James Lowe not reading too much into South Africa's 7-1 split

FULLY FOCUSED: James Lowe during Ireland's captain's run at the Stade de France. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Inevitably this week, any Ireland media conference has eventually got around to addressing South Africa’s unique replacement selection.

Seven forwards and just one back? The South Africans first tried it last month as a dry run for Saturday night’s showdown and it reaped dividends in helping to tear New Zealand apart in a record 35-7 defeat for the All Blacks yet Irish indifference was uniform among coaches and players who have never strayed from a five-three division of labour off the bench.

All except James Lowe, that is.

The wing will earn his 24th Ireland cap at Stade de France having never warmed a bench in his Test career and only been replaced once, called ashore on 58 minutes earlier this summer during the pre-tournament warm-up victory over England.

So it was perhaps not unexpected for him to take a left-field approach to imagining how Springbok backline replacement Cobus Reinach may be feeling about covering every position from his own preference at number nine to 15.

“Yeah, jack of all trades,” Lowe said of the prospect. “It’s Cobus Reinach. He’s an exceptional nine.

“It would be interesting to know the dynamic if they did bring him on, who’d move to where, Faf (de Klerk) would go to 10 maybe? I don’t know.

“But if I was the only back on the bench, I would be, we would be in a lot of trouble!” 

Lowe, sharing a top table with loosehead prop Andrew Porter on Thursday afternoon, was doing himself a disservice but as to whether he considered the South African 7-1 policy a risky one, he replied: “Erm, if (flanker) Kwagga Smith’s in the centres, I do, yeah!

“I didn’t read too much into it. I saw it on Tuesday night. It was always going to be something different, wasn’t it? I think everyone could have guessed that and with the 7-1 split, Ports is probably in a bit more trouble than me.

“Because playing in the backs is not as attritional, we’re used to playing 80 minutes, you know? He’s got to get up off the ground and push people harder than they push him.

“It’s interesting. Never faced it before. I think it’s the second time that they’ve done it. It worked the first time, hence they’re trying it again.” 

The South Africans’ bench composition merely emphasises the perception of Springbok heft that has been their modus operandi for decades but Lowe believes it is an oversimplification of the threats they possess, and which Ireland will have to counter Saturday evening with the back three’s defensive orbit concerned with keeping Damian Willemse and wings Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe quiet.

“Obviously very, very big men,” he said of the forward pack, “but if you look at the backline, it’s scary enough. You just look at the two wingers there. They are very similar players, great on their feet, great reads on D, seriously brave for their size.

“I know we can expect them to kick the ball a lot but ball in hand they have serious, serious individual threats. They have proven even in the first few games how good they are with ball in hand. We all know it.

“Yes they are physical but they have also got some freaks in the backline.” 

The task in possession is just as challenging with or without Kwagga Smith stepping into the midfield.

“I guess you’ve just got to realise that your time and space is being taken away,” Lowe explained. “They bring a serious amount of line-speed… but with that obviously comes opportunities but not many teams are able to exploit that sort of defence.

“So we’re going to try our best, hold our feet. They commit to players very, very early and it works, so why would they change it? It’s up to us to try and pick it apart and get the ball to space because there is space. It’s just so blooming hard to get it there.”