In his playing days, Paul O’Connell was anything but a shrinking violet, and he is already looking forward to this Saturday’s match at Loftus Versfeld.

In Pretoria, where Rassie Erasmus was at his bombastic best after selecting a highly experienced team for Saturday’s first Test, the drums are beating and Ireland is deep within enemy territory.

Ireland’s entire team trained this morning at the St. Peter’s College school in Johannesburg, where they will be spending the week 45 minutes away. According to O’Connell, they’re all available.

Although O’Connell acknowledges that playing South Africa away from home presents the greatest challenge in rugby at the moment, he also believes that the Irish players are prepared for it.

“Yes, it is right now,” he replied.

“They are the world champions, their playing group has good continuity, they know who they are, and right now, I would say there’s a lot of confidence in their group.”

“Being here and away from home is a huge challenge for us, but our boys are excited about it.”

The team that emerges victorious from the ruck will set the agenda.

The breakdown is now a major component of every game. The way South Africa and France are playing in the French and European Cup finals, as well as how they are playing overall, shows that this is a true battlefield, the speaker said.

There has been a slight return to the traditional methods, as teams are now more inclined to take the chance of putting up points in the breakdown and causing minor chaos within it.

“Teams have become extremely adept at selecting their opportunities to attack specific breakdowns based on their position on the field.”

Whether it’s numbers or an individual with an unattractive body type during a grapple, they excel at picking up on small signs of vulnerability.

The choices that players make during a breakdown have nearly mirrored those made by players when they have the ball in their possession and are attacking. It presents a significant challenge to us.

“Anytime you want to play

It will play a significant role in the game this weekend, according to our boys, who also truly enjoy it. We have some excellent poachers, counter-ruckers, and breakdown decision-makers.

Twenty of the 23-man South African team had played in the World Cup final. The country had earlier selected a formidable side for the opening Test.

“I quickly took a peek at their squad. That kind of continuity is important for any successful team, he stated.

“If you look at any of the successful clubs in the recent past, you will see that they have had consistent players, coaches, and leadership. They are in a powerful position, and their side is really good.

O’Connell doesn’t think fatigue will play a role, despite the fact that both teams are nearing the end of exhaustive seasons.

With regard to player management, he remarked, “We are lucky.”

The players have had plenty of time off throughout the year, including weeks without practice or competition, so they haven’t experienced the mental strain that comes with competing. It’s likely been a long year for them.

Players typically have varied journeys. Some guys take a break during the season due to an injury they sustained earlier in life, while others take a little time off for both mental and physical well-being.

“In the past few years, whenever we have gone on tour or reunited with the provinces following a particularly taxing time, we have always noticed our players. There is never a sense that we have to manage them or manage their load. That wasn’t flown over here by us.

We arrived in two groups at different times, so we traveled with a little caution. We also took extra care during the first training session. Regardless of whether this was a Six Nations match or a Test in November, we haven’t made many changes to our training regimen.

We haven’t felt the need to, but Andy and the staff would have a good feel for that.

“Players have a positive, upbeat, and prepared sense. Although many of SA’s players are based at home and have the opportunity to manage them and their workload, I am aware that the team has a few players who are playing in France.

“Who was fresher won’t be indicated by an asterisk following the results. It is what it is, really.