It’s safe to say the build-up to this Ireland versus South Africa renewal has been a sweetness and light affair compared to the warmongering hype generated 16 months ago.
There was something about that Irish visit in July 2024 that worked Springbok fans into a frenzy, and some of their players happily fuelled this divisive narrative.
The fuse was lit by Eben Etzebeth’s perceived post-Rugby World Cup game slight and the ‘war’ comment from Damian de Allende only whipped things up further in the lead-up to that two-match series.
The animosity this created wasn’t the best look, especially when the late
