

Ireland's rivalry with South Africa has reached new heights over the last decade, with the head-to-head 5-4 in Ireland's favour.
However, their last game, in November, was a stark reminder of the Springboks' status as the best side in the world, as they demolished Ireland's scrum at the Aviva Stadium.
In the past, players and management have had a go at Ireland, with head coach Rassie Erasmus labelling them as "softies" and lock Eben Etzebeth calling the team "arrogant".
It is now the turn of legendary backrower Bob Skinstad to have a pop.
Speaking on his Champagne Rugby podcast, he said: "I think the Irish have been the biggest arseholes in world rugby for a long time now because of the South African interaction with them.
"It used to be 'hey come on in have a Guinness, who cares who wins, we'll have a hug, rugby's the best'. Now it's like, 'well as long as we win against you'.
"That's a really difficult thing to embrace when you've always gone to Ireland and had fun time and now it's very anti-against us or at us."
However, he did clarify that all was fair in love and war, adding: "For any of the Irish people listening, we love you dearly.
"But it is a bit of healthy banter and it's definitely had an edge to it."
@champagnerugbymedia The Irish-South African rivalry 💔❓ Watch the full episode of the Rugby Journey on YouTube 🔗 Powered by Elixirr #rugby #rugbyjourney #champagnerugby #elixirr ♬ original sound - Champagne Rugby
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28th January 2026
03:14pm GMT