Heyneke Meyer

Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has warned his team they will need to be at their best if they are to keep their unbeaten record under his management in the Northern Hemisphere intact.

Meyer singled out the team’s first fixture against Ireland as a crucial one to kick off the team’s four week tour, and one which is the most tricky of all their fixtures.

While England has been singled out before as the fixture the Boks are likely to hold in the highest esteem, especially with next year’s Rugby World Cup being played there, the Boks know they cannot focus on the Twickenham showdown before getting past the tricky Irish, who have been a team that has plagued them at this time of year under previous coaches.

The Boks didn’t play Ireland when they went north last year, but the Irish will still be smarting from coming amazingly close to beating the All Blacks in Dublin last year, as the New Zealanders snatched the game away from them in the dying seconds to end their season unbeaten.

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The Boks will know all too well how a poor opening performance can set the trend for the tour, and with chances to experiment getting less and less ahead of the World Cup, it is imperative that the team kick off the tour on a high note.

That’s why Meyer has underlined the difficult nature of the Irish clash, and the tour in general. In contrast to the running rugby seen in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, the tour north is more likely to be a grind in conditions that the Boks will need to master ahead of their massive task next year.

“I don’t like losing at all,” Meyer said when asked if he sees the unbeaten record as one to protect at all costs.

“We have a proud record and we haven’t lost a game there. But we have a proud record and this is probably the toughest tour we have faced to the Northern Hemisphere. I truly believe Ireland is an unbelievable team, they were unlucky not to beat the All Blacks last year.

“They’ve got a great coaching staff, a lot of in-form players and their defence is great. They’ve got a good kicking game in those conditions. England are a tough team to play. In the last four games, we’ve won three by a few points and drawn one. They will always be tough.

“We’ve lost to lesser teams in the past, so Italy will be tough and Wales will be a tough challenge with a new look side. I’m confident but realistic as well. It will be tough to win all four, we’ve already had an unbelievable season. It is our goal. We’re going to have to be better than in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship if we are going to win all four.”

With a bigger squad of 36 making the tour, some players may not make it onto the field, but the opportunity for Meyer to work with them ahead of the World Cup will go a long way in determining how much value he places in them going forward.

Add to this the fact the Boks will be losing their European-based players for the last fixture of the tour against Wales, and it makes sense for Meyer to use the opportunity to work with the entire group of players in the month they are away from home.

“Before next year’s World Cup there are only four test matches, as there are no incoming tours. This is the last opportunity we have to look at every single player. There are a lot of guys who are really unlucky not to be here and at least 10 more could have been chosen,” Meyer explained.

“There are four games, and in the last game we will not have our overseas-based players available, so we will have to fly in one or two more positions. What is difficult is that you can’t fly in a guy on a Monday who you’ve never worked with, and he must play in a test match. A lot of the positions we’ve covered is in positions we may need guys to play. The main thing is that there isn’t a big difference between the players and this is the last chance to work with them.”

With all this in mind, the Boks aren’t likely to stray too far from the team that beat the All Blacks, although they may tweak one or two positions. Coenie Oosthuizen and Johan Goosen’s return to the squad may see them get a spot on the bench while Ruan Pienaar – if declared fit – will be likely to return to his starting role at No 9.

“We want to go on from where we left off. We had a great finish to the Rugby Championship, but a week is a long time for an international coach. We will probably go with more or less the same team, perhaps one or two small changes, but we will have to have some sort of continuity going into the first test match.”

The Boks will leave South Africa for Dublin in two groups, with some of the management flying Friday night and the bulk of the group on Saturday. They face Ireland in their first clash next Saturday in Dublin.