A genuine treat awaits. Notwithstanding the fact New Zealand will be giving Dublin a skip this month, some of rugby’s standout performers are coming to town in November, writes Donal Lenihan.

South Africa will bid against Ireland to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

So often the perfect opportunity to introduce promising players to the international stage, the autumn international series has taken on a different significance this year with the 2015 Rugby World Cup pool allocation draw taking place on December 3 and Ireland perilously close to falling out of the world’s top eight.

A broad smile colonises Jonathan Sexton’s chiselled features as his mind rewinds three years to the first time he faced the Springboks.

Ireland’s rugby stars endured a training session with a difference yesterday in the company of some of the country’s elite boxing stars.

Australia 39 South Africa 20

THE sight of South African props falling to their knees in relief and their team-mates raising arms to the stars in triumph at the final whistle spoke volumes about how much victory over Ireland meant to an under-fire Springboks camp.

SOUTH AFRICA captain Victor Matfield has primed Irish rugby fans for a backlash after hearing his side dismissed as a threat for this evening’s opening autumn international at the Aviva Stadium (5.30pm).

Australia assistant coach Jim Williams does not expect David Pocock to have as big an impact as he had against South Africa last month when the two countries meet in the Tri Nations on Saturday.

Ireland 6 South Africa 10

IRELAND captain Brian O’Driscoll dismissed claims his team will have an advantage in freshness and enthusiasm over the Springboks at Croke Park this afternoon.

THE smiles were back and promises kept as the 2009 British and Irish Lions produced the performance of this South African tour to emphatically avoid a whitewash at Ellis Park, Johannesburg on Saturday with a victory that highlighted just how unlucky they were to lose the three-game Test series.

TOMMY BOWE won more than the man-of-the-match award in Durban on Saturday – he also cemented his place for Saturday’s first test against South Africa in Durban.

STEPHEN JONES and Ronan O’Gara are used to going hammer and tongs at each other and this British & Irish Lions tour is no different.

FORMER South Africa coach Carel du Plessis does not believe the country’s current injury woes in key positions is a problem ahead of the British and Irish Lions series that begins next month.

New Zealand extended their unbeaten home run to 30 matches with a gutsy victory over South Africa.

SOUTH AFRICA coach Peter de Villiers has warned Wales his side are preparing for “war” in their two Tests against the RBS 6 Nations champions.

Uncapped prop Heinke van der Merwe has been included in the South Africa squad for the clashes with Wales and the Barbarians.

WORLD CUP winning coach Jake White confirmed his departure as South Africa coach yesterday — but left with a blistering attack on organising body, SA Rugby.

SPRINGBOK coach Jake White saluted the leadership of his senior players after South Africa survived a major World Cup quarter-final fright against Fiji at Stade Velodrome.

EDDIE JONES has been confirmed as technical advisor to the South Africa national side until the end of their World Cup campaign.

JAKE WHITE has claimed South Africa are paying for the sins of previous Springboks teams as he continued to question the controversial refereeing decision that cost the Tri-Nations champions a Grand Slam at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

South Africa 31 Ireland 17

Overshadowed by the spectre of racism in recent weeks, the Springbok rugby side will be looking to lift their spirits when they get down to business in their first warm-up match for the World Cup against provincial side Free State in Bloemfontein.

SOUTH AFRICA’S rugby reputation was tainted again yesterday after forward Bakkies Botha was banned for eight weeks and prop Robbie Kempson for four weeks in the aftermath of the spiteful Tri-Nations Test with Australia here.

Springbok coach Rudolf Straeuli has made two changes to his starting XV for Saturday’s second Test against Scotland in Johannesburg.

SCOTLAND coach Ian McGeechan has made five changes to the side for tomorrow’s Test match against South Africa in Durban.

South Africa coach Rudolf Straeuli has named four uncapped players in a new-look starting XV for the first Test against Scotland in Durban on Saturday.

FORMER England fly-half Stuart Barnes has branded the Springboks as a “disgrace” in the wake of last weekend’s ill-tempered loss to England.

ENGLAND captain Martin Johnson is braced for another shuddering physical confrontation with South Africa at Twickenham on Saturday.

Tri-Nations latest

After 21mins, Van Straaten is successful with his third kick at goal.

A second penalty stretches the home side's lead.