Rugby World Cup - South Africa v Ireland: All you need to know

Since the draw was made for this tournament way back on 14 December 2020, this game has been circled in the calendar of Irish and South African rugby fans.

Alongside the Rugby World Cup opener between hosts France and New Zealand, this meeting of Ireland and the Springboks stands out as the highlight of the pool stages.

The top ranked side in the world against the defending champions, with both sides appearing to be at the top of their respective games as the World Cup reaches a boil.

And with uncertainty now around the availability of France's captain and leader Antoine Dupont for the rest of the tournament due to a facial fracture, could this be a dress rehearsal for the 28 October final?

TV

South Africa v Ireland is live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, with coverage getting under way at 7pm.

RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player will also have live coverage of Scotland v Tonga on Sunday from 4.45pm.

RADIO

Listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1 with Michael Corcoran and David Humphreys.

ONLINE

Follow a live blog on RTE.ie/sport and the RTÉ News App followed by report, reaction and player ratings.

WEATHER

It looks like we're going to have ideal conditions for rugby on Saturday night in Paris. Dry conditions are forecast all day around Saint-Denis, with temperatures expected to fall to the mid teens by kick-off, with very low winds and humidity around 60%.

While Ireland come into this game on top of Pool B with two bonus-point wins from two games, defeat against the Boks would leave them in must-win territory against Scotland in the final game of the group stage on 7 October.

They could secure a place in the quarter-finals with a bonus-point win, but there appears to be little chance of that happening, with South Africa boasting the meanest defence