The Springboks reinforcement arrived in Paris on Monday ahead of this weekend’s massive Pool B clash against Ireland at Stade de France.

The seasoned flyhalf, Handré Pollard, linked up with the team and took part in the training session. Pollard joined the squad as an injury replacement after the hooker, Malcolm Marx, was ruled out with a knee injury.

Pollard was the obvious choice to replace Marx in the squad and he will bring a more reliable kicking boot to the setup, however, he may not be ready to face the Irish.

The 2019 World Cup winner only returned to the playing field on Friday and played 40 minutes for the Leicester Tigers against the Sale Sharks in the English Premiership.

Handré Pollard - Morgan Piek

The Bok Director of Rugby, Rassie Erasmus, said he won’t be available for selection this week.

“No, he will not be selected for this week apart from if we get two or three injuries,” the 2019 Rugby World Cup winning coach.

“He has only just joined us on Monday and he has just played his first 40 minutes in 14-15 weeks, and that was for Leicester on Friday.

“That was the initial reason why we couldn't bring him to the World Cup because there was a lot of return to training and return to play that wasn’t done.

“It's good to have him here, and now he will get up to our intensity of training sessions and slot in nicely.

“We have only played two games this World Cup, I'm sure somewhere we will use him but not this weekend.”

Eben Etzebeth picked up a shoulder injury against Scotland in Marseille - Getty

Meanwhile, the Springboks have received a timely boost ahead of the fixture with the lock and enforcer, Eben Etzebeth, fit and available for selection.

The seasoned second-rower picked up a shoulder injury during the 18-3 win against Scotland in Marseille and has been sidelined. Initially it was believed that he would be out for ten to 14 days and would miss the game against Ireland.

The Bok forwards coach, Deon Davids, confirmed that Etzebeth is fit and he is available for selection this week.

“In previous press conferences we mentioned Eben was out for seven to 10 days,” Davids said when asked about Etzebeth’s availability.

“It is now seven - he reacted well to his return to training so he will be in contention for this week.”

The Boks and Ireland have never faced each other at a World Cup in the past and the winner of this weekend’s fixture is sure to end at the top of the Pool.

The Boks are however three-time champions and the World Cup, while the top-ranked Irish have never advanced past the quarter-finals.

Saturday’s game in Saint-Denis kicks off at 21:00.

Meanwhile, the week’s matches at the Rugby World Cup will kick-off on Wednesday evening with Italy in action against Uruguay in Nice, while on Thursday night it will be another tough one for Namibia when they tackle France in Marseille.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport