Ireland star Tommy Bowe has made no secret about the fact that he, and a number of his teammates, are looking to use this weekend's clash with the Springboks at Croke Park as an opportunity to put some demons to bed.

Bowe, speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, was honest about the fact that all of Ireland's 2009 British and Irish Lions were still feeling the disappointment of a Lions series defeat and that a win this weekend was the only thing which might be able to help them ease the pain.

"Without a doubt [there is some unfinished business]," he explained to the Belfast Telegraph.

"There is still a huge feeling of what might have been and what we left behind in South Africa.

"Everything on the tour was going so well, everybody was really getting on and the rugby was good. The only thing that was missing - and it was the main thing, of course - was that we didn't come away with a series win.

"I think among a couple of the boys here (in the Irish squad) there is still a big regret that we didn't do that.

"Now, with them coming over here to play us at Croke Park - our home patch, where we had such a good season last year - the pressure is on us to perform and rise to the challenge."

Talking about the Springboks, Bowe admits to still having a huge amount of respect for the Tri-Nations Champions but insists, without any doubt, that they are not unstoppable.

"Obviously they're a fantastic side and they're very well drilled but their tactics are nothing special.

"They don't do anything out of this world rugby-wise."

Adding: "I think France have just proved what can happen if you're willing to stand up to them.

"France were able to match that and it will be up to us to do the same this weekend.

"They?re a very physical side, they do the basics very well, they're aggressive and they're very confrontational.

?They have those things down to a tee and it works very well for them, as they showed in the Tri-Nations.

"They try to take teams on confrontationally and they stick to the same tactics. That?s something we have to counter. We know what they're going to try and it's up to us to combat that.

"We don't want to be bullied on our home patch. I think it's very important we don't allow that to happen. The onus is on us to perform and rise to the challenge."

Reflecting on the Springboks disappointing 20-13 defeat against France a couple of weeks ago Bowe insists that Les Bleus offered Declan Kidney and his team the perfect recipe for defeating the World Champions.

"The French tactics were to get into them straight away, whether it was on or off the ball. You could see that from the start.

"It was a case of using the South Africans' own tactics on them and it was good to see that.

"It's very important for us still to be right in the game at 60 minutes. If we can do that then hopefully we can have a shot at them."