VIDEO: The Irish have landed in SA

WATCH as the Ireland squad touched down in Johannesburg for their two Test matches against the Springboks.

The World Rugby No.2 ranked side takes on the back-to-back World Cup champs in an epic two-match series.

The first Test will be played at the iconic Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on July 6 followed by a battle at Kings Park in Durban on July 13.

The Ireland 35-man squad will be captained by stalwart Peter O’Mahony.

The squad is loaded with star power, but they will be heading to South Africa without one of their key backline players.

Leinster scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Meanwhile, forward Jack Conan was not included in the squad as his wife is due to give birth to their first child during that Test window.

Over the last few years, Ireland has become one of the powerhouses in the game and with that, they have intensified the rivalry between the two teams.

Since 2016, the two teams have locked horns on three occasions with Ireland winning all three encounters – 2017 and 2022 in Dublin and a pool stage match in the 2023 World Cup.