South Africa v Ireland: Rugby World Cup 2023 match preview, team news, kick-off time & Pool B standings
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Mack Hansen scored one of Ireland's two tries in the 19-16 win over South Africa in Dublin in November
Rugby World Cup 2023: Pool B - South Africa v Ireland |
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Venue: Stade de France, Paris Date: Saturday, 23 September Kick-off: 20:00 BST |
Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster & BBC Sounds, live text commentary on BBC Sport website & app. |
South Africa and Ireland will renew their rivalry in Paris on Saturday when they meet in a hugely anticipated World Cup Pool B encounter.
Lock Eben Etzebeth has been passed fit for holders South Africa, who have named seven forwards on the bench.
Ireland have made just one change to the side that beat Tonga in Nantes last week, with Jamison Gibson-Park replacing Conor Murray at scrum-half.
Both sides won their opening two games of the tournament.
The Springboks beat Scotland and then hammered Romania, while Ireland thumped Tonga in impressive fashion after thrashing the Romanians 82-8.
Ireland are top of Pool B after back-to-back bonus-point wins. The Irish scored 20 tries in their first two matches, helping them build a +117 points difference.
South Africa are a point behind after failing to secure a bonus point in their 18-3 success against Scotland.
This will be the first World Cup match between these sides, but Ireland have won seven of their last 11 Tests against South Africa, including the last two.
The Irish, who won the Six Nations Grand Slam earlier this year, are on a national record 15-Test winning run, but the Springboks have also been impressive recently, winning nine of 10 games including the last six.
Three-time champions South Africa have also won their last eight World Cup games and have stopped their opponents scoring a try in six of those.
South Africa and Ireland team news
Having fielded a much-changed team in their crushing 76-0 defeat of Romania, South Africa head coach Jacques Nienaber has recalled his frontline stars for Saturday's Stade de France contest.
With Etzebeth having recovered from a shoulder problem, the Springboks team has 14 of the 15 players that started the opening win over Scotland. Hooker Malcolm Marx, who will miss the rest of the competition with a knee injury, is the only player missing.
Bongi Mbonambi starts at hooker while Damian Willemse moves from Fly-half to full-back with Manie Libbok wearing the number 10 jersey again.
Lock Jean Kleyn, who earned five caps for Ireland - including two at the 2019 World Cup - before switching international eligibility back to his native country, is named among the replacements alongside his Munster team-mate RG Snyman.
Cobus Reinach, who scored a hat-trick against Romania, is the only backline replacement.
View from South Africa's camp
South Africa head coach Jacques Nienaber on facing Ireland: "I won't say I am nervous, I am excited. It will be a proper Test match. It is number one against the world champion.
"Both sides have a good skillset, the average age of both squads is about the same, as are the number of caps.
"It will be a clash of two teams with experienced calm heads - two very well-matched teams."
Wing Cheslin Kolbe on the decision to name seven forwards on the bench: "There is risk added, but we are quite fortunate to have players that can play in various positions and do as well as the player that's been selected to start there.
"We respect the decision of the coaches and as players just go out, whoever gets selected, to prepare as well as we can throughout the week.
"I'm sure there's going to be a lot of [talk] about it, but that's things we, as players, can't control. We will make sure we don't get distracted by what's said."
View from Ireland's camp
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell on the challenge of facing the world champions: "Our journey has had all sorts and it prepares you for games like this. I suppose we'll learn a bit more after this one as well.
"There will be over 30,000 Irish supporters there in a stadium we know well and we want to get back there and get back to winning ways there.
"It's a challenge that we're ready for, looking forward to, and it's coming soon."
Ireland captain Johnny Sexton on the travelling Irish supporters: "The support we get for World Cups in particular, it's incredible.
"Last week in the stadium there was just green everywhere, the week before the same, and I'm sure it will be the same again."
South Africa v Ireland line-ups
South Africa: Willemse; Arendse, Kriel, De Allende; Kolbe; Libbok, De Klerk; Kitshoff, Mbonambi, Malherbe; Etzebeth, Mostert; Kolisi (capt), Du Toit, Wiese.
Replacements: Fourie, Nche, Nyakane, Kleyn, Snyman, Van Staden, Smith, Reinach.
Ireland: Keenan; Hansen, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe; Sexton (capt), Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Furlong, Ryan, Beirne, O'Mahony, Van der Flier, Doris.
Replacements: Sheehan, Bealham, Kilcoyne, Henderson, Baird, Murray, Crowley, Henshaw.
Match officials
Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Mathieu Raynal (France) & James Doleman (New Zealand)
TMO: Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
Pool B standings
Match facts
South Africa v Ireland head-to-head
Ireland have won seven of their last 11 Test matches against South Africa.
Eight of the last 11 meetings between the sides have been decided by six points or fewer.
South Africa will end Ireland's 14-month reign as the world's number one side with victory on Saturday.
South Africa
South Africa have won their last eight World Cup matches, their best run since winning 11 in a row across the 2007 and 2011 tournaments.
The Springboks have conceded just three points so far - no side has ever conceded as few across their opening two World Cup fixtures.
Ireland
Of nations to have featured at the World Cup at least once, only New Zealand (four times), South Africa and England have enjoyed longer winning runs than Ireland's current 15-match sequence.
Ireland have made 20.5 attacking 22m entries per game in this World Cup, 5.5 more per game than any other team.