'I would be lying if I said we don't want to tick the Ireland box'

THE Springbok players this week have played down the “revenge” factor ahead of their huge clash with archrivals Ireland tomorrow, but coach Rassie Erasmus said he would be “lying” if he said that ticking the Ireland box was not important.

- MIKE GREENAWAY

Erasmus and his illustrious group of players and management have won two World Cups since they got together in 2018, but in that time, they have lost four of five games played against Ireland, and none of them have won a Test match in Dublin, not even 139-cap veteran Eben Etzebeth.

“Personally, I have never won a match here in Dublin,’ Erasmus said. “Even as a coach of Munster, we lost to the Scarlets here in the PRO 14 final; we lost here to Saracens in the European Cup; as Boks, we have not won a Test here.

“I would be lying if we said we did not want to tick this box, but it is not about revenge,’ Erasmus explained. “When we play Ireland, it is a nice, competitive environment against a team that has been in the top three for several years.

“It is exciting playing them, and beating them in Dublin is something we have not done. If you don't talk about it the right way in the media, you get a lot of flak,” the coach continued.