Pride of series win at stake tomorrow

AFTER all the drama surrounding rugby in the Eastern Province, the oval ball code will finally have its day in the sun tomorrow.

The stadium has been deserted for Super Rugby and Currie Cup matches, but it is sure to be filled to its 43 000 capacity for the Springboks versus Ireland showdown.

A win for the Irish in the first test in Cape Town, followed up by a fighting South African victory in Johannesburg last weekend, has set the scene for a nailbiting finale in Port Elizabeth tomorrow.

The new appointments of coach Allister Coetzee and captain Adriaan Strauss had been expected to trigger a revival of Springbok rugby after their disappointing World Cup performance.

But Coetzee’s reign did not get off to a good start when his team was shocked in Cape Town and it looked as if they could lose the second test until they mounted a spirited comeback.

All of this means that there will be some butterflies in the stomachs of players and supporters ahead of the kickoff tomorrow evening.

Make no mistake, this is a high-stakes game and one which the Boks cannot afford to lose in front of their home supporters.

The Boks have never lost a home series against the Irish and they will be desperate to extend that winning sequence. With history tantalisingly within their grasp the Boks can be sure that the men from the Emerald Isle will come out with all guns blazing as they attempt to pull off a hijack manoeuvre in the series decider.

In the build-up to the test, Coetzee has stressed he expects a war of attrition against a streetwise Ireland who will use every trick in the book to trip the Boks up.

But, with the momentum the Boks gained in the final 20 minutes of the previous test, they are likely to start with a spring in their step.

Neither side will take a backward step as they compete for the honour of a series victory. Seldom, if ever, has there been a rugby match in Port Elizabeth where so much hangs on the outcome.