Blame.

Simon Zebo has laid blame on the “Dublin media” for the hatred that has been building between South Africa and Ireland in recent years.

There has been lots of back and forth between the two nations in recent months as they get set to lock horns once again next month for a two-Test series with the rivalry becoming more and more heated.

Eben Etzebeth recently made some infamous comments about Ireland ‘seeing them in the final’ following South Africa’s defeat to them in the pool stages of the Rugby World Cup, while Damian de Allende added more fuel to the fire last week with comments about Andy Farrell, the Irish players, and the media.

“The way the media spoke, they completely disrespected us,” De Allende told the Big Jim Show.

“For us as a group and for us as Springboks, it is about getting respect back, not their respect, but our own respect. We don’t need to but we really want to beat Ireland. It is going to be an incredible Test match.”

Zebo appeared on the Kick Offs and Kick Ons podcast this week and blamed the “Dublin media” for the hatred and also highlighted that Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus is not Ireland’s biggest fan despite being very fond of Munster following his time there.

“I suppose it was a little bit extra around South Africa because Rassie had obviously coached us here in Munster and he’s been involved in the Irish set-up. Jacques Nienaber’s now coaching at Leinster and there’s a bit of rivalry,” Zebo said.

“Rassie hates the Irish, he really, really doesn’t like us, which is quite funny. It will build up even more and it drip feeds into the players. RG Snyman’s been copping a little bit of slack over it.

“It’s mainly the Irish media’s fault, based in Dublin I think, not the Irish media down here where I am.

“It’s going to be a juicy Test series, that’s for sure.”