Robbie Fleck has said the Springboks are “100 per cent” the best team in the world and insisted Andy Farrell is not playing mind games.
The Six Nations sparked debate over who was the true number one team, given Ireland's dominance in the first three games.
In the first three rounds, no one got within 20 points of Farrell's side, losing 23-22 to England at Twickenham.
title victory
This ended their Grand Slam dreams, but they answered with a 17-13 victory over Scotland to claim the title.
Ireland's next challenge will be in July when they face the world champions the Boks in a mouth-watering two-Test series in South Africa.
“What you want is the opportunity to expose yourself against the best teams, and South Africa are 100 per cent the best,” Farrell said after the Six Nations win.
“We were able to win one game there before, so being able to play two games and test ourselves will be great for our development going forward.”
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Farrell may have been trying to strengthen the Springboks to relieve pressure on the side, but Fleck felt he was simply showing “brutal honesty”.
“I'm not only a fan of Ireland's play, but I'm also a fan of Farrell. Just his brutal honesty and what you see is what you get,” said the former center. box office Podcast.
“The way he interacts with the media, I don't think he's going to say anything he doesn't necessarily believe.”
Host Hanyani Simange questioned whether the Ireland head coach was resorting to “gamesmanship”, but Fleck stood firm on his opinion.
“Front up”
“I think he's really honest. He means it when he says South Africa is the best. He's saying, 'That's where we want to go and beat them in their backyard.' said.
“He's taking on this challenge almost wholeheartedly, saying, 'I'm going to take on the Springboks head-on and I'm not going to play a game behind the scenes.'”
“I’ve met him once or twice and he’s a genuine guy and good at what he does.
“He likes a real challenge and is up for it.”
read more: Former Ireland international blames 'Andy Farrell's coaching' for Grand Slam failure
