Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu scored South Africa’s solely factors of the second half, but it surely was sufficient as they confronted an Eire aspect proven 5 playing cards
Regardless of a close to outstanding Irish effort to stay within the contest after being proven 5 playing cards and diminished to 12 gamers at one stage, South Africa posted a 24-13 win for a primary success in Dublin since 2012.
After South Africa struck early by way of a Damian Willemse strive, Eire lock James Ryan was proven a 20-minute crimson card for a clearout to the face of Malcolm Marx.
Sam Prendergast (offside, repeat crew infringements), Jack Crowley (cynical act off ft) and Andrew Porter (successive scrum penalties) have been then all dismissed from the sector throughout the first half as referee Matt Carley appeared to lose all management.
With Eire right down to 13 after which 12 gamers in a madcap contest, Cobus Reinach added a strive earlier than a penalty strive was awarded to the guests following a five-metre scrum drive.
Eire – Tries: Sheehan (37). Cons: Crowley (38). Pens: Prendergast (44, 56).
South Africa – Tries: Willemse (4), Reinach (34), Penalty Strive (40+5), Feinberg-Mngomezulu (46). Cons: Feinberg-Mngomezulu (35).
Dan Sheehan had scored for the hosts both aspect of these Boks tries, regardless of Eire being right down to 13 gamers, however at 19-7 behind at half-time with three gamers within the sin-bin the Take a look at appeared lifeless.
The house aspect emerged with nice coronary heart to attain first by way of a penalty to slender the lead, and regardless of South Africa going through a aspect so down on numbers – alternative loosehead Paddy McCarthy was additionally sin-binned within the second half for scrum penalties – one additional strive by way of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was all they might add.
With the margin 14 factors, Eire kicked a penalty to scale back issues to 11, and had a transparent likelihood on penalty benefit with three minutes to play, however Prendergast failed to search out Crowley for a strive which might have introduced them inside 4 factors.
Amid an electrical ambiance at the beginning of the competition, it was South Africa who struck first by way of Willemse down the left after fast arms at tempo conjured a deadly rating.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu missed the conversion and Eire put collectively a spell of stress in response, with the Springboks fly-half extraordinarily lucky to keep away from a card for a shoulder cost on Tommy O’Brien.
Damian Willemse flew over for an early strive on this contest for South Africa
Finally Eire have been awarded a strive by way of Tadhg Beirne, just for the rating to be dominated out for Ryan’s earlier clearout on Marx, for which he was sin-binned.
Eire defended stoutly with 14 gamers, however information then got here that Ryan’s yellow had been upgraded to a 20-minute crimson card.
James Ryan was proven a 20-minute crimson card for an act which precipitated Eire to have a strive dominated out too
Seven minutes later, Reinach jinked his approach over and spherical for South Africa’s second strive after a sequence of scrum penalties put Eire beneath big stress. Prendergast was sin-binned along with the rating for being caught offside, with ref Carley harshly selecting a double jeopardy punishment.
Cobus Reinach scored South Africa’s second strive with Eire diminished to 13 gamers on the similar second
Right down to 13 gamers, Eire improbably grabbed the subsequent strive as Sheehan flew over after excellent assault off a rolling maul.
With time operating out for South Africa to assault in opposition to 13, Reinach appeared to knock-on on the base of a ruck within the Irish half. A TMO evaluate dominated Crowley had precipitated the fumble whereas off ft, and he was duly sin-binned simply as Cian Prendergast emerged following the tip of Eire’s 20-minute crimson card.
Dan Sheehan scored for Eire within the first half regardless of the aspect being right down to 13 gamers
In lifeless time on the finish of the primary half, South Africa referred to as for a scrum to assault from and Carley confirmed his fourth card to the hosts with Porter penalised, extremely decreasing them to 12 gamers.
The Springboks scored a penalty strive from the subsequent scrum effort to finish the half 19-7 forward, because the officers left to loud boos on the Aviva Stadium.
Virtually inconceivably, Eire have been the aspect to attain first at the beginning of the second half regardless of having three gamers much less on the park: Prendergast driving a penalty over from distance to scale back the deficit to 9 factors.
Eire had Jack Crowley, Sam Prendergast (each pictured) and Andrew Porter all within the sin-bin to finish the primary half and begin the second
His brother Cian Prendergast spilled the restart, nonetheless, and what adopted was a interval of South Africa assaults in opposition to 13 gamers which inevitably gave technique to Feinberg-Mngomezulu sprinting in for a fourth South Africa strive.
The Springboks playmaker missed the conversion to depart the lead at 14 factors, and Eire rode out their remaining interval right down to 13 and 14 gamers with no additional concessions.
Within the 56th minute, Prendergast drove over a penalty from in entrance to slender the deficit to 11 factors, however McCarthy was then binned seven minutes later after extra points on the scrum.
Referee Matt Carley confirmed Eire 5 playing cards all through the competition: one 20-minute crimson card and 4 sin-bins
By some means, Eire emerged from defending beneath their sticks and a interval of incessant stress to clear and stay within the recreation and with three minutes to go got here the prospect to place actual stress on South Africa.
Kicking to the nook and mauling ahead, Eire had the chance to attain on penalty benefit with South Africa’s defence bunched slender, however Prendergast’s go to Tom Farrell as a substitute of Crowley proved the unsuitable one.
Grant Williams was sin-binned for South Africa after they conceded a flurry of penalties, however ultimately there remained no time for Eire to attain twice, and so they failed so as to add one strive earlier than full-time from a protracted spell within the 22 in any case.
Farrell ‘unbelievably proud’ after ‘superb’ Irish effort
Eire head coach Andy Farrell post-match:
“If you can’t learn from that (game), you’re in the wrong place.
“I believed happening to 12 males, how the lads got here out and confirmed the bottle for his or her nation, actually in that first 10 minutes of that second half, was completely superb.
“The crowd recognised that and supported them. To be able to win a second half 6-5 under those circumstances – I know it doesn’t tell the full story of the second half – it’s amazing really.
“We overplayed a bit bit and wasted a bit little bit of time, however then we discovered a approach, and with 4 minutes to go we had a obtrusive likelihood to attain a strive beneath the posts, and if we scored that with 4 minutes to go, who is aware of what may have occurred with a bit little bit of momentum.
“You think you’ve seen it all and I haven’t seen a game like that ever.
“Firstly you take a look at your self and why issues have occurred. We’ll try this and ensure we be taught the teachings from that.
“But my overriding thought of the game is, I’m unbelievably proud.”
Requested if the officers ought to have sin- binned Feinberg-Mngomezulu for his sort out on O’Brien, Farrell responded:
“Well, you’re asking the question because you thought so as well.
“We introduced it up with the referees earlier than the sport [South Africa complaining about officiating against them this month] and so they mentioned that will by no means be an element, clearly, as a result of this can be a separate recreation and I am going to allow you to be the decide of that.”
What’s subsequent?
Eire have now accomplished their Autumn Nations Collection marketing campaign, shedding to New Zealand in Chicago, beating Japan and Australia in Dublin, and struggling defeat to South Africa within the Irish capital.
Andy Farrell’s aspect are subsequent in motion for the opening spherical of the 2026 Six Nations, travelling to face France on Thursday February 5 on the Stade de France in Paris.
South Africa have one last Autumn Take a look at subsequent Saturday November 29 in opposition to Wales on the Principality Stadium in Cardiff (3.10pm kick-off).
