Having lost the opening Test to South Africa in Pretoria last weekend Ireland get an immediate chance to respond as they face their hosts in the second and final Test at Hollywoodbest Kings Park in Durban on Saturday.
That 27-20 win last weekend was South Africa’s first win over Ireland since 2016, so it certainly meant a lot to Rassie Erasmus’ side on home soil.
Ireland may not have made a lot of noise about it, but they certainly would have felt aggrieved at the manner in which James Lowe had a try chalked off in the 57th minute.
Ireland had turned the ball over in a ruck and released the Leinster winger to run in a try down the left touchline that would have tied the scores at 13-13, with Jack Crowley’s touchline conversion to come, but the score went up to the TMO Ben Whitehouse, and he adjudged that Ronan Kelleher had rolled the ball back onto the Irish side of the ruck with his foot, while off his feet.
Technically, the call seemed a reasonable one, until the question was asked as to how the Irish hooker found himself on the deck.
He had been neck rolled by Springbok full back Willie le Roux, and it seemed an odd one that the TMO would go looking for a technical indiscretion, while ignoring dangerous play that immediately proceeded it. It proved to be a crucial call.
There was also the terrible news that Ireland’s Dan Sheehan suffered an ACL injury in the opening Test, which means that Ireland are going to have to plan for a considerable length of time without their world class hooker.
Ronan Kelleher and Rob Herring are quality operators, but neither are at Sheehan’s level.
Craig Casey is also out of the second Test due to the concussion he sustained after former Munster teammate RG Snyman had smashed him backwards onto the hard Pretoria pitch at a ruck, which is unlucky for him as he was in the middle of giving arguably his most assured display in the Irish no. 9 shirt.
Connacht’s Dave Heffernan and Ulster’s Nathan Doak have been called up as cover, but neither will expect to see game time, as Rob Herring and Caolin Blade will come into the match day 23.
Conor Murray replaced the hurt Casey last Saturday, and he will start this weekend in Durban.
The veteran scrum half will bring a very different set of skills to proceedings, although you would imagine that Ireland’s kicking game will certainly not suffer with this switch.
Having the relatively unknown, at least from a South African perspective, Blade coming on late on should also ensure that Ireland can increase the pace for the latter stages.
Munster outhalf Jack Crowley did not have his greatest day off the kicking tee last week. You would expect that he will have spent many hours working on this aspect of his game this week, as to beat South Africa you really have to make them pay for any breeches in discipline in their own half.
Some of the other big Irish players will not have been overly happy with their contributions in the first Test.
Second row Joe McCarthy had probably his least effective day in green since making his breakthrough, while James Lowe mixed the sublime with the ridiculous in a display that saw him create a brilliant debut try for Jamie Osborne, before playing unwanted roles in both of the Springboks second half tries. Big improvements are needed all round.
This two match Test Series has been given the salty tag of ‘Unfinished Business’ by the South Africans, on the back of the fact that Ireland were the only nation to beat them at last year’s World Cup in France.
From a South African perspective the series is half way complete.
It is a meeting of the top ranked sides in world rugby right now, and having overcome that pool defeat to Ireland to go on and retain their World Cup crown, they will see this as an opportunity to rubber stamp their status as the alpha in the sport of rugby union right now.
You feel that it is going to take one hell of an effort from Andy Farrell’s side to level the Series on Saturday.