THERE HAVE BEEN many benefits of the South African franchises joining the URC and Connacht prop Finlay Bealham believes one of them is the opportunity it gives them to pit themselves against Springboks on a regular basis.

Bealham, one of the heroes of Ireland’s Six Nations Grand Slam who has clearly improved with age, said the increased hit-outs against the South Africans can only be good to develop players further.

“The South Africans, they love their scrummaging. Down there it is the bread and butter for them,” said the 32-year-old who has been capped 30 times since moving from Australia to come through the Connacht academy.

He is set to come up against a Stormers side laden with Springboks when Connacht take on the champions at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday in the semi-finals of the URC.

“They have their own style of scrummaging so it is good to get a taste for that at club level. It’s not as massive of a shock when you play them at international level. The Stormers have an all front row of Springboks, like Kitshoff he is a world class operator, Malherbe as well, he is a world class operator and they really back themselves and well they should, they are an unbelievable unit.

“We respect them a lot in the scrum but we are going to do everything we can to make it a weapon for us.

“I prefer to scrummage against a pack like the Stormers where they are going to come straight for you and you have got to meet fire with fire. There won’t be too much messing around, they will be straight in — no kissing! — so I’m looking forward to the challenge. We need our biggest performance of the year against these guys. They are an unbelievable unit with world class internationals.”

Bealham is one of the shrinking group of survivors from Connacht’s historic 2016 Pro12 success. Just five of the 22 who defeated Leinster that day in Murrayfield were on duty last Friday when they edged out Ulster 15-10 in the URC quarter-final, but Bealham said there hasn’t been much harping back to the breakthrough success.

“There hasn’t been a whole lot of chat about that to be honest. We’re a really focused group and we know the challenge ahead of us this Saturday. Listen, 2016 is a bloody long time ago now. We’ve a really great bunch of coaches and players here now and they know what a big game this will be at the weekend.

“You’re aware that it is a big occasion. You recognise the occasion, a semi-final away against a South African side who are the reigning champions. You don’t need any extra motivation for that.

“We will play the game and not the occasion and come up with a good game-plan and it is on us to deliver it.

“You prepare the same every week. We prepared very well last week and we had a lot of confidence going into it. I try not to get too nervous and think about the game too much. I often trundle up and go for coffee with the lads and do everything I can do to avoid the game. Just play the game and not the occasion.”