Rassie respectful but unfazed

SPRINGBOK coach Rassie Erasmus says the result of a close match against Ireland on Saturday will not define a season, in which his team have already won 11 of the 13 matches they have played.

- MIKE GREENAWAY

Erasmus added that while much is being made about the Boks losing four of their last five games against the Irish, the margins have been tiny.

"I am not sure that Saturday's result will define the season as being successful or not," the coach said. "If we play at our best, but Ireland are better on the day, what can you say then? That is rugby.

"It is about the level of performance that we deliver in our 14th match of the season. We have been together since the beginning of June.

match to navigate, but admitted the Boks are eager to get one over Ireland, having never beaten them in Dublin during his coaching tenure. South Africa's last win in the Irish capital came in 2012.

"In the last couple of games, it wasn't like we were far off beating them or completely outplayed. We were a bit underdone when we came here. It's been a combination of things - like our Japan-based players not having played for five weeks, and in that game we had a bad start.