Rugby World Cup draw: Ireland's Andy Farrell 'super excited' by Pool B match-ups
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Farrell's Ireland defeated Gregor Townsend's Scotland side twice at home this year
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell says he is "super excited" by the prospect of facing world champions South Africa in the group stage of the 2023 World Cup.
The two teams were drawn in Pool B alongside Scotland and two yet undetermined qualifying nations.
The group's top two are likely to face New Zealand and France in the quarter-finals.
Farrell also confirmed that Ireland's World Cup preparations will include a three-test tour of New Zealand in 2022.
Ireland will hope to use that tour as a springboard for the World Cup, where they will seek to advance beyond the last eight for the first time.
While they met Scotland at last year's tournament in Japan, Ireland have never faced South Africa in the tournament's group stage.
The Springboks will arrive in France as defending champions, having claimed their third World Cup crown in 2019.
"If you look at the pool I think we would really have to be on top of our game just to get out of this pool," said South Africa head coach Jacques Nienaber.
"There's no two ways about it, it's funny to think one of either South Africa, Ireland or Scotland might not make it into the play-off stages."
'We want to play the best as much as possible'
A chance to size up the Springboks may arrive for a number of Irish and Scottish players during next year's British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa.
Additionally, the familiarity between players is likely to increase before 2023, with four South African sides poised to join the Pro14 next year.
"If Jacques' saying that they'll have to play some good rugby to get out of the group I'm sure that me and [Scotland head coach] Gregor Townsend are thinking the same as well," said Farrell.
"For us we want to play against the best as much as we possibly can, we want our players to be able to do that.
"For the big provinces in South Africa to join the Pro14, I know there's talk of a Pro16, is the way that we would like to see it go.
"With the Lions tour, what an opportunity for the Scots and the Irish boys to put their hand up during this Six Nations, get on that tour and learn all about what it's like to take the world champions on in their own back yard."