Ireland overpowered by South Africa amid a flurry of red and yellow cards

Ireland 13 South Africa 24 

Ireland were bullied into submission by a phenomenally physical South Africa on Saturday at the Aviva Stadium, with Ireland’s indiscipline ensuring they never got a foothold in the Test match.

The Springboks got off to the perfect start when they scored after four minutes. They won ball off the top of a lineout and quickly moved the ball, with Damian de Allende punching a big hole up the middle before Cheslin Kolbe put full-back Damian Willemse over in the corner.

In the 19th minute, Sam Prendergast struck the post from 25m but James Lowe brilliantly won the bouncing ball to set up a Tadhg Beirne try only for a check to be carried out on a reckless James Ryan clear out on Malcom Marx, with the Leinster lock receiving a yellow, which was upgraded to a 20-minute red. Needless to say, the try was disallowed.

The Springboks capitalised when Cobus Reinach sniped over for a try in the right corner as Prendergast was yellow-carded for an offside infringement.

Ireland responded brilliantly by scoring an excellent try in the 37th minute through Dan Sheehan after bone-crunching carries by Josh van der Flier and Bundee Aki, but Jack Crowley then joined Prendergast in the bin by cynically playing the ball on the deck, and Ireland were soon down to 12 when Andrew Porter was shown a yellow for collapsing a scrum. 

Irish discipline had completely collapsed, and soon after the Boks were awarded a penalty try and the seven-pointer gave them a 19-7 half-time lead.

Prendergast returned just in time to slot a 44th-minute penalty, but Feinberg-Mngomezulu easily brushed aside Gibson-Park to waltz over two minutes later to reassert South Africa’s dominance.

Another Prendergast penalty in the 56th minute reduced the gap to eleven, but the Boks kept bullying Ireland up front with Paddy McCarthy the latest to be carded.

South Africa failed to put any more scores on the board, but the scoreline did not seem important to them, as they seemed to enjoy the slow torture they put on Ireland, like a cat playing with a mouse.

Scorers for Ireland: S Prendergast (1 pen), J Crowley (1 con), D Sheehan (1 try).

South Africa: S Feinberg-Mngomezulu (1 con, 1 try), D Williams, C Reinach (1 try each), Penalty try. 

IRELAND: M Hansen; T O'Brien, G Ringrose, B Aki, J Lowe; S Prendergast, J Gibson-Park; A Porter, D Sheehan, T Furlong; J Ryan, T Beirne; R Baird, J van der Flier, C Doris (c).

Subs: J Crowley for T O’Brien (31), C Prendergast for J Ryan (39), P McCarthy for J van der Flier (40), R Kelleher for D Sheehan (55), P McCarthy, F Bealham, J Conan for A Porter, T Furlong, R Baird (59). A Porter for J van der Flier (61), T Farrell for M Hansen (64), C Casey for J Gibson-Park (71).

SOUTH AFRICA: D Willemse; C Moodie, J Kriel, D de Allende, C Kolbe; S Feinberg-Mngomezulu, C Reinach; B Venter, M Marx, T du Toit; E Etzebeth, R Nortje; S Kolisi (c), P-S du Toit, J Wiese.

Subs: G Steenekamp and W Louw for B Venter and T du Toit (39), RG Snyman for E Etzebeth (48), K Smith for J Wiese (52), A Esterhuizen and M Libbok for S Kolisi and S Feinberg-Mngomezulu (58), J Grobbelaar for M Marx (65), G Williams for C Reinach (67), M Marx, T du Toit for J Grobbelaar and W Louw (72).

Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)