JOHANNESBURG - Tired and sore Ireland get a second chance to create history when they tackle South Africa Saturday in the series-deciding third Test at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
Most South African supporters believed the series against Ireland would deliver a 3-0 whitewash for new coach Allister Coetzee and new captain Adriaan Strauss (L)
Having beaten the Springboks for the first time in South Africa two weekends ago, the Irish are chasing a first away series success over the two-time world champions.
Ireland achieved a shock 26-20 first Test triumph in Cape Town only to fade dramatically and lose 32-26 in the energy-sapping 1,750-metre (5,700 feet) altitude of Johannesburg last Saturday.
It will spur the Irish that they have played second fiddle for only 16 minutes of the 160 in a series most South African supporters believed would deliver a 3-0 whitewash for new coach Allister Coetzee and new captain Adriaan Strauss.
France are the only northern hemisphere nation to have won Test series in South Africa, succeeding in 1958 and again in 1993 by winning one international and drawing another each time.
While all the Springbok starters in Port Elizabeth except England-based flanker Francois Louw are halfway through their season, Ireland are at the end of a long trek.
"It has been a really long season and there are a lot of tired bodies in my squad," admitted New Zealand-born Ireland coach Joe Schmidt.
"That could detract from performances and prevent all the players from being at their optimum.
"However, while the players may not have the reserves of energy, they are making up for that with commitment and I expect more of that this weekend."
Schmidt believes that his team can emulate France, even though they are bruised and weary and toured without injured stars like fly-half Johnny Sexton.
"There is a series to be won and I am utterly confident that we have a team that can go out and make their country proud."
Schmidt has rung the changes during the series with five for the second Test and six for the third, two of which were enforced with injuries ruling out full-back Jared Payne and centre Robbie Henshaw.
Debutant Tiernan O'Halloran and outside centre Luke Marshall fill those positions and in another backline change, left wing Keith Earls comes in for Craig Gilroy.
Into the pack come South Africa-born CJ Stander, back after a one-Test ban having been red-carded in Cape Town, fellow flanker Jordi Murphy and prop Mike Ross.
They take over from Tadhg Furlong, Quinn Roux and Rhys Ruddock while a positional switch sees Iain Henderson move from flank to lock.
Springboks coach Allister Coetzee, in charge for only the third time after succeeding Heyneke Mayer in April, must be relieved that his team are still in contention to win the series.
After losing in Cape Town to an Irish team a man short for 57 minutes, they were 16 points behind with 14 minutes left in Johannesburg before a three-try burst brought victory.
Left wing Lwazi Mvovo battled to deal with lofted tactical kicks in Johannesburg and gives way to Ruan Combrinck, who scored a try after coming off the bench at half-time.
The other personnel change is enforced with an elbow injury sidelining No. 8 Duane Vermeulen and Warren Whiteley stepping in.
Coetzee believes the Irish may kick less at a stadium built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the first staged in Africa.
"I think Ireland might be looking at retaining possession much more than kicking it deep," he said. "Territory will determine the result.
"We have the skill, both in open and broken field play, to succeed," boasted the second black after Peter de Villiers to coach the once exclusively white Springboks.