ANDY FARRELL’S TOUGHEST challenge as Irish boss will be to win the upcoming test series in South Africa, former Leinster and Ireland hooker James Tracy said on Wednesday’s subscriber exclusive Rugby Weekly Extra podcast.

“Big time . . . I do think it’s going to be his toughest challenge,” he said. 

“Can they do it? Yes, they absolutely can. They have the players and the belief to go down there and win the games. 

“Do I think they will? Just going off current form with the provinces, no.”

Tracy believes that Rassie Erasmus’ side will be eager to take revenge on the only side to beat The Springboks at the World Cup.

“[There is] so much bite amongst the South Africans. They feel like they were disrespected during the World Cup. I don’t really believe that, but they feel that way and that’s fine. We all have to find ‘our why’,” he said.

Damian de Allende recently touch on how the Boks believed that they had been disrespected by the Irish media as far back as 2017, whereas Eben Etzebeth claimed that 12 of Ireland’s matchday 23 in the Ireland/South Africa World Cup pool game said, ‘See you guys in the final’ in a manner which the lock perceived as overconfident.

Elsewhere, Tracy also noted a disappointing culmination to the URC campaign as another reason for why many of Ireland’s players may be heading into this series in a somewhat flat manner.

Host Gavan Casey highlighted Andy Farrell’s ability to keep spirits in the group up.

“Andy Farrell does seem to foster an environment which feels distinct from whatever is going on at the provinces. Clearly, collectively, there may be an almost synergic effect to this Ireland team,” he said.  

“They seem to love playing with each other, playing for each other.

“That cross-pollination of guys from different provinces, it feels healthy now, where previously it might have been divisive.” 

If Ireland can down the world champions, Tracy believes that it may pose more questions than it actually answers about Andy Farrell’s side.

“If they go down and they win one game or the series you can ask three different questions.

“Is it the coaches in the provinces? Is it the players want and drive to win silverware at that [provincial] level, maybe it just doesn’t do it for them as much as it does when they’re playing in green.

“Or third, which is very likely, is it that the combination of players that come in work better together than the province’s combinations.

“Whether that’s the balance of the back row, the half-back combinations, you know, having Mack Hansen or Calvin Nash on the wing, maybe they’re a better fit for the backline, that’s a genuine reason that they could play better together.

‘If it’s a repeat of that fixture in Paris, wow, we’d be in for a treat. Hopefully we get that,” Tracy said.

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