Ireland 13-24 South Africa: Autumn Nations Series rugby union – as it happened
How Brendan Fanning made sense of that, I’m sure I don’t know.But he did in this cracking report of an utterly bizarre and breathless game.That’ll be me for the night.Hope you enjoyed it.And here is Malcolm Marx:As you can tell by the way that I look it was crazy.
Ireland are a quality side.We’re really happy with the way the guys fought and eventually get a win at the Aviva.We got some good success [in the scrum] but at times we weren’t as successful as we wanted to be.Playing against a quality side is always going to be a tough battle.The character that they showed was immense.
Even with 12 players they kept us out.Gavin O’Reiley pulls no punches:“Carley clearly thinking ‘SA not happy about all these head smash red cards so let’s leave it’…don’t want Rassie after me”I have to agree.Thought feinberg-Mngomezulu deserved a yellow at least.Wow.That’s all I have left.
Hopefully the player of the match, Malcolm Marx, has something to say when he gets a mic in front of his face.He was immense.Just immense.It’s over! An utterly mad game.Perhaps the maddest game I’ve ever covered.
I need a quick breather.Reaction to come.80 min: Smith, just as he did in the WC final two years ago, steals it! But Ireland steal it back! Gibson-Park has it! My word, what a mad end to an utterly mad game! Is this another yellow for SA?79 min: Ireland have the advatnage and fling it long for Gibson-Park (when did he come back).He spills it but they will get another crack after some argy bargy.Accumulative penalty in the red zone.
79 min: Now the Boks show their defensive composure,They are holding on and keeping the Irish at bay, though there is a penalty advantage,Will this be a yellow?Scratch that,Now the Boks get a man in the bin! The crowd is going bonkers! Persistent pressure,Ireland pressing close to the line.
Still 11 points (so a try and a drop goal won’t be enough).75 min: Ireland show off their continuity.Aki to van der Flier.Bealham with a big carry.Prendergast tries to straighten is tackled by Smith and then has the ball smothered by Snyman.
It was a knock-on, in fact.No! It’s a reverse! South Africa have.coughed up a penalty for over celebrbating! Is that a thing? Apparently it is.Ireland will have the line-out five out.75 min: Ireland have equalled the number of cards received by a Test team and yet they’re still hanging in there.
74 min: Marx is back on with a bandage around his head.That was just a HIA.He throws to the line but misses Snyman as van der Flier comes away with it.But Ireland can’t break free from their own 22 despite having the ball.Now they kick and win a penalty after Smith grabbed a loose ball from an off-side position.
73 min: Gibson-Park, from his own 22, hooks a clearing box kick and finds touch,That’ll be his last act,He was excellent today,71 min: Madness! Lowe gets an edge down the left and dinks a kick,Kolbe charges down and grubbers himself.
Kolbe and Smith chase after the lose ball but Crowley beats them to it,He picks it up and runs it back from his own line, making 22 metres,SA are back on it and kick ahead where Moodie looks destined to score but there Crowley is again, fighting and disrupting the ball and forcing Moodie to spill,Unreal stuff!68 min: This isn’t done yet,SA, with Grobelaar on for Marx, have the line-out.
They launch a high ball.Ireland are back inside their own 22.They kick long, almost to halfway.Prendergast looks knackered but he’s hanging tough.So is every player in white.
What a performance.SA are hammering them!66 min: Lowe pinches a South African off-load! Bealham runs in free space.Snyman is almost minced by Prendergast.Kelleher cut down but the Irish keep hold of it.Gibson-Park hoofs high.
65 min: Ireland force the spill and come away with the ball! They survive agaib and the Aviva roars! How have the Springboks not racked up 50 points? This is one of the greatest defensive performances I’ve ever seen.They probably won’t win but my word, haven’t they stood up!64 min: Ireland did well to shoot out and smother the SA attack off the back of the scrum.Snyman linked with de Allende with a lovely off-load as he was tackled.But Doris strayed off-side, entering from the side.Libbok kicks to the corner.
That must count as a win for the Irish who lost a man but didn’t ship a try from the scrums.63 min: The scrum goes down again.Aki is now part of it.63 min: Porter has to rejoin the action after McCarthy is sent off.Van der Flier is sacrificed.
It’s becoming a little farcical if I’m honest.But SA are entitled to use their super strength and keep packing down.A try or another yellow card.I can’t see any other outcome right now.Three scrum penalties in a row and someone had to go.
62 min: Another penalty at the scrum,Carley gives a lecture to the Irish front row,But he’s got to act decisively now,Anyway, they pack down again,61 min: The Irish front row hits the deck and that’s another scrum penalty for the Boks.
They choose to pack down again.One more will likely end in a penalty try.60 min: Smith carries close off the back of the scrum.Kriel goes himself and is held up! But they were playing with an advantage.Not sure why that is not a yellow.
Feels like he’s taken pity on the home side but that’s a third infringement close to their own line.Anyway, the Boks will scrum again.They are right under the poles, choosing to keep most of their backs towards the left.Peter McDonald has asked how many Irish players are on the field.To be honest, I’m not sure.
I think 15.Reminder that the red card was a bunker decision, so not a permanent red.59 min: SA pinch the line-out.Smith carries.SFM grubbers to PSDT who somehow keeps the ball alive on the left wing.
SFM darts again,Beirne and then Kelleher – on for Sheehan – commit offences so the Boks have a penalty as they hook SFM and Kolisi, two of the iconic players of this team,On come Libbok and Esterhuizen,Boks choose to scrum five out,57 min: Another turnover under the shade of the Irish posts.
My word they are such an impressive outfit,Most teams would have been blow away by now but these fighting Irish are not going away,So impressive,Another three,Are they actually going to do this? Long way still.
55 min: Willemse spills a high ball and Hansen is quickest to it.Ireland are giving this a proper go and Gibson-Park milks a penalty – as is his right – at the back of a ruck.Prendergast will line up another shot.This is simply astonishing.How are they hanging in this fight?53 min: My goodness.
Gibson-Park has just made one of the best clearing kicks I’ve ever seen.His crum was going backwards.By the time he picked the ball up he was inside his own goal line.But he managed to hook his foot round the ball and find touch on halfway.Then Marx throws skew again and now Ireland get the throw on halfway
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