As expected Joe Schmidt has dipped into his squad for Saturday's second test here in Johnessburg. In an interesting and exciting selection, all told there are five changes to the starting XV and a positional switch, and seven changes in total to the match-day 23, as Tadhg Furlong, the uncapped Quinn Roux, Rhys Ruddock, Stuart Olding and Craig Gilroy are called into the team.
Ruddock starts at open side, were he played in the win over the Springboks in November 2014 as a late replacement in the staring back-row for the unwell Chris Henry, while Iain Henderson switches from lock to blindside.
Two more players could make their debuts off the bench, namely Ulster's New Zealand-reared back-rower Sean Reidy (whose grandfather hails from Kerry) and the Connacht full-back Tiernan O'Halloran, while David Kilcoyne, Richardt Strauss and Donnacha Ryan are also added to the match-day squad.
This selection affords some rest time to selected players, such as the 35-year-old Mike Ross, who has not been asked to play three tests in a row in South Africa at the end of a 52-week season. Keith Earls, Luke Marshall, Sean Cronin, Ultan Dillane, and Jordi Murphy have all been rested, as well as, of course, the suspended CJ Stander.
It means the only members of the 32-man squad not to see any action in the first two tests will be Eoin Reddan and Matt Healy, so Schmidt has been true to his word in attempting to learn as much as possible about this squad and expose more players to the rarefied air, in every sense, of test match rugby away to a southern hemisphere superpower.
By contrast, despite suffering defeat in his first test as a head coach, Allister Coetzee has made only two changes, both enforced, as both Elton Jantjies and Pieter-Steph du Toit are promoted from the bench to start ahead of the injured Pat Lambie and Lood de Jager at out-half and lock.
Two more of Jantjies' Lions teammates, Franco Mostert and Ruan Combrinck are on the bench and could make their Test debut at their home ground. In the final change, the 60-times capped Morne Steyn is added to the bench as out-half cover.
While it is a younger and less experienced Irish side this week, it is also worth noting that Schmidt and co have not thrown their hat at this second test, for the mostly experienced spine of the team has been kept intact _ from captain Rory Best and the tireless Jack McGrath in the front-row, primary ball-winner and line-out caller Devin Toner, Jamie Heaslip at the base of the pack, Conor Murray and Paddy Jackson at half-back through to Jared Payne at full-back.
IRELAND: Jared Payne (Ulster); Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster), Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster), Stuart Olding (Ballymena/Ulster), Craig Gilroy (Dungannon/Ulster); Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster); Jack McGrath (St Mary's/Leinster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster, capt), Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Quinn Roux (Galwegians/Connacht), Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Rhys Ruddock (St Mary's/Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster). Replacements _ Richardt Strauss (Old Wesley/Leinster), David Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster), Finlay Bealham (Corinthians/Connacht), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), Sean Reidy (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht), Ian Madigan (Blackrock/Leinster), Tiernan O'Halloran (Buccaneers/Connacht).
SOUTH AFRICA: W le Roux; JP Pietersen, L Mapoe, D De Allende, L Mvovo; E Jantjies, F de Klerk; T Mtawarira, A Strauss, F Malherbe, E Etzebeth, P-S du Toit, F Louw, S Kolisi, D Vermeulen.
Replacements: B Mbonambi, T Nyakane, J Redelinghuys, F Mostert, W Whiteley, R Paige, MSteyn, R Combrinck.
