Former Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan questions the Springboks' abilities in his Irish Independent column.
"The Springboks need a big-game win on this tour and that probably equates to victory either at the Aviva or against England at Twickenham. They are probably even more vulnerable than when shot down in the freezing fog of Croke Park a year ago, not -- mind -- that they aren't capable of hitting the ground with all guns blazing today.
"I just question whether those guns possess their customary firepower. Life, clearly, isn't all sweetness and light in the camp after finishing bottom of the Tri Nations pile with one win out of six and conceding an average of 30 points in each game. Marry that to the depleted nature of the squad they have brought to these shores and it has to translate into a big opportunity for Ireland.
"The Tri Nations highlighted massive concentration issues for the Boks. They blew a 'dead rubber' match against New Zealand with a 12-point turnaround in the closing five minutes and then messed up trying to run down the clock with 30 seconds remaining in the game with Australia at Bloemfontein. This was light years removed from the cold efficiency that defined the Springboks' mastery of the Lions in 2009, a series in which they had the luxury of resting front-line players for the third and, already redundant, final Test. Historically, confidence has never been an issue for South African rugby, but events of the last six months can't but have left little deposits of worry."
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