South Africa vs Ireland predictions and international rugby tips: Boks can power to another hard-fought win

Where to watch South Africa vs Ireland

Live on Sky Sports Arena, 4pm Saturday

Best bet

South Africa to win by one to 12 points
2pts 6-4 Coral, Ladbrokes

South Africa vs Ireland predictions

South Africa are sitting on top of the world after winning the World Cup in November, but they kick off their home summer campaign against Ireland, the only team to beat them on their way to glory in Paris.

Ireland, who were two-point underdogs when the teams met in the pool stage, edged a hard-fought 13-8 victory. A year earlier the teams had met at the Aviva Stadium where the Dublin hosts ran out 19-16 winners, and although the previous meeting - five years earlier - was a comfortable 38-3 Irish success, the last time Ireland toured South Africa in 2016 produced a series of similarly tight battles.

The first Test in Cape Town went Ireland's way but the Springboks fought back to seal the series with wins in Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth. All three matches were settled by identical margins of six points.

South Africa have the trophies in their cabinet but they haven't won a great deal of admiration for the way they play, and given they have played only a Twickenham one-off against Wales since they lifted the World Cup last autumn, it's unlikely we will see much deviation from their physical and pragmatic approach as they look to get up to speed.

The key contests are likely to be at the breakdown and in the set-piece, where the Boks have the weapons to come out on top and seal a win.

South Africa's starting 15 features no fewer than 11 players who started the World Cup final, and although this is only their second game of the year while Ireland have a successful Six Nations campaign under their belts, that familiarity and the simple efficiency of their gameplan should ensure they remain a cohesive unit.

Ireland's Six Nations success without veteran fly-half Johnny Sexton pulling the strings showed their rebuild is taking shape well and they take another step along that road with Jamie Osborne making his debut at full-back. The 22-year-old is mostly used at centre by Leinster and he looks set to field an aerial assault as the Boks unleash their territorial kicking game.

There's little to choose between the teams, but the sheer physicality of the Springbok side, the experience in their ranks and the advantage of playing at home and at altitude, appear to tilt it in their favour. They famously won all their knockout games at the World Cup by a single point. There may be a little more in it on Saturday, but maybe not much more.

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