If there is one thing South Africa have made abundantly clear in the first two weeks of their Rugby World Cup defence, it's that they are going to do things their own way.
After naming their team to face Scotland two days ahead of schedule and using traffic lights to send messages from the coaching box to the pitch in Marseille, the Springboks have found a new way to raise eyebrows ahead of their mouthwatering battle with Ireland in Paris.
South Africa again went early with their team announcement, but this time it was the squad selection itself that got tongues wagging as head coach Jacques Nienaber opted for a 7:1 split on the bench.
The unorthodox approach - picking seven forwards and just one back as the substitutes - was a major talking point when it was used in the Springboks’ warm-up win over New Zealand at Twickenham last month.
But reverting to a 7:1 ratio, rather than the more orthodox 5:3 or 6:2, for a high-stakes battle between the world’s top two sides sent a clear message to Ireland that they are in for a relentless physical barrage at the Stade de France.
If the Boks were hoping to cause mischief or stir up uncertainty in the Irish ranks by announcing the surprising selection a day early, they have failed, according to Ireland head coach Andy Farrell.
“I think it’s great. It obviously suits them, and they obviously know their squad and what fits for them and so do we,” Farrell said.
“I did pose the question to our forwards coaches as to whether we should go with seven backs and one forward, but they weren’t up for that!
“I think it shows they know exactly where they want to go with their game plan, and we do the same with the subs we pick as well.”
Farrell insisted that he “never once” paused to think if he needed to alter his preparations in response to the Springboks selection.
Pressed on the impact of facing an almost entirely new pack during the game, Farrell was unfazed.
“I am pretty confident in the five forwards we have got coming off bench and the impact they’re going to have and the type of game we’re going to play when that happens,” he said.
“It doesn’t have any bearing as far as that’s concerned. We’ve been able to analyse them with the 7:1 split, and not much changes.
“Obviously they are fresh, and they got dominance set-piece-wise in that game [the 35-7 win over New Zealand] but we would back our players to do the same.”
The clash in Saint-Denis will be a true test of mettle between two of the favourites for the title, and the top two ranked teams in world rugby.
South Africa made an early statement of intent by beating Scotland 18-3 before thrashing Romania 76-0, while Ireland racked up big wins over Romania and Tonga.
Victory in this fixture could well determine who tops Pool B, but Farrell doesn’t see it as a make-or-break moment.
“It is not a must win, it is not a do-or-die game, but it is pretty important to both teams,” he said.
“It’s always nice to win but we have always looked at ourselves mainly in terms of performance. It’s a big game, there will be over 30,000 Irish supporters in a stadium we know well.”
He added: “Barring us and our team and management and the Irish people all over the world, I think everyone thinks they are the favourites, and they are going to win this game.
“I can see why because of the form they’ve shown in the last couple of games. But we don’t think like that. We are ready for a tough battle and it will take its own course.”
There were no major surprises in Farrell’s team selection, with Jamison Gibson-Park returning to start at scrum-half in the only change to the side that beat Tonga.
On the bench, hooker Dan Sheehan returns after a foot injury.
“We just want [Gibson-Park] being himself and producing the form he has produced for us throughout his time as an Irish international. The pace and skillset he brings to our game is something we all enjoy watching,” Farrell said.
“Dan is obviously fit and raring to go and in fine condition. He’s a world-class hooker in my opinion and he gets his chance to get his tournament underway.”
Ireland captain Johnny Sexton comes into the game on a high after becoming his country’s record points scorer during the victory against Tonga.
The fly-half’s leadership and creativity will be key to Irish hopes of earning a second win over the Springboks inside a year, following their 19-16 victory in Dublin last November.
Asked what kind of performance will be needed to achieve that feat, Sexton replied: “A top one on both sides of the ball.”
“Their defence is obviously renowned for the line speed they come at you with, so we need to be on top of our game when we have the ball,” he continued.
“With the way they have been playing recently - going wide and being direct in certain areas of the field, bringing a strong kicking game - they test you in every aspect of the game and that is why we are going to have to be on top form.”
