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Cape Town - There is a lot of attention surrounding South African-born CJ Stander ahead of Irleand's three-match series against the Springboks starting this weekend, but there is another member of the Irish touring squad with even closer ties to the men in green and gold.
Hooker Richardt Strauss is the cousin of Springbok captain Adriaan Strauss.
Now 30-years-old, Richardt has notched up 16 international caps since making his debut against the South Africa in Dublin back in 2012.
He played against Strauss in that match - both men starting - before the Boks went on to win 16-12.
Since then it has been very much a stop-start affair for Richardt on the international stage, but he has another opportunity this month to stake a claim for a regular place in the Ireland set-up.
"We had a couple of chats last week, but it was just a couple of SMSs and Whatsapps," Adriaan Strauss said of Richardt on Monday.
"I’m very happy for him as well and it’ll be great to see him again. We’re good friends and I respect him as a rugby player.
"I have played against him twice … won one and lost one."
Strauss also extinguished some of the hype surrounding Stander.
"We’re not going to focus on any specific individual as a threat," he said.
"I think he’s a great rugby player and we respect him as a rugby player.
"But I don’t think he has any info on us as a team. He knows the culture and he can maybe help them with that and their tour ... but that is about it."
Bok coach Allister Coetzee will name his team for Saturday's Newlands clash on Thursday.
