AVIVA BOKKE

SPRINGBOK coach Rassie Erasmus has rolled out the big guns to try and end their Dublin drought when they take on Ireland on Saturday at the Aviva Stadium (7.40pm kickoff).

The Test match will also be a milestone 50th game for lock RG Snyman, who has been named on the bench for the Irish showdown.

Erasmus’ 23-man squad is largely the same team that klapped France 32-17 in Paris two weeks ago, with only Lood de Jager (suspended) and Kurt-Lee Arendse (concussion) not selected.

South Africa have not tasted victory in Ireland since 2012 when a Heyneke Meyer-coached Bok team beat the Iere 16-12 in Dublin.

It will be the first time in his 51 Tests as coach that Erasmus will be in charge of a match against Ireland at the home team’s traditional home, with the Bok baas admitting it is a difficult place to come and win at.

In his days as coach of Munster, he failed to win there [against Leinster] and said of breaking his and his team’s duck at the venue: “It will be really great if we can go into this match and play to our standards, but then again, if Ireland play really well and to their standards it will be a close game.

“There is not a lot to pick between the two teams. We would love to win this game and say we had a great season and we beat them in Dublin for the first time since 2012.

“It is a game that can define our season, but we will keep reality in our minds.

“Ireland have been among the top-ranked teams in the last few years, and they are a force to be reckoned with at home.”

Erasmus however warned that making the game about him against the Irish, could blow up in his team’s face and wysed: “If we are going to make this about me then we are talking about the wrong things.

“I know it gets lekker spicy when people like to build a game up like a thing between me and Ireland, but making it personal will be the wrong way to go.

“It would be nice to beat Ireland in Dublin [but] as a team.”   

Boks v Ireland: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben EtZebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Boan Venter Replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Andre Esterhuizen, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok