Ringrose ready for 'the biggest game in Irish history' against Boks in Durban

BIGGEST GAME IN IRISH HISTORY: Ireland meet the Springboks in the second Test at Kings Park in Durban and have the chance to end the season on a high while avoiding a back-to-back defeat for the first time since 2021. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Ireland, and particularly centre Garry Ringrose, will take coach Andy Farrell’s mantra to heart – “the biggest game in Irish rugby’s history is always the next one.” Ireland meet the Springboks in the second Test at Kings Park in Durban and have the chance to end the season on a high while avoiding a back-to-back defeat for the first time since 2021.

Ringrose will have the chance to test the Springboks’ midfield from the first minute after being named to start in Durban.

“With how competitive the group is, how special an opportunity it would be to represent the country, it (Farrell’s mantra) couldn't be more true,” Ringrose said.

“Any opportunity that any of us get to play for Ireland, it's never taken for granted. It motivates you to work hard.” 

It wasn’t a surprise that the 29-year-old Ringrose was elevated to the starting team by Farrell after a good 40 minutes at Loftus Versfeld in the first Test.

Bundee Aki, who has given way, sustained a shoulder injury and although he was close to selection, didn’t quite make it on a fitness front.

Aki also didn’t have his usual impact on the game and was found a little stretched at times by the Boks’ new attacking intent while he also lacked penetration on attack.

Tour captain Peter O’Mahony was also benched in a shake up among the forwards, with James Ryan coming in to the second row and Tadhg Beirne moving to flank.

Farrell warned that it would be premature to read this as the end of O’Mahony’s Test career.

“Yeah, it would, yeah,” Farrell said. “He’s a determined type of bloke, always there to try and prove a point and you know what it’s like with the game now.

“What he’ll bring for us is something very important – not just the leadership part but the know-how and the determination that he’ll have to prove a point.” 

Ringrose threat 

Bok coach Rassie Erasmus name-checked Ringrose after last week’s match as a player who had caused them some problems. The Leinster man’s good footwork and workrate have earned him the call after an injury-plagued year.

Ringrose missed the first three games of the Six Nations with a shoulder injury, but he’s not one for buying into the ‘match-fitness’ trope, despite only being a few games into his season.

“Even when coming back, you have no excuses, especially with how we train at Leinster and Ireland, and the other provinces are the same,” Ringrose said.

“If you get a couple of weeks running at training it shouldn't be an excuse not to be match fit.” 

He will reunite with Leinster partner Robbie Henshaw where the pair will come up against the experienced Bok duo of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel.

The two double World Cup-winners will combine for a South African-record 30th time in the midfield, underlining how experienced the current Boks are. Their starting fifteen has a combined 997 caps, which is a South African record.

“They've great cohesion when they play together,” Ringrose said of his direct competitors.

“Damian's an unbelievably good ball player, he can pass off both hands, kicking ability, attacking kicks, and that's before mentioning his ability to carry.

“Then you have Jesse Kriel, who on defence gets through a crazy amount of work and chases every chance, every scrap, and he's a cornerstone of their defence.” 

The reviews in the Ireland camp were direct and honest this week. While they might have been on the wrong side of some close calls by the officials, there is also enough maturity to know that they weren't at their best either.

And to beat the Boks on their own patch, requires being at your best. While sifting through the footage of the 27-20 loss at Loftus, there were some positive moments to build on.

“When you lose you don't take many positives. I guess the opportunities that we potentially did create, and maybe didn't take were some,” Ringrose said.

“I think there's another level in how we can play. A credit to them, how strong they are on defence and the pressure they put you under.

“On attack they had really good variety, so having faced them once, we need to try to level up again. There are areas of their game we'll try to level up and try to do the same thing.

“The positives, I guess, are having an opportunity to go again and knowing that we can be better and the challenges will be to improve on what they improve on.

“There's no egos in the group. Why we say it's a special group, and we all feel privileged to be a part of it is because everyone wants to do their best, give their best and ultimately win, but that's a by-product of being as focused and as hard-working and enjoying each other's company, and all of that.

“When it doesn't work out, a lot of guys are quite hard on themselves, so it's about just being open and honest and transparent, and putting it all out there. That's what the last two days have looked like – being open and honest.

“It's a huge opportunity as a group for us to get a chance to go again. It's all any of us would ever want.”