South Africa v Ireland LIVE rugby: Build-up and latest updates from first Test

Out comes Peter O’Mahony and his squad, a slightly tentative trudge through the more slippery parts of the long Loftus Versfeld tunnel and then a more purposeful march into the evening air.

The volume lifts as the Springboks make their homecoming. They were denied this, of course, after 2019 due to the pandemic – the world champions are back on their own patch.

Good areas from the band, playing “Zombie” as the squads assemble in the tunnel, imploring the stands to chant “Rassie” in lieu of Dolores O’Riordan’s usual pained cries. There’s going to be a bit of niggle.

Loftus Versfeld is bouncing for kick off, a brass and percussion band providing heavy beats to get the crowd on their feet. World Cup winners vs Six Nations champions – let’s get going!

Kick off rapidly approaching in Pretoria. Here are the names you need to know from an officiating point of view:

Referee: Luke Pearce (Eng)

ARs: Karl Dickson (Eng) & Mike Adamson (Sco)

TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wal)

It’s the first game in charge of South Africa’s defence for former Ireland hooker Jerry Flannery today. Given how Harlequins’ defence fell apart after Flannery’s sudden departure last year, he was clearly doing fine work in South West London – that could be a good bit of business from Rassie Erasmus, drawing on his significant connections with Munster to replace both Jacques Nienaber and Felix Jones.

Attack coach Tony Brown is one of the most highly-rated schemers in the world, too, and it’ll be fun to see what wrinkles he throws in today. Duane Vermeulen also steps up into the South African coaching team after being a key leader on and off the field for the last half-decade.

After an enterprising debut off the bench against Wales, it’ll be fascinating to see how Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is utilised today. The Stormer offers versatility and variety at 10, 12 or 15 – where Rassie Erasmus deploys him may be a key indicator in how he sees South Africa evolving over the next few years. That adaptability ensures that the Springboks can stick with their favoured six/two bench and not fret about playing someone out of position, particularly with replacement scrum half Grant Williams covering wing, too.

There was plenty of speculation at the end of the Six Nations that Peter O’Mahony’s final Ireland game might have been the title-sealing win over Scotland, but the flanker has been named captain again in Andy Farrell’s squad to confront the Springboks. The 34-year-old is probably the perfect leader for a tour of South Africa, confrontational and robust, yet there are signs that Farrell is starting to really think about life after his leader.

Ryan Baird is getting better and better on the blindside, while Cian Prendergast has several strong seasons behind him. Newbie Cormac Izuchukwu has quickly gone from an intriguing project to a genuine difference-maker at Ulster, while Tom Ahern will surely be back in the mix after injury. The quartet are all long-limbed lineout leapers with the acceleration to cause real problems as edge forwards in Ireland’s attacking structure — it may be that a couple of them are seen as locks but it’s a fascinating group regardless.

Though Jack Crowley looks a fly half to build around, perhaps Ireland’s find of the Six Nations was Joe McCarthy, a tighthead lock who showed he could mix it with the big boys in the opener against France in Marseille particularly. This, though, will offer another yardstick in his development – Eben Etzebeth remains probably the premier lock in the world and, given his comments in the build-up, seems properly up for it.

It will be a huge challenge that Jamie Osborne will be posed today against a side that kick well tactically. It’s worth remembering that the Leinster man did not make a single start at full-back all season domestically, excelling instead in the centres with Garry Ringrose and Charlie Ngatai enduring injury-hit campaigns. There is no doubting his talent, and Andy Farrell clearly backs him, but replacing all that Hugo Keenan offers is an unenviable task.