'Problems' Manie and Damian hailed as Irish attack guru Catt talks up classic RWC clash

According to Ireland assistant coach Mike Catt, the clash between the World No 1 team and the Springboks, who are ranked No 2, in Paris on Saturday is the kind of match that World Cups are built on.

It will be a Pool B defining encounter which has great bearing on both teams' quarter-final prospects involving, in all likelihood, France or the All Blacks awaiting in the first knockout round, with Ireland on 10 points on the log and the Boks on nine in their group.

It remains difficult to say which will be the short straw - meeting three-time champions New Zealand or the hosts in the quarter-finals. 

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While the Irish have gone about their World Cup business, thrashing Tonga 59-16 and running in eight tries in doing so last weekend, and posting a cricket score (82-8) against Romania in their opener, they would have been keeping a beady eye on the Boks' fortunes in Pool B, too.

The latter are unbeaten and are the only team not to concede a try at the tournament.

“They’re playing a great brand of rugby at the moment," Catt, a former England playmaker, told reporters on Monday.

"There’s a real good mix of their physicality and their directness to their ability to move the ball.

“Having Manie Libbok at 10, Damian Willemse at 15 and Willie le Roux (he was not selected in the Boks' match-day 23 on Tuesday) - they’re definitely putting the ball through the hands a little bit more and they’re causing big problems for a lot of teams. We’re well aware of it, but still you’ve got to try and stop it.

“You’re playing against one of the best teams in the world. This is what World Cups are built on.”

To date, Ireland, unbeaten in 15 consecutive Tests, have the