RWC 2023 Ireland v South Africa Buildup - Sat 23rd Sep 20:00 Paris

Dont think Sheahan would be match fit for such a test , no doubt best hooker, I might go with Herring cause who it is - rest of team selects itself, though definitly Crowley ahead of Byrne on bench

Good interview with ROG here. Was probably recorded before the SA team was announced, no mention of the "bomb squad".

he was playing in the 2R this six nations, much as i agree with the general statement

I think it's a real stretch to say that their set piece is toast if Mbonambi goes off. Fourie is a hooker by trade originally. This isn't Cian Healy covering. He hasn't started a game there in a long time but he's still trusted to move there in games in recent seasons and has dozens of starts there in his career. Their line out didn't miss a beat against Romania with him playing 40 minutes at hooker (and the lineout is one area where Romania are actually ok).

I think they'll still look to bring Fourie onto the field after 60-65 minutes for what he brings around the park.

I've been confident all week that we will win, for many reasons I've somehow convinced myself about . The closer it gets , the more I dread that a loss will leave us facing Scotland for a place in the Q.F.s. I've been more nervous about Scotland than S.A. (make sense of that, if you can).

I can't see the Boks being out of the first two in the group because they have beaten Scotland. Our world cup starts on Saturday. The 'Boks are the only country to lose a game and go on to win the W.C. I can't see us losing this game and then going on to win the W.C.

I think Ireland have to lay down a marker in this W.C.. on Saturday.

Feck it, I'll call it now ,we beat them by 12 or more, odds@5/1. If we lose we should gang up on @Jacovs and............. congratulate him!

If we loose it will mean SA have physically battered us, if they do that ,then lots of injuries, which makes the Scots game very scary. What a bleak post by me ,but it's my fear.

We really need to win on Sat.

I was thinking about this and there might be something in bringing in a fresh VDF to counteract the SA bench. POM can empty himself for an hour.

I'm looking forward to the game. I see it as a bit of a free hit. I'm not worried about us beating Scotland, so I see it as a bit of a free hit. So we'll make the QF one way or another. I know we're told we don't want France at home in the QF, but if we get on top of France at home that becomes a disadvantage to them. We can beat France or NZ in the quarter final (or indeed lose to either), this SA game will be the toughest game of the world cup for us, hopefully we get to play it twice.

I think Farrell can turn the team around if we lose, I wouldn't worry about the impact a loss might have on us for the Scotland team. SA are the strongest side in the tournament, we won't fall apart if we lose to them.

Definitely a good shout that its a free hit for SA.

You know what your right 24- 11 to Ireland