Ireland vs. South Africa - The South African perspective

So here we are again, the Springboks are visiting all their scraggly cousins to the North for their annual Autumn (or if you’re South African, spring) tour. They’re playing Ireland, England, Italy, and the world’s greatest bad team Wales.
First up is a trip to Dublin to face the BO’D-less Irishmen. This is a South African team on a high. After a sluggish start to the year, things got rolling near the end culminating in a delicious victory over the dark side (you may know them as the All Blacks) at Ellis Park.
Where to start? How about flyhalf: Handré Pollard has gone freaking supernova this year. In between almost winning the Junior World Cup single handedly and scoring two brilliant tries against the world’s best team, he has emerged as hands down South Africa’s first choice pivot. A fresh, willing attacker in the most important offensive position has given the Boks a new lease on life. They have retained the strengths that have been hallmarks of South African rugby for over one hundred years, but hybridised with more attacking verve. Pollard is also supersized for his position: A burly 100 KG. His bulk makes him a powerful gain line ball carrier.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has been very clever about how he has introduced new players like Pollard into the set up. He shows immense faith in them, selecting them for the big games, but he has balanced the injection of new blood with the inclusion of some of the older vets – Victor “old enough to have played for Garden of Eden RFC” Matfield is the most notable example. This symbiosis of old and new imbues this team with great balance.
But hold up, before we go too far, let’s us just stop and speak about one man:
South Africa’s eighth man, Duane freaking Vermeulen.
Joe Schmidt wasn’t far off when he said that there hasn’t been a better player in the world this year. Duane Vermeulen is as crazy as a bag of starving rats. Duane Vermeulen played against the All Blacks with busted ribs and won man of the match. Duane Vermeulen would look a charging bear right in the eye and try to fight it. He’d lose, of course – but that’s not the point. It’s the fact that he seems oblivious to fear, reputations or pressure, he wants to rumble 24/7, no matter what. And it makes him so damn entertaining to watch. He doesn’t always win or do well, but his insanely confrontational style of play brings the best out of teams, both his team and the opposition. That’s what rugby is about, none of this milquetoast-French-players-not-showing-up crap: Vermeulen wants to go full Conan the Barbarian 100% of the time. It’s a joy to see, so I would encourage everyone to keep an eye out.

I’m not a massive fan of predictions, particularly against a very canny Irish side coached by an even cannier man. Ireland are capable of springing surprises, just ask the All Blacks. But I see a Springbok side with momentum at their back, with good form, and finely calibrated balance of attacking verve and South African strength.
My prediction: Close until the last fifteen minutes and then South Africa will pull away slightly and win by 10.

The Irish perspective will be up shortly.