South Africa skipper Adriaan Strauss aiming for Ireland turnaround at Ellis Park

South Africa captain Adriaan Strauss is adamant that the Springboks will produce a much-improved performance in Saturday's second Test against Ireland in Johannesburg.

Strauss admits it had been a difficult week for the team after the shock 26-20 loss in the series opener, made even more heroic for the Irish by the fact they played the last hour of the match with 14 men after an early dismissal.

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But following a week of soul-searching, Strauss believes his side are ready to raise their standards at Ellis Park.

"We need to right the wrong but it's not about taking revenge," Strauss said. "It's about our own standards. We have the ability to be better and have a much higher expectation of ourselves."

For new captain Strauss and new coach Allister Coetzee, it was a nightmare start followed by a few days of introspection.

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"I told the coach afterwards that we had let him down," said the Northern Bulls skipper. "Each player has his own way of dealing with defeat and I also told them after the game they need to get over it in the way they usually would.

"But a loss like that needs to hurt. But then we need to forget it and look forward to the next game. We have had a good week's preparation, dealt with the issues we needed to deal with and fix a couple of things."

Ireland, having won their first ever test in South Africa, now have a chance for an unlikely series win

"I expect them to be physical, good at the breakdown area which is something we've worked hard on and in which we must improve," added Strauss.

"We need to ensure quick ball for the backline to be dangerous."

Saturday's second test will be followed by the final clash of the series in Port Elizabeth on June 25.