No other nation, other than perhaps the All Blacks, has rugby fans who are as unashamedly as partisan and confident as South Africa.
And there is nothing wrong with this, quite the opposite in fact. It's part of the 'culture' of the sport, it is their identity, and adds the everyone's enjoyment in the build-up to Saturday's show down with Ireland.
Given that they are the current world champions, have recently thrashed the All Blacks, and begun their World Cup campaign with two impressive victories, while showing off their ridiculous depth, who could blame them?
One of the countries biggest rugby publications, SA Rugby Magazine, produce their own podcast, hosted by Keo and Zels, and their preview to Ireland vs South Africa is a good example of the confident mood many Springbok fans find themselves in.
You can watch the full show below, and we would highly recommend it if you're looking for an entertaining 35 minutes of rugby chat, and a view from the other side.
"Going into a match against Ireland the no.1 ranked team in the world, who we've played once and lost once under Rassie. I think we've won four of the last 11 matches against Ireland," the hosts explain.
We're going into the match with one back on the bench, a scrum-half who has only payed scrum-half, and then a mini-fetcher, a mini-fetcher, and a mini-fetcher who is playing hooker.
So we can't say that the Boks have got a hell of a lot of respect for this Irish team. I'm sure there are technical reasons for those picks.
But we feel like we are going to physically mangle these guys this week.
Rugby World Cup: South Africa Vs Ireland. Who Do You Have?
5 November 2022; Damian de Allende of South Africa is dispossessed by Peter O'Mahony and James Ryan of Ireland during the Bank of Ireland Nations Series match between Ireland and South Africa at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
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Most of the confident chatter centres around the physically of the Springboks; a trait which they are so renowned for, that it is ingrained in the minds of their supporters that no team can match them in this department, as you can tell from some of the best quotes in the pod.
"The only way to beat that Bok defence is on the break when they have got to scramble. If you run at a structured Bok attack, you may as well just pull the pin out of the hand grenade and stick it down the front of your trousers."
"It's not that the Boks can only be physical, it's that the Boks can be physical. And other teams envy that because they don't have that platform.
"Where they can physically dominate every opponent, every time they play."
"The Springboks are the team to back this week, the world champions. They are going to take this game by eight points. They will be in in control from the start to the finish.
"The set-piece, the breakdown, the tackle point, even the anthems, they will control everything."
"I've got the Boks to win by 11 points..... double digits baby. And it's going to be a very good game for 60 minutes, and I think the Boks will be in control because of that power pack."
Ireland take on South Africa this Saturday, 23 September, at the Stade de France (kick-off: 8pm).
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