The build-up to last year’s World Cup meeting was respectful, with the edge reserved for Ireland’s quarter-final with New Zealand, who were out to avenge their 2022 series defeat by Farrell’s team.
But Damian de Allende and Eben Etzebeth both have attracted headlines in recent months, with De Allende – formerly of Munster – predicting Saturday’s opener will be “almost like a war”.
And last week, South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus – whose news conferences have been refreshingly loose and entertaining – predicted Farrell’s starting line-up for Saturday’s opening Test with a post on X (amusingly, at the time of writing, Erasmus follows just one account on that platform: the official Irish Rugby account).
He didn’t see Farrell’s curve-ball coming, though, with the Englishman handing Jamie Osborne a surprise debut at full-back and keeping Jimmy O’Brien – Erasmus’ pick – on the bench.
Farrell, like his players before him, swerved an opportunity to engage in the pre-series psychological warfare, calling Erasmus’ social media post “hilarious” and “brilliant”.
Farrell, a master at giving little away in his media dealings, prefers to do his talking on the pitch. Whether he has the last word, though, will be up to the players.