Preview: Ireland must Boks clever to defeat world champions

It's a dress rehearsal with a difference.

With less than 11 months to go until their crucial game in the Rugby World Cup pool stages, Ireland head into their autumn opener against South Africa looking to prove that size isn’t everything.

It’s the number one side in the world versus the world champions and while the former have scaled new heights under Andy Farrell, their record against physically superior opponents remains a stick to beat them with.

There is no bigger physical test than the one that awaits them at the Aviva Stadium.

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Johnny Sexton believes Ireland are facing the best team in the world this weekend

South Africa are continuing to experiment ahead of the World Cup, with Damian Willemse and Cheslin Kolbe named at out-half and full-back respectively and Duane Vermeulen given the month off, but they have still selected a side jam-packed with power for their first trip to Dublin in five years.

It is a very different challenge compared to what Ireland faced in New Zealand and just what Farrell will have wanted to ensure his squad keeps evolving ahead of France 2023.

The Ireland head coach has selected the same starting pack as the one that made history in Wellington but there are big changes in the backline with only Johnny Sexton, Mack Hansen and Hugo Keenan retained.

Keenan has not seen a minute of competitive action in the past 16 weeks but he has plenty of credit in the bank, having rarely put a foot wrong for Ireland, and has done enough in training to persuade Farrell