SHANE HORGAN ISN’T demanding victory when Ireland face South Africa over the next three weekends, but he does hope to see Joe Schmidt’s side demonstrate an ability to adapt and threaten even with injuries to key men.
With Jonathan Sexton, Tommy Bowe, Josh van der Flier, Simon Zebo, Peter O’Mahony, Cian Healy, Sean O’Brien, Rob and Dave Kearney missing the tour through injury, Ireland are sure to need some less familiar internationals over the course of the three Tests.
“People are looking at Ireland, saying there’s a lot of players out, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a decent side,” Horgan said as he geared up for his punditry duties on Sky Sports this Saturday.
“We overestimate the potential quality of southern hemisphere opposition and do ourselves down a bit.”
Even the traditional assertion that the ‘Boks will be too big and powerful to handle is there to be challenged this time around. The important thing for Ireland, though, is that Schmidt does not simply try to continue using old methods with new faces.
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Paddy Jackson is not suited to running plays the way Sexton does, Jack McGrath doesn’t have the 10 metre burst of Healy and whoever pulls on the number seven jersey will struggle to combine everything that makes The Tullow Tank.