Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick is expecting a massive challenge when South Africa come up against world No 1 Ireland in their round three Rugby World Cup pool encounter at Stade de France on Saturday.

It was thought that the match between the current No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the world would be one of the most important for both teams in the pool rounds, and the lead-up to the match has only confirmed this.

Stick was asked right away at Friday’s press conference about the Springboks’ decision to have seven forwards and one back on the bench. He played down the excitement by saying that the team did what they thought was best for this match.

“It’s the World Cup,” said Stick.

“It’s the biggest competition in world rugby and when people talk about us it means they are interested in the team. We do what works for us and with our team selection it allows us to ensure that we have fresh legs on the field.”

Stick added: “We are playing against the best team in the world and as a group we lean on our strengths, so we won’t change much in the way we do things. Ireland are similar to Scotland in how organised they are, so we know what to expect. That said, this is a World Cup, and we must adapt to any challenges.”