Sam Prendergast will be Emerging Ireland's leading man on the back of the experience gained on Ireland's summer tour series in South Africa. Prendergast didn't feature in either Test as Ireland emerged with a series draw against the world champions.

Here's the pre-match analysis of the Ireland vs South Africa 1st T20I, including playing XI, recent form, head-to-head records, strategy, predictions, and pitch conditions.

Irish side’s win was built on excellent individual performances, where some of the handling and offloading was a treat

THE EMERGING IRELAND class of 2024 take to the pitch for the first time today, with Simon Easterby’s team going up against the Pumas [KO 3pm, live on IrishRugby+] in Bloemfontein. With the 2022 tour serving as a good stepping stone for the likes of Jack Crowley,