‘Pressure is bigger than it was before the Lions Test’

BIGGER THAN the Lions, and bigger than the Tri-Nations decider. That’s how the visiting World Cup champion Springboks are looking at tomorrow’s clash with Ireland in Croke Park, according to assistant coach Gary Gold, who said yesterday that he “had not encountered anything as big as the build-up to Saturday . . . the pressure and expectations are bigger than they were before the first Lions Test in Durban or that final Tri-Nations clash in Hamilton.”

Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has made sweeping changes to his side following their clash with Italy last week as a result, with six changes and two positional switches.

The ‘Boks have restored captain John Smit to hooker in place of Adriaan Strauss – the World Cup-winning skipper has been lining out at tight head in recent games – while elsewhere in the front row Tendai Mtawarira returns in place of recent Munster signing Wian du Preez, and Ulster’s BJ Botha comes in at tight head prop.