![South Africa's Eben Etzebeth and Ireland's Dan Sheehan collide](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/rugby-union/2024/07/06/TELEMMGLPICT000384664207_17202857053420_trans_NvBQzQNjv4Bqpm_LF87kdsxei4iXV0ieHEikPYR0xYwuEBLwP9UFqPg.jpeg?imwidth=680)
South Africa confirm status as world’s best with narrow victory over Ireland in thunderous clash
![South Africa's Eben Etzebeth and Ireland's Dan Sheehan collide](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/rugby-union/2024/07/06/TELEMMGLPICT000384664207_17202857053420_trans_NvBQzQNjv4Bqpm_LF87kdsxei4iXV0ieHEikPYR0xYwuEBLwP9UFqPg.jpeg?imwidth=680)
South Africa 27 Ireland 20
After all the talk, it lived up to the hype. And the good news is we only have to wait a week for the sequel in Durban.
South Africa secured the win over Ireland in front of a raucous Loftus Versfeld crowd which they have craved over the past couple of months, and yet still have plenty of areas in their game to work on going into next week – missed chances in attack, Handre Pollard’s goalkicking, a scrum which only overpowered Ireland right at the end for the final try.
Siya Kolisi, their captain who was called out publicly by his club owner Jacky Lorenzetti for being out of shape and transparent during Racing 92’s Top 14 play-off defeat, was anything but here, as the Springboks continued to show glimpses of this new expansive gameplan in attack under Tony Brown which will only get better.
However, this was a highly competitive effort from Ireland where they held their own for the most part at the set-piece and constantly ruined the breakdown for Faf de Klerk, with Caelan Doris in particular outstanding. As was Craig Casey, the Munster scrum-half filling in well for missing Jamison Gibson-Park. Casey’s afternoon came to a sad end when he was carried off on a stretcher after the back of his head slammed into the hard Loftus turf, minutes after his excellent 50:22 had put Ireland back on the front foot.
![Craig Casey gives a thumbs up as he is driven off on a stretcher](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/rugby-union/2024/07/06/TELEMMGLPICT000384667804_17202896491880_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqRo0U4xU-30oDveS4pXV-Vv4Xpit_DMGvdp2n7FDd82k.jpeg?imwidth=350)
To be honest, the Test hinged around the brilliance and chaos of James Lowe. His assist to set up Jamie Osborne’s debut try was remarkable, somehow getting an offload away before his feet hit the ground in touch.
Osborne’s selection at full-back had raised eyebrows and he was caught out positionally by the pace of Kurt-Lee Arendse for South Africa’s opening try – no shame there, many have been – and yet from there he only grew into the game, benefiting from Lowe’s great timing to leave Ireland trailing 13-8 at half-time. Ireland needed a moment of inspiration like that because South Africa’s defence had looked impenetrable.
And Lowe produced another bit of skill superbly to keep the ball alive near the touchline in the second half; except this time with disastrous consequences. Cheslin Kolbe never knows when to give up a chase and Lowe’s hard work to keep a penalty kick to touch infield backfired spectacularly when Kolbe hacked on the loose ball to score.
Lowe, producing a brilliant break after a counter-ruck and fending off Pollard to score, then had a try chalked off due to an earlier ruck infringement.
Next, faced with a deep restart after Ireland had hit back through Conor Murray’s try (credit to Finlay Bealham’s soft hands for setting it up), Lowe went for a ball he did not need to catch, gave up a five-metre scrum, and the Springbok pack fuelled by the ‘Bomb Squad’ came alive for a pushover try to clinch the win.
Ryan Baird’s 79th-minute try was made,of course, by a brilliant Lowe offload, capping off his wild game, but Ireland had run out of time.
Their lineout creaked in the second half and perhaps South Africa would have been home and dry much earlier had it not been for Pollard’s missed kicks. Yet in a second half packed full of key TMO decisions, the tension never dipped. Yes, South Africa won and could have done so by a bigger margin, but this is a fascinating rivalry.
Match details
Scoring sequence: 5-0 Arendse try, 7-0 Pollard con, 7-3 Crowley pen, 10-3 Pollard pen, 13-3 Pollard pen, 13-8 Osborne try, 18-8 Kolbe try, 20-8 Pollard con, 20-13 Murray try, 20-15 Crowley con, 27-15 penalty try, 27-20 Baird try
South Africa: W le Roux; C Kolbe, J Kriel, D de Allende, K Arendse; H Pollard (S Feinberg-Mngomezulu 73), F de Klerk (G Williams 49); O Nche (G Steenkamp 49), B Mbonambi (M Marx 49), F Malherbe (V Koch 49), E Etzebeth (S Moerat 49, F Mostert (R Snyman 49, S Kolisi (M van Staden 49), P du Toit, K Smith
Yellow card: Arendse 73
Ireland: J Osborne (C Frawley 50); C Nash, R Henshaw (G Ringrose 40), B Aki, J Lowe; J Crowley, C Casey (C Murray 63); A Porter (C Healy 73), D Sheehan (R Kelleher 40), T Furlong (F Bealham 62), J McCarthy (J Ryan 49), T Beirne, P O’Mahony (R Baird 49), J van der Flier, C Doris
Yellow card: Kelleher 77
Referee: L Pearce (Eng)
South Africa v Ireland: As it happened
Siya Kolisi
It’s amazing honestly, I can’t explain how great it has been to come back and be with the boys, this time is so special. Just going around Pretoria, the way the people received us. What we did in 2023 was for the people so to come back to a full Loftus is really special.
Tony Brown has been amazing and the nice thing about our group, you can win the World Cup but everybody adapts. Chasing The Sun came out and everyone can see how we play. Tony came in and changed the way we play and everybody has adapted, we are going to get better in that but he’s been really good for us as a group.
You can’t buy [the leadership]. There are so many who can take that role and Pieter-Steph has done that.
Peter O’Mahony
A tough battle, we knew it was going to be very difficult here with the quality of South Africa. There are a lot of positives to take out of our performance but little bits here and there, against a side as good as this they’re going to punish you. We’ll go away and have a look, fix a few things and look forward to next week.
We knew with Tony Brown coming in there would be a little bit of a tweak obviously. They are playing a bit more expansively, a bit more wide, they’re more than capable players to do it. They put us under a bit more pressure certainly with their depth out the back of the line, we’ll have a look.
FULL-TIME: South Africa 27-20 Ireland
And after a knock-on from the restart, that’s it! South Africa defeat Ireland for the first time since 2016, it’s the one they wanted, the one Rassie wanted. But what a scrap that was, loads that the Springboks will not be happy about with their game.
Ireland couldn’t cut through that brilliant defence until the end when it was too late but defended superbly for so long in that Test, hanging on for dear life at times.
TRY BAIRD! South Africa 27-20 Ireland
Ireland not going quietly here, a chip over to Lower who steps Kolbe and offloads to Baird who dives over in the corner. The ball falls off the tee and the dropped conversion is missed, so it’s a seven-point gap.
Kolbe has been struggling for a while, looks to be staying out there. Only 10 seconds left as we restart.
PENALTY TRY SOUTH AFRICA! South Africa 27-15 Ireland
That will do it. Huge power from the scrum, you knew it was coming, and Ireland are rocked back and collapse illegally with South Africa going for the pushover score, penalty try and a yellow card for Kelleher too. Looks like a big win for the Boks but doesn’t tell the whole story.
TRY MURRAY! South Africa 20-15 Ireland
A lifeline for Ireland! The short passes pay off as Kelleher is put into a gap by Bealham, before feeding Murray who scores under the posts! Converted by Crowley. Game on?
Hang on, another check from the TMO to make sure the pass wasn’t forward. It isn’t, try stands.
72 mins - South Africa 20-8 Ireland
Another penalty now against the Boks for not rolling away, so Crowley goes to the corner. Free-kick for Ireland for numbers in the lineout, can’t call a scrum anymore so they’ll tap it and try a fancy move which doesn’t really work.
Du Toit offside, another penalty coming. Crowley to Doris, Aki now with a good run but nothing coming, so a penalty and yellow card for Arendse. Springboks will finish this with 14.
69 mins - South Africa 20-8 Ireland
Ireland have put so much effort into this but their intensity is dipping a bit now, a lost lineout luckily followed by a poor Kolbe kick going out on the full.
Bit of a scrap breaking out between Doris and Kriel, Le Roux and Murray.
Ireland with a penalty for a clearout from Williams on Aki, Crowley kicking to touch. Ireland have to get something here to keep this alive.
TRY KOLBE! South Africa 20-8 Ireland
Scrum wheels around and that’s a first Springbok scrum penalty, Marx and Koch getting the credit.
Pollard misses touch, but it bounces up perfectly for Kolbe to sprint onto the ball and score! That was wild. Ireland desperate tried to keep the ball infield and to stop the lineout, Lowe taking a chance, and after he taps it back in Kolbe races on to it, hacks it on and scores.
The officials now checking to see if the ball actually did go into touch... Lowe might get away from this. Was the ball in his hands when his foot touched the ground?
On-field call is try, so there needs to be clear evidence to overrule it. Wondered from one angle if his toes touch the ground while the ball was on his fingertips but it’s such a tight call, frame by frame stuff.
There’s not enough clear evidence, which I reckon is the right decision. Try given! Pollard converts.
64 mins - South Africa 13-8 Ireland
Ireland just forcing those short passes a little too much in close contact, and it leads to a knock-on. Casey down and in some bother, hope he’s alright, he’s played great. Snyman cleared him out and he hit his back of the head on the hard ground, looked nasty.
Still no play, with the stretcher and cart now out for Casey. What a shame after a really good performance
Loftus turning into Glastonbury with Coldplay’s Sky Full of Stars playing and everyone getting their phones out.
Casey carted off with some oxygen, warm applause, sticks a hand up. Murray the veteran comes on.
59 mins - South Africa 13-8 Ireland
Wasn’t the best lineout and De Klerk was under heaps of pressure, somehow holding on to the ball. Great take by Arendse under a high kick, Le Roux with a chip pass perfectly for Kolbe. Boks 40 metres out, Kwagga almost turned over but not quite.
Scrappy passing from the Boks, losing ground under pressure, and it’s turned! Lowe with a dart down the wing, he beats Pollard with a step and scores in the corner! Wow. We’re level!
Hold on, officials are just making sure there wasn’t a knock-on with the turnover. TMO suggesting that Kelleher on the ground kicked the ball back to Ireland’s side of the ruck. You can’t play it on the floor like that, so we’re coming back for a Springbok penalty.
52 mins - South Africa 13-8 Ireland
Scrum penalty Ireland! First of the game, against Koch for walking around. Ireland find touch.
Baird now on for Ireland replacing O’Mahony, Frawley too for Osborne.
Turned over by the Boks who look to counter, forward pass from Le Roux? Playing on for now, hit from Baird on Van Staden, then Ryan on Moerat. Good defence from Ireland here as the Bokke chants go up from the crowd. Great turnover by Van der Flier and Casey clears.
48 mins - South Africa 13-8 Ireland
Kriel nearly through but stopped by a desperate Crowley tackle. Then from the lineout Ireland get it wrong an South Africa are back on the ball, forcing a wide pass to Kolbe which goes into touch.
Kelleher throws long at the next lineout to Doris, crashing up before Osborne clears to touch. But Ireland pinned in their half here.
HALF-TIME: South Africa 13-8 Ireland
One final attack for the Boks then, inside Ireland’s half. More brilliant defensive work though from Doris, another turnover and Casey fires it into touch.
Well, it’s been gripping. Perfect start for South Africa with that Arendse try but Ireland have started gaining more territory and their defensive work has kept them right in the fight.
Second half coming up.
40 mins - South Africa 13-8 Ireland
Chance for South Africa to immediately respond from a maul but that’s stopped, and then De Allende is held up in the tackle and turned over by Doris! The No 8 with loads of big moments in this half. Lowe clears long.
Back comes Kolisi with another lively run and South Africa get a penalty after Porter takes out De Klerk at the ruck. Chance for Pollard from near halfway... which he misses! Hooter sounds for half-time.
TRY OSBORNE! South Africa 13-8 Ireland
Ireland win the lineout but there’s no maul, Nash darting in off this wing. Five metres out, South Africa trying to slow it down. Doris with a great offload but Ireland losing ground.
Wide to Sheehan, Lowe looping around and he gets it infield to Osborne who thinks he’s scored in the corner! Was Lowe in touch? Incredible score if it’s given. Replays checked, no foot in touch! Amazing from Lowe and Osborne with a try on debut. Crowley can’t convert.
30 mins - South Africa 13-3 Ireland
Another catch for Kwagga from the restart which gets a big cheer. De Klerk clears, won back by Furlong. Ireland need to make the most of this territory. Van der Flier straightens, Mbonambi too eager with the counter-ruck and that’s a penalty. Crowley going for the posts.
...boy, that is a shocker from that range. Crowley misses left when everyone expected three points.
25 mins - South Africa 10-3 Ireland
Free-kick to Ireland at the scrum, Malherbe pushing early. Crowley hits it to touch. Pressure on South Africa’s lineout. Pollard with a bomb which De Allende wins back. Passed wide but it goes to ground, Kolbe sorting that out. Mostert nearly knocks on but gets it back, before Doris poaches a turnover.
Definitely a bit scrappy from both sides, as a McCarthy pass goes 20 metres backwards, Crowley kicks it into touch and that will count as out on the full as it was carried back over. Attacking lineout for South Africa coming up.
22 mins - South Africa 10-3 Ireland
Crowley with a high bomb which seems to come off Nash’s knee, and is then knocked on by Osborne. Not entirely sure South Africa were expecting that.
Strange pass from Le Roux is both forward and intercepted by Sheehan. Crowley with another bomb, taken by Le Roux. Ireland’s defensive shape all over the shop there with Lowe rushing in, leaves loads of room for Du Toit to break clear with Kolbe on his outside, stepping infield before Ireland scramble well to force a turnover. That looked threatening.
17 mins - South Africa 7-3 Ireland
Massive collision with Kolisi carrying into Henshaw. Think it was shoulder on chin from Kolisi, Henshaw just getting his technique a bit wrong. Ringrose on the bench if needed.
Pearce stopped the game to check on Henshaw thinking there was head contact, which is fair enough, so we’ll have a scrum. First there’s a reset, then Ireland have the shove again and De Klerk has to get it away.
South Africa come wide but Kriel can’t connect with Kolbe, goes backwards though... and McCarthy is penalised for not rolling away. Pollard will take a shot.
6 mins - South Africa 7-0 Ireland
Soft error from Kwagga at the restart as he drops the ball into touch, giving Ireland attacking field position.
Off the top, Aki crashes up. O’Mahony with a short pass, Ireland about seven metres out. Doris to Sheehan, one metre out. Porter driven back, Beirne round the corner.
Penalty coming for Ireland from Luke Pearce for offside, but Ireland want more. Kriel with a good hit stops the attack, penalty.
TRY ARENDSE! South Africa 7-0 Ireland
First few carries for South Africa after that turnover, Ireland slow it down and Pollard goes high. Good take by Osborne, the full-back on debut.
Box kick from Casey, claimed by Le Roux. Boks look wide, Du Toit doing well to offload inside. Now the Boks come left, Kolisi releasing Arendse and he’s stepping past Osborne to score! Real width and a lethal finish out wide to get things going, his 14th Test try.
Great catch and pass from Kolisi actually to move that wide quickly, made the try happen. Converted by Pollard.
Andy Farrell pre-match
First and foremost it’s a privilege to be here at such an iconic stadium, against the world No 1 and World Cup champions. What an occasion but also what an opportunity for us, we’re looking to test ourselves.
There’s obvious strengths of the opposition which are world class, starting with the set-piece and the physicality which they like to bring to their defence and their carries, the breakdown. But at the same time it’s making sure that we are courageous enough to put our best game out there, that’s the challenge in front of us.
[New guys] to be themselves, not to fit in, to go and add to the team. Give it everything they’ve got, which they will do because they’re all in this together.
Rassie Erasmus pre-match
If you unemotionally look at [those last three losses to Ireland] it was three points here, a few missed kicks there, a maul try not scored. But then again, [Ireland] did it. If we want to be happy at the end of this series we need to finish those moments.
Luckily we have a Sacha guy while Damian Willemse is out who can cover 10 and 15 for us. But I think 7:1 isn’t something you must try every week.
As you know, South Africa haven’t beaten Ireland since Erasmus took over.
A hint of pressure on Ireland?
Expectations for Andy Farrell’s side are so high these days, after the series win in New Zealand, last year’s Slam, reaching No 1 in the world. Winning a Six Nations title earlier this year felt oddly underwhelming after that win over France in Marseille. Plus when you consider Leinster and Munster’s exits from the United Rugby Championship semi-finals... bizarre as this might sound, it feels like Ireland need to win one of these two Tests in South Africa.
Spoke to Jordi Murphy, one of the players from that historic 2016 win in Cape Town, about that pressure.
It’s mad that you go and win a Six Nations, back-to-back, and you don’t win a Grand Slam and that is a disappointment.
Well, we have to talk about it
Back in May - May! - Damian de Allende spoke to Jim Hamilton and started the fire for this entire series. “It is just going to feel almost like a war.” Worth watching it all here.
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South Africa are masters of finding a grievance and using that as fuel to pump themselves up before games, which is why De Allende went back to some RTÉ pundit comments from 2017.
I spoke to Francois Louw and Schalk Brits this week, winners in 2019, to try to get an insight into South Africa’s mindset.
This should be fun
Afternoon everyone, let’s hope this lives up to all of the considerable hype over the past few weeks and months. Ireland are back in South Africa for the first time in 2016, and have not lost to South Africa since 2017.
The Springboks genuinely seem desperate to get win over Ireland, to not only break that run but to dismiss any talk about which side is the best in the world, despite winning the Rugby World Cup last autumn while Ireland went out in the quarter-finals. Their pool meeting at the Stade de France was utterly absorbing, rugby at its most physical and intense.
But, and this is a big but, Ireland are not as strong today as they were going into that game. No Jamison Gibson-Park to run things at scrum-half is enormous given his form over the past two years. Mack Hansen is still absent out on the wing but it’s a full-back, with Hugo Keenan away on sevens duty ahead of the Olympics, where everyone’s eyes will be focused as Jamie Osborne wins a first cap at full-back. He can expect to be busy under the high ball.
Having watched the Springboks get past Wales fairly easily a couple of weeks ago, there were clear signs of a more attacking framework under new assistant Tony Brown, a marked departure from the contain displays that have won South Africa consecutive World Cups.
They have the players to entertain and, as noted on social media this week, perhaps the reason why this Springbok team is not as revered as the All Blacks side who won in 2011 and 2015 is because for those viewers who are not obsessed with power and enormous scrums and a controlled kicking game - everyone should at least admire that approach, by the way - South Africa do have talent to deliver a bit more razzle dazzle. Look at Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe. Perhaps we will see a bit more of that today along with the usual Springbok strengths. The additions on the bench of Grant Williams and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu are a welcome glimpse into the future.
Loads of build-up on the way, so stick around.