11/22/25 03:30:00
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11/22 15:28 CST Chaos and drama mark the Springboks' first win over Ireland in
Dublin in 13 years
Chaos and drama mark the Springboks' first win over Ireland in Dublin in 13
years
DUBLIN (AP) --- South Africa beat Ireland in Dublin for the first time in 13
years, winning 24-13 after a dramatic and chaotic incident-packed match on
Saturday.
The Irish struggled to handle the Springboks' physicality and a green mist
descended in which they conceded a 20-minute red card, four yellow cards and an
equally uncharacteristic 18 penalties. For a time, Ireland was down to 12 men.
The Springboks turned the pressure into four tries, one of them a penalty try.
They hadn't won in Dublin since 2012 and ended up with their biggest win there
over Ireland since 1998. They have three straight wins on their European tour
with only lowly Wales to visit.
The penalty try, awarded against Ireland's backpedalling scrum in first-half
injury time, lifted the Springboks to a 19-7 lead as a train of Irish players
were brandished with yellow cards by referee Matthew Carley.
Carley's halftime whistle prompted loud booing from the packed crowd in Aviva
Stadium.
But short-handed Ireland was all heart after the interval, outscoring South
Africa 6-5.
South Africa got a moment of solo brilliance by Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu but
Jesse Kriel was held up over the line and Canan Moodie knocked-on in goal under
pressure.
The Irish were unable to break the Springboks' defense in the second half, even
after besieging their try-line for the last five minutes. They finally got a
man advantage in the 78th when replacement Boks scrumhalf Grant Williams was
yellow-carded but the visitors held out.
The buildup spotlighted red cards the Springboks have overcome to beat France
and Italy in their previous two tests. Their tackle technique came into sharp
focus again in the sixth minute in Dublin after Feinberg-Mngomezulu's
shoulder-led hit on Tommy O'Brien. But Carley issued only a penalty, saying the
tackle slid up O'Brien's chest to his head.
By then, the Springboks had already teed up a try for Damian Willemse, who
shushed the crowd.
Prendergast's first goalkick hit the post then Ireland suffered a double blow:
Tadhg Beirne's try was ruled out and fellow lock James Ryan was yellow-carded
for an illegal clearout into the face of Malcolm Marx. The bunker upgraded it
into a 20-minute red, the first of Ryan's career.
O'Brien's following high tackle and head contact on Moodie passed inspection
but Prendergast was next to be yellow-carded when Ireland was suckered by
Cheslin Kolbe and allowed Cobus Reinach to score a converted try untouched.
Despite being two men down, Ireland rallied with a Dan Sheehan try.
Jack Crowley, covering for Prendergast, converted the try but made an ironic
sight when he was carded, too, and joined flyhalf rival Prendergast in the
sin-bin.
An attacking scrum opportunity prompted Boks coach Rassie Erasmus to change out
his props, and the fresh muscle was overpowering. Irish prop Andrew Porter was
carded for illegal scrummaging. When the next scrum went backwards and
collapsed, Carley gave South Africa a penalty try and defied convention by not
carding anyone.
But the crowd's boos rained on him.
Prendergast returned to kick two penalties but South Africa moved beyond reach
when Feinberg-Mngomezulu used scrum ball to stiff-arm Jamison Gibson-Park and
score.
Ireland fought on but the scrum gave away six penalties, a third of their
total, and instigated the yellow card --- the team's fourth --- for replacement
prop Paddy McCarthy.
They still managed at the end to back South Africa onto its try-line, where RG
Snyman, on the occasion of his 50th test, had a yellow card overturned but
fellow replacement Grant Williams was not so fortunate.
___
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
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