SOUTH AFRICA HAVE thrown down the gauntlet with their 7:1 split of backs to forward on their bench for their crunch World Cup tie with Ireland on Saturday.
The ‘Bomb Squad’ will provide the Boks with an undoubted physicality and impetus when introduced, but there are potential benefits to Ireland in the unbalanced nature make-up of the South Africa bench, the Rugby Weekly Extra podcast, for subscribers to The 42, heard.
Eoin Toolan, former analyst with Ireland, said a lot will inevitably now be asked of South Africa’s backs, and Ireland will spot an obvious opportunity as a result.
“I don’t think it’s going to intimidate them,” Toolan said of South Africa’s 7:1 split, adding that players such as Finley Bealham, Dan Sheehan if he returns, Dave Kilcoyne, Iain Henderson or Ryan Baird could all be “pretty impactful forward subs from an Ireland perspective.”
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Toolan added: “From a backs perspective they’re going to be licking their lips that they’re going to be playing against at least six fatigued backs for 80 minutes.
“If we can get high ball in play time, which Ireland will definitely be aiming for, and try and fatigue the South African back, particularly when you think about how Ireland attack, the swings into shape, changing the point of contact frequently within attacking sequences – that’s going to fatigue particularly South Africa’s back three I would say, and tag onto that Ireland’s tactical kicking game as well.
“So it’s a big, big test for South Africa’s backs, particularly for six of them to have to go 80 minutes which isn’t that frequent in modern day rugby.”
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