TWO IRISH LOSSES vs South Africa would not be a cause of concern, according to Bernard Jackman on Monday’s subscriber exclusive Rugby Weekly Extra podcast.
“I wouldn’t even be worried if we didn’t win a test. If we were really competitive in both games, I think that would be a decent tour given where we’re coming from.
“I think South Africa have so much to celebrate and feel good about with that partisan crowd. And the altitude, that definitely is an advantage for the Boks, even if it didn’t affect Glasgow or Benetton or Munster.
“I think in the first test it’ll be 30-15 to South Africa maybe. I think it will be better in the second test,” Jackman predicted.
While Jackman’s view might appear pessimistic on the surface, the former Irish hooker did offer a somewhat more optimistic view should Andy Farrell’s men rediscover some of their 2023 form:
“I would love a shared series. If Ireland can get back to where they can play, to the level that they were playing to at the World Cup, I think we can go toe to toe with them.
“The concern I have is just the way that we’ve looked, the way our players have looked individually, in both URC semi-finals, in particular. That puts a bit of fear into me.”
And one area in which the Bulls comprehensively outplayed Leinster — the scrum — is the aspect of Saturday’s game about which Jackman remains most concerned.
“You saw the Bulls absolutely destroy what will be four fifths of this Ireland pack, if Rassie [Erasmus’ prediction] is right.
“The thing is, though: the Bulls props are better scrummagers than the Boks props. It was scary from an Irish point of view how Furlong, Porter and Sheehan really struggled with that size and power.”
Jackman believes that Irish scrum coach John Fogarty will be integral to Ireland’s chances of repeating the famous victory enjoyed by Ireland against South Africa in THAT World Cup pool stage game last year.
“It’s a big job for John Fogarty. I think Fogarty has a different setup with Ireland compared to Leinster: they scrummage a lot straighter, which leaves us less open to that South African size and power. With Leinster the props generally do a lot more of what they want, individually.
“It’s grand when you’re bigger and stronger than the opposition, but when you come up against a team that are bigger and stronger than you, it can leave you very exposed.
“The challenge for Fogarty is to get them back on the same page, in a short period of time and obviously to deal with that the Boks’ size and power.
“It’s a huge test for him but they did really well in Paris at scrum time, except against New Zealand and that was a big part of the loss: scrum time.
“If we get taken apart at the scrum, then goodnight,” Jackman concluded.
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