Today's shadow Test match between South Africa's star-studded reigning Currie Cup champions Western Province and Ireland at Newlands brings to an end the shadow boxing on this tour.

If Ireland can win this one, they can roll up their sleeves for the remainder of the tour with no hint of an inferiority complex. Definitely a big game.

By contrast, defeat and especially a resounding one, would further deflate the morale of a squad which has to have been at least pin-pricked by the midweek reverse to South West District.

The Western Province coach Alan Solomons points out that "Ireland don't have the numbers to field two strong international sides but this is obviously a quality side." Encouragingly, his South West Districts counterpart Heyneke Meyer gives Ireland "a good chance" though adds this is the "crunch match of their tour. A defeat would make it a very long tour".

Donal Lenihan, the Irish manager, declined to load the match with such significance, but was unusually upbeat. "Given the way training went again this morning I'd think we'd be quite confident of winning the game."

There is a discenrible confidence within the camp from Ireland having reloaded their guns, with the Connacht pairing of Conor McGuiness and Eric Elwood, especially, more assured in enacting the Warren Gatland philosophy. McGuinness will assuredly be sharper than last week against Boland, while Elwood looks to be at the peak of his powers. His place-kicking, restarts, tactical kicking, organisation and Trojan defensive work were of such a high standard against Boland that his presence alone must be comforting for every player on the team.

Up front too, Paul Wallace returns to action. He could, it is true, be a bit rusty after four weeks' relative idleness. Thus far, he has self-deprecatingly taken the ribbing well - he has been likened to a punter who wins a trip with the Irish rugby squad ("Prize includes return tickets, hotel accommodation, transport, meals and, wait for it, fly on the wall access to the players"). Clever man management though, and he's a proven big-game player.

The second-row engine has been revved up again (Paddy Johns and Malcolm O'Kelly will play there) while Andy Ward is now the fulcrum of much of Ireland's fringe play in attack and defence. Admittedly, the scrum and the line-out throwing have not been of their normal polish, while the three-quarters have a couple of question marks hanging over them. Good, honest player that he is, Kevin Maggs's best displays in the green have been on the wing, not at outside centre.

Right-winger Justin Bishop is diving in at the deep end but he operates in a very similar four-up defensive system at London Irish and will be playing alongside four club mates. Certainly Ireland should not be as porous in the middle or out wide as the scratch side were on Wednesday, though against that Western Province will attack them more in those areas than Boland or South West District did.

"We're also concerned that we made 16 turnovers in the first match and 24 in the second," revealed Gatland. "We just need to eliminate that if we're going to become a top-quality international side, and get that to around 10 or less in a match."

The Irish coach admitted that the back row and three-quarters were his main focus of attention with a view to the Test side. Allowing for three uncapped players, the loss of Reggie Corrigan, and Keith Wood returning to the equation, Ireland are perhaps two-thirds or more of the way toward their optimum Test level.

Against that, Western Province are effectively a Super 12 side who are one-thirds or more of the way to Springbok level. But a pall of negativity has descended over WP's rugby, akin to the heavy mist which left the top half of Table Mountain invisible (with more of the same and rain forecast for today). The Western Stormers (Western Province in all but name) are still smarting from losing their concluding six Super 12 games, James Small is no more, and an off-pitch upheaval has left Solomons in charge with an unfinished backroom staff.

Yet, if anything, it will make the team more determined. Solomons sees this as a chance to kick-start their season. The players will be eager to impress their new coach. This game is also quite a carrot for them collectively - WP haven't beaten an international side since 1992 - and individually several have a point to prove.

Others, such as up-and-coming centre Robbie Fleck and their three current Springbok squad members up front have representative incentives. Two of the latter, Bobby Skinstad and Andrew Aitken, and ball-carrying lock Hottie Louw, will test the remodelled Irish back row like never before on this tour, though heretofore the fringe defence has been excellent.

It would be a helluva scalp for Ireland. The Lions only overcame WP 38-21 here last year, while France prevailed by 12-6 in 1993. To acquire it, Ireland will have to invoke the spirit of Paris and Twickenham with a fired-up, focused, in-your-face performance for 80 minutes. Such is their almost attritional style, this Ireland side often needs all of 80 minutes to overcome a side.

Winning it isn't everything. "A lot of the (tour) targets have been performance targets rather than wins and losses," Lenihan pointed out. Further development of the faster-paced rucking game and adding more strings to their bow outrank footnotes in history, though a win would go some way to making this tour a success.

Conditions might normally be considered ideal for Ireland, but they probably won't suit either side particularly. The grass is long, and soft underneath, and two scheduled pre-match underage games have been cancelled.

Whatever the size of the attendance at Newlands, which is ringed by corporate boxes, South African crowds tend to stay quiet until they score a try or two. It's probably called arrogance. A double figure deficit entering the last quarter could mean a long afternoon, for Ireland are not adept at playing catch up. But if Ireland can keep the game and the crowd quiet in the opening quarter, and be in touch entering the last, then they can win it.

Ireland: C O'Shea; J Bishop, K Maggs, M McCall, D Hickie; E Elwood, C McGuinness; J Fitzpatrick, A Clarke, P Wallace, P Johns, M O'Kelly, D Corkery, D O'Cuinneagain, A Ward. Replacements: B O'Meara, D Humphreys, R Henderson, P Clohessy, G Fulcher, B Jackman, V Costello.

Western Province: J Swart; C Williams, R Fleck, C Stewart, B Paulse; L Koen, J Adlam; T van der Linde, J van Wyk, K Visagie, S Boome, H Louw, R Brink, A Aitken, B Skinstad.