By Lucky Vince Pienaar
➤ First half.
Immediately apparent is that the Boks are going to defend harder and faster. Jack Crowley and Robbie Henshaw are the first recipients of the bone-crunching rush defence.
The Boks concede a free kick at the scrum and then a penalty. (South Africa 0-3 Ireland)
After two minutes Willie le Roux leaves the field. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is an early replacement.
After eight minutes Eben Etzebeth leaves the field with blood streaming down his face and RG Snyman comes on.
South Africa are clearly disrupted with the loss of perhaps the two most pivotal players in the team – and it shows. Conner Murray scores under the posts after poor Springbok defence. (SA 0-10 Ire)
Some musical chairs as Etzebeth comes back on and RG Snyman goes off. But now Franco Mostert limps off and Snyman is back on again.
South Africa gets a penalty and Handré Pollard steps up. The crowd cheers with relief as he slots the easy kick through the middle of the uprights. (SA 3-10 Ire)
Ireland are consistently better over the loose ball and South Africa are scrambling – perhaps a little hysterically. The Boks are better in the scrums, winning two penalties.
For the third time in two minutes Crowley kicks to the wing and why not? It’s a very effective move against the Boks, but so far, thankfully, it hasn’t resulted in points.
Kwagga Smith, great player that he is, seems to get an attack of white-line fever when he collects a loose ball with the line in front of him. He gets no support and instead of a Springbok seven-pointer, Ireland get a penalty.
Can the Irish keep up their furious pace? There’s a lot of panting going on out there and the Boks are getting stronger, but they’re not scoring points.
Again silence as Pollard lines up a tough penalty but (phew!) it’s perfect. (SA 6-10 Ire)
Boks gift Crowley a sitter and he turns it into points. (SA 6-13 Ire)
James Lowe makes his first touch count and catches Pollard in-goal. From the scrum, the Boks defend well but concede an easy penalty. (SA 6-16 Ire)
Springboks are not supposed to panic!
➤ Second half.
Mngomezulu does well to start a move that gets the Boks within inches of a try when the support is too slow to arrive. A minute later Mngomezulu again does amazingly well and again the support is slow.
South Africa settles for a penalty. (SA 9-16 Ire)
No bomb squad this time as Malcolm Marx and Vincent Koch come on by themselves.
In a very cynical and dangerous play, Caelen Doris falls on Marx’s leg and is yellow carded. Pollard scores. (SA 12-16 Ire)
The Boks have come alive – and right in front of the attack is Mngomezulu. The Irish are suddenly totally on the back foot.
Pollard makes it five out of five. (SA 15-16 Ire)
After 55 minutes Ireland are looking tired. Pollard’s sixth gives the Boks the lead for the first time. (SA 18-16 Ire)
Ireland score a penalty to take the lead again but Pollard returns the favour. (SA 21-19 Ire)
Grant Williams shows his speed to chase down his own kick but the Boks make a mess of the lineout. Scrum to Ireland, but penalty to South Africa. Pollard makes it eight from eight. (SA 24-19 Ire)
Ciaran Frawley’s perfect drop goal brings Ireland back into the match. (SA 24-22 Ire)
If it looks as if the match is about kicks, it’s not. It’s a match between 30 men and it’s hard and unforgiving.
Five minutes to go. The Bok defence is good but they’ve forgotten to attack. Mngomezulu kicks away possession and is lucky to get away with a South African lineout.
Luckily for South Africa, Frawley has not had a good game kicking to the wings. But on full time he again goes for the drop goal. It sails through the poles to give Ireland the win by one point and to draw the series.
South Africa 25-26 Ireland
Springboks tries: None
Ireland tries: Connor Murray
Pictured above: Ciaran Frawley
Source: @inphosports
