Bemand: Ireland 'have it in us' to win series against South Africa

Ireland beat South Africa 40-27 in Cape Town last weekend in the WXV Series, and head coach Scott Bemand said his side are ready for a "second ascent" as they target a series win when they meet the Springboks again on Saturday (13:00 GMT).

No Irish side has ever won back-to-back Test matches on Springbok soil, and Bemand said the opening victory gives his team a chance to make history while also providing an opportunity to finish the WXV Series and the year on a high. "We were delighted last week. That was a really important game, if you're going to play a series, getting the first win on the board is a massive event," he said. "That leads us to this week, the second ascent and a second chance to back up the win. To get a series win over South Africa would be historic."

Bemand described the first Test as entertaining and physical, and noted how the game evolved after the opening period. Ireland led 21-17 at half-time in Cape Town, before extending their advantage and securing the win in the second half.

The head coach has made two changes for the second game at Athlone Stadium, altering his back-line personnel and the scrum-half role. Aoibheann Reilly has been recalled at scrum-half while Emily Lane drops to the bench, a decision Bemand framed as part of rotation and opportunity. "Aoibheann and Emily have been going toe-to-toe. I thought Emily had a great game last week and she had a run for us in the Six Nations. It's a bit of rotation and giving Aoibheann a shot from the start," Bemand explained.

Niamh Gallagher comes into the starting XV at full-back in place of Stacey Flood, a selection Bemand said was earned through training performances and match exposure. "Niamh has been going really well in training and we have been really impressed with how she went in that second Japanese game and she's earned the right to come have a crack at it," he said.

Bemand praised his players for coping with South Africa's physicality in the opening Test but warned another elevation in effort will be necessary. "We knew it would be a really tough start, they're always there or thereabouts at half-time so we knew they'd be a massive physical challenge to start with and our players did everything they needed to and wanted to do to put ourselves in a position to get the game flowing in the second half," he said. "We know it's going to take an even bigger effort this week, that we'll have to overcome the physicality again but from what I've seen in training, we will make sure we get the scoreboard ticking away form South Africa at the end of the game."

Bemand reiterated the importance of finishing the series with another win and his belief in the squad's capacity to respond. "It's important for us to finish with another winning performance. We've got it in us, it's a massive challenge with the physicality and the South African environment, but for us to finish the year on a winning note would be a big point for us." The teams meet again on Saturday (13:00 GMT) in Cape Town with Ireland aiming to secure a historic series victory.