Springbok numbers game creates fascinating dynamic for Ireland

If you were in any doubt about the magnitude of Saturday's Rugby World Cup Pool B meeting of Ireland and South Africa in Paris, Tuesday evening's Springbok squad announcement was a blunt reminder of what Andy Farrell's side will be facing this weekend.

There's always been an element of the mad scientists around Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber in their working relationship, who time and time again have chosen to zag when others have zigged.

Nothing about them has been predictable in recent months; the call-up of Jean Kleyn in June has proven to be a major success, their 33-man World Cup squad contained just two specialist hookers, and four scrum-halves, and when one of those hookers went down injured they replaced him with an out-half.

In the most high-profile of the experiments, the Springbok coaches have thrown an extra stick of dynamite into their 'Bomb Squad', with seven forwards and just one back among their replacements in the matchday 23 Stade de France on Saturday.

It was first rolled out for their 35-7 win against New Zealand late last month when a late injury to Willie le Roux saw them throw Kwagga Smith onto the bench in his place, and the performative act of bringing all seven of those forwards on in one go on 47 minutes just highlighted the novelty of what we were seeing.

It wasn't universally popular, with a minority of observers on this island feeling Erasmus and Nienaber were colouring outside the lines when it came to 'Rugby Values', while others claimed it was simply unsafe. For the vast majority of fans and pundits it was just another example of these coaches doing what they do best: innovating and challenging what we expect from the game.

The 35-3 win against the All Blacks stands up for itself, and so