Ireland will have to deal with the old Boks while being wary of the new Boks

The Boks might lack the finesse of France, or the expansive ability of the All Blacks, but they make up for it with sheer bloody-mindedness and wincingly brutal confrontations

Tadhg Beirne speaking at a press conference before the clash with South Africa

Ireland lock Tadhg Beirne knows that when the Six Nations champions meet the world champion Springboks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday they will have to go to some uncomfortable places.

No team turns rugby into a physical conflict on quite the same scale as the Boks. They might lack the finesse of France, or the expansive ability of the All Blacks, but they make up for it with sheer bloody-mindedness and wincingly brutal confrontations.