'It's brilliant' - Andy Farrell enjoying Rassie Erasmus mind games

As the saying goes in boxing, styles make fights.

As we move towards tomorrow's first Test between Ireland and South Africa in Pretoria, it appears that applies off the pitch as well as on it.

While Rassie Erasmus has been embracing his caricature as rugby's mischief-maker, his opposite number has been staying silent.

Last Saturday, the South Africa head coach lit the fuse for the week when he published what he expected would be Ireland's matchday squad for this week's opener at Loftus Versfeld, before a blockbuster of a press conference on Tuesday where he cracked jokes and held the room in front of him on a string.

Farrell kept his counsel until Thursday, when he gave his own press conference after naming his team for Saturday's game, and included a major surprise by picking debutant Jamie Osborne at full-back.

And while the Ireland coach has never been one to engage in back and forth mind games, he admits he's been enjoying it from afar.

"It's hilarious! It's brilliant," he said, when asked about the Springbok coach's (above) use of social media.

"You think it’s good? So do I. It’s hilarious, like. Why not? Why not? I don’t think nothing of it. I think it’s good, it’s interesting.

"There’s a few spelling mistakes there, a few weights that were wrong, but I thought it was great."

There's likely to be a razor-sharp edge to Saturday's game at Loftus, with South Africa's Eben Etzebeth, Damian de Allende and Cheslin Kolbe all stoking the flames in recent months since the sides last met at the World Cup in 2023.

And while the meeting of the world's top two ranked sides has been billed as a 'grudge match' of sorts, Farrell insists there's a healthy rivalry and respect between the sides.

"It doesn't get any bigger, really, does it?

"I'm