Ireland Test 'stood out' for Springboks - Etzebeth
- Published
South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth admits Saturday's Test against Ireland (17:40 GMT) "stood out" when this year's fixture schedule was released, but insisted the world champions are not out for revenge.
Ireland have won four of the past five matches between the sides, including the 2023 Rugby World Cup pool encounter and last year's hugely dramatic Test in Durban.
But Etzebeth, 34, says the Durban game - which followed South Africa's 27-20 win in Pretoria - is not at the forefront of the Springboks' minds.
"I'm not one for going back in time and watching past games for motivation," he said.
"Playing Ireland here in Dublin is a very different challenge to that series in South Africa. That was a year and a half ago. A lot can happen in rugby in a week, and that game was a long time ago."
Two-time World Cup winner Etzebeth added: "Ireland are a great team; they have been in the top three of the world rankings for several years.
"They are a top-quality side. I am looking forward to this fixture after a long wait because when we looked at the calendar at the beginning of the year, this fixture stood out."
South Africa arrive in Dublin in excellent form. Having retained the Rugby Championship, Rassie Erasmus' side trounced Japan 61-7 at Wembley before overcoming France and Italy.
The wins in Paris and Turin were particularly notable because of first-half red cards for South Africa, with Lood de Jager dismissed for a shoulder-to-head tackle on Les Bleus full-back Thomas Ramos and Franco Mostert sent off for a similar offence against the Azzurri.
While De Jager was handed a four-game suspension, Etzebeth says the Springboks will not change their style.
"I don't think it will affect our game too much. We must keep being aware of level change," said the Sharks forward, who is set to earn his 140th cap at Aviva Stadium this weekend.
"You feel that if you level change, you should be safe and get the benefit of the doubt. For me personally, I will keep playing the game I play, and I think the other locks will do the same."