South Africa begin their bid to complete a first victorious grand slam tour of the 'Home Unions' in 50 years against Ireland on Saturday with the odds stacking up against the world champions.

A Springbok squad without 13 injured players only arrived in Dublin on Thursday, with several of those still standing having played in last weekend's domestic Currie Cup final.

And whereas in years past few would have given much for Ireland's chances, this weekend sees them bidding for a fourth straight win over South Africa in what will be the first international match at Lansdowne Road since their headquarters were redeveloped.

Add in that South Africa, who struggled to come to terms with the new interpretation of the breakdown law, lost five of their six matches in this season's Tri-Nations, prompting questions about the future of Springbok coach Peter de Villiers, and it's easy to see why the omens are anything but encouraging for the visitors.

"It's a new-look side but with 13 season-ending injuries it couldn't be anything else," said de Villiers.

But Ireland, who a year ago entered the November campaign as Six Nations grand slam champions before drawing with Australia and then seeing novice fly-half Jonathan Sexton star in a 15-10 win over the Springboks, are in the middle of a poor run themselves.

Declan Kidney's men have lost their last five matches, three of them Tests, a run that dates back to their final match of this year's Six Nations where Scotland upset the formbook as Ireland, not for the first time, were beaten in a match they'd been widely tipped to win.

But it's the quality, as well as the number of injuries, that have hit the Springboks hard.

For example star flanker Schalk Burger has been ruled out of the tour after breaking a rib during the Currie Cup final where the Sharks beat the openside's Western Province side 30-10.

That match saw uncapped 20-year-old Patrick Lambie score 25 points. But if Jean de Villiers fails to recover in time from a groin problem, Lambie is set to start his Test career in midfield, rather than in his preferred fly-half position, alongside the defensively questionable Adi Jacobs -- something that won't be lost on Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll.

"Hopefully Jean will recover in time but if not, Patrick Lambie has played at inside centre for The Sharks before he was moved to 10," said Peter de Villiers.

Meanwhile the coach, who probably needs at least two wins out of four on this trip to quell the growing clamour for his replacement ahead of next year's World Cup, must decide how best to integrate the attacking approach favoured by Sharks and Province players with the traditional forward-based kicking game preferred by the Blue Bulls members of the squad.

Among those are Victor Matfield, one of the world's outstanding locks, who leads a side missing regular captain and hooker John Smit, as well as loosehead prop Guthro Steenkamp, South Africa's player of the year, because of injury.

If Jean de Villiers is unfit, the Springboks will show nine changes to the side that ended the Tri-Nations by losing to Australia.

But the likes of the returning duo of Tendai Mtawarira and Bismarck du Plessis should ensure the Springboks lose little in the way of power up front and Ireland wing Tommy Bowe remains wary of South Africa's physical threat.

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