Springbok icon Percy Montgomery and former Ireland scrumhalf John Robbie are enjoying a fierce rivalry off the pitch that is adding excitement to the upcoming two-Test series in South Africa.
Lassie Erasmus started playing a mind game before the start of the first of two Test matches, taking to Twitter to predict what would happen in Ireland’s 23rd match at a sold-out Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
The tweet comes after Erasmus welcomed a healthy boost to competition between the two countries at a press conference last week.
Quoted by Irish Times102-Test Montgomery loves the pre-match exchanges. “Rugby banter is always good. It keeps the boys engaged in the game.
“Keith Wood was quite a threat in my day and gave us a lot of criticism. I’ll never forget our captain’s run at Lansdowne Road in 1998, when Woody and the rest of the Ireland crew came running onto the pitch to start the session. When we’re not done yet.
“Ireland is a tough, tough country, but they also have some great rugby players. Like Wales, they are very passionate and know their rugby.
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“Jokes are all part of psychological warfare. As long as they don’t get personal, they’re fine.
“As South Africans, we would expect nothing less from Ireland. They have to come at us as hard as they can.”
Robbie, who toured the Republic with the British and Irish Lions in 1980, likened the hype around rugby to boxing, highlighting the importance of the Boks v Ireland clash in the context of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
“That’s why I love boxing,” he said. “There’s so much nonsense to prepare for a fight, but once the bell rings, it’s man against man in the ring. It’s the same with rugby.
“Some people think Ireland, as well as Leinster, are a bit arrogant. When I played, if you won the toss you were inducted into the Hall of Fame, we were that bad.
“Last year, Ireland remained at the top of the world rugby rankings for over a year, but just like in 2019, they lost to New Zealand in the World Cup quarter-finals. Leinster also achieved first place. They are famous for losing when faced with a crisis.
“Rugby now runs on a four-year cycle, starting with the World Cup, and we are now at the beginning of the next cycle. In essence, this Bok-Ireland series is just part of the process of preparing for the next World Cup in 2027.”
Photo: Juan Jose Gasparini/Gallo Images
