studio,” Cave joked. “I’m glad that’s not my job. It’s tricky.”
