Springbok icon Percy Montgomery and former Ireland scrumhalf John Robbie are relishing the off-field sparring that has spiced up the impending two-Test series in South Africa.
Rassie Erasmus started the mind games in the buildup to the first of the two Tests, predicting on Twitter what Ireland’s matchday 23 will be for the clash at a sold-out Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
The tweet came after Erasmus welcomed a healthy stoking of the rivalry between the two nations, during a press conference last week.
Quoted by The Irish Times, 102-Test Montgomery relishes the pre-match exchanges: “Rugby banter is always good. It ensures that the boys are up for the game.
“Back in my day, Keith Wood used to be quite a menace and gave us a lot of flak. I’ll never forget our captain’s run at Lansdowne Road in 1998; we hadn’t finished yet when Woody and the rest of the Irish crew came trotting onto the field to start their session.
“Ireland are niggly, they are irritating, but they also boast excellent rugby players. They are extremely passionate, just like the Welsh, and they know their rugby.
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“The banter is all part of the psychological warfare. It’s good, as long as it doesn’t become personal.
“As South Africans, we wouldn’t expect anything less from Ireland. They must come at us as hard as they can.”
Robbie, who toured the Republic with the British & Irish Lions in 1980, likened the rugby hype game to that of boxing while highlighting the importance of the Boks versus Ireland clashes in the context of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
“That’s why I love boxing,” he said. “There’s so much nonsense in the buildup to a fight, but once the bell goes it’s just man against man in the ring. It’s the same with rugby.
“Some people do feel that Ireland, as well as Leinster, might be a bit arrogant. Back when I played, if we won the toss we’d do a lap of honour, that’s how bad we were.
“Last year, though, Ireland had held the No 1 spot on World Rugby’s rankings for more than a year, yet they were eliminated by New Zealand in the World Cup quarters, as was the case in 2019. Leinster, too, have attained a reputation for losing when it comes to the crunch.
“Rugby these days, since the advent of the World Cup, works in four-year cycles, and we’re only at the beginning of the next cycle now. Essentially, this Bok-Ireland series is just part of the build-up to the next World Cup in 2027.”
Photo: Juan Jose Gasparini/Gallo Images
The post Monty: Boks-Ireland banter part of ‘warfare’ appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Src: sarugbymag.co.za
