Springboks legend and former Munster centre Jean de Villiers believes that the rivalry which has built up between South Africa and Ireland has been ‘a good thing’ and reckons the country will be getting behind the Bulls this weekend.

The Pretoria outfit will take on Leinster in the final of the United Rugby Championship at Croke Park on Saturday in what will be the latest instalment of Ireland v South Africa.

While it is not a duel between the respective nations, with an Irish province facing off with a side from the Republic, there are bragging rights at stake, certainly from a South African perspective.

Ireland’s improvement

De Villiers knows Ireland well having spent a season with Munster and believes that the rivalry has stemmed from their improvement at Test level.

“I absolutely love Ireland, I love the Irish and the fact that I’ve spent a very short time at Munster, I love the club and what it stands for, and the people I was able to meet. I’d like to think I made friends for life,” he told Off The Ball.

“Ireland is very close to my heart and it’s played a part in being able to build who I am today, and for that I will always be grateful.

“When this rivalry started to creep up I was like, ‘where does this come from?’ I can’t pinpoint a day when it happened but it’s the fact that certainly in the last 10 or 15 years it’s been the rise of Irish rugby.

“If we think about to maybe pre-2000 and maybe a little bit after that, Ireland didn’t have the success that they have now.

“I think it’s a good thing and the hatred that might be there at times, if you dig a little bit deeper, it’s respect more than anything else, and that goes both ways.”

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It is unlikely that Leinster will be getting much support from the other fans in Ireland but De Villiers, who played for one of the Bulls’ rivals, the Stormers, insists that it will be different for the Pretoria side in South Africa.

‘We’re passionate about South Africa’

“I think they will be supporting the Bulls. The crazy thing about South Africa is we are passionate about rugby but we’re passionate about South Africa as well,” he said.

“Even though we might not support the Bulls and be their fiercest haters when we play against them, when they take on anyone outside of South Africa, you then support them.

“I would like to think that South Africans are the same as me. I don’t know what goes on in the head of the majority of the country but I think that would be the case.

“It’s weird how there’s this rivalry between South Africa and Ireland, which has certainly built up over the last couple of years.

“It keeps the sport entertaining and the competitive nature just comes up which is again the beauty of sport.”

De Villiers’ point about the Bulls receiving backing from their South African rivals appeared to be supported by John Plumtree, the Sharks boss.

Plumtree is head coach of the side that were beaten by the Bulls in the URC semi-final last weekend, but he is very much behind Jake White’s team.

“I just wish them good luck,” Plumtree said on Saturday after the defeat. “We’re in a Bulls jersey next weekend. I will buy one on Monday, although I hope Jake will send me one.”

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Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/jean-de-villiers-springboks-ireland-hatred-shows-respect-as-whole-of-south-africa-supporting-the-bulls-against-leinster