The Irish squad completed their relatively untroubled week's preparations in Cape Town prior to tomorrow's first Test when a fully fit squad of 32 went through a light captain's run at Newlands today, after which Rory Best admitted they were "under no illusions" about the task facing them.
“The week’s gone well. We had three days back in Dublin before we flew out on Sunday night. We’ve looked at two big days being Tuesday and Thursday, and it went well. Obviously, we have a few guys that are in, that maybe haven’t been in that many squads in the past. For a few guys, I think it’s their first squad but I still think we’ve got a lot of guys that have been around for a while.
“So we’ve settled in reasonably quickly but we’re under no illusions. It’s one thing training in semi-contact on a Tuesday or Thursday with a team-run today versus a full-blown Test match here tomorrow.
The Irish captain also acknowledged that the absence of Ulster, Leinster and Munster from the knock-out stages of the European Champions, and Connacht from the last two weeks of the Challenge Cup, was something of a blessing in disguise at the end of an extremely demanding, 17-Test, World Cup season.
"We've prepared well all week but we know that we have to step it up a gear. In terms of the mental side of things, we're had the beauty, I suppose, of being out of the European Cup so we have a bit of a 'freshen up' between the Six Nations and now.
“It has been a long season but that ‘freshen up’ with a few weekends off towards the tail end of the season has really helped guys. With missing a few players and getting new guys in, they give a burst of enthusiasm anyway so look it’s a great squad to be around at the minute but, ultimately, I suppose the mood next week will be reflected on what happens tomorrow evening.”
And if the first Test will set the tone for Ireland's first three-match series in South Africa, so the lines in the sand will be drawn by the battle up front, which was critical to Ireland's win when the sides last met at the Aviva Stadium in November 2014.
“Any game we go into, we expect the forward battle to be the key battle. I think, certainly with South Africa, when you look at the strength of their set piece in particular, they have traditionally had, and still do, a really strong set piece, the lineout and scrum. It’s definitely an area that if we’re going to compete tomorrow that we have to be somewhere near our best because we know that they are going to bring probably a different challenge that we faced during the Six Nations and, certainly, in our own club competitions.
“But I suppose the challenge to that is it’s Test rugby so you want to be challenged against the best and certainly from a forwards point of view, in my opinion, South Africa are one of the best in the world and we’re going to be tested tomorrow.”
Best is now the team's most experienced player, with 94 tests. There are also a core of relatively young and inexperienced players in the untried 10-12-13 axis of Paddy Jackson, Luke Marshall, as well as five players on the bench with six caps or less.
“It’s massive for these guys, said Best. “A lot of these have been in and around the squad a little bit and wanted a chance, but certain key players that are established in the squad, and playing so well, it doesn’t allow them the opportunity. Some of these guys now have the opportunities tomorrow.”
“It’s been a while since I was a young kid playing rugby, but all you want is an opportunity and then it’s yours. At least you then dictate what you do with it. I think, for me, as captain of these guys, it’s very exciting to see what this young talent can deliver.”
