Ireland fullback Ciaran Frawley put through a monumental drop goal on the hooter to steal the game and give his side a massive one point victory over the Springboks, winning 25-24 in Durban on Saturday night.
The replacement fullback came on and kicked two massive drop goals to end a contentious, ugly scrap that did neither team justice and left the test series tied at 1-1.
A DROP KICK AT THE DEATH WINS IT FOR IRELAND! 🤯
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 13, 2024
Final score: 24-25 for the visitors 🇮🇪#RSAvIRE pic.twitter.com/Nyb6rCRjKM
The fact that there is no third test to settle the score will do nobody justice, but Ireland will feel they won a moral victory after being the better side throughout the game, as the Boks struggled with their own demons and disjointed game plan.
An epic win in Durban as Ireland tie the series with @Springboks
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) July 13, 2024
Check out the 📸#TeamOfUs
It is clear they want to move to a wider game plan, but injuries and their own inability to capitalise on the big moments cost them in the end.
The fact that they fought back from 10 points down at halftime, and should have closed the game out, will bring them no joy on the wrong side of a scoreline.
But it showed that while they still top the world rankings they still have a long way to go.
In the end Frawley’s strike was pure and solid and while the Boks complained about Cheslin Kolbe being blocked as he chased to charge down, replays showed him slipping and never getting close.
It made the loss all the more sour, and while fans will wait for the next game between the two, the Irish will feel vindicated that they went toe to toe with the Boks and will feel they could have come out on top in both tests.
The Boks, on the other hand, may have to rethink the way they approached this test.
Match report: Drama in Durban as Ireland pull off a last-gasp win to square the series - more here: https://t.co/m4z32JUoTk 😔 #ForeverGreenForeverGold #Springboks #RSAvIRE pic.twitter.com/Xag4PXx8Mb
— Springboks (@Springboks) July 13, 2024
BOK ATTACK OUT OF SYNC
While Handre Pollard’s boot contributed 24 exceptional points in an almost flawless kicking performance, he looked increasingly uncomfortable, especially in the first half, at trying to fire bullet passes in getting the ball wide.
Pollard wasn’t the only one off form on the day. While Ireland should be commended for their exceptional defence, the Bok attack looked out of sync and a little too slow to play the game plan they wanted to.
Disjointed on attack, they turned back to the only weapons they had - the boot and the scrum and both came through.
And on a different night it would have been enough for them. But Frawley’s strike was enough for Ireland to celebrate as if they had won the World Cup.
It would be easy to point out that Ireland still have to do the same at a World Cup before they can be considered part of the greats, but Andy Farrell’s side have certainly shown that they can claim to be part of the top two in the world.
The Boks will know they could have played better, and that will fuel them for the remainder of the season.
But they will also know they were outplayed for most of the game, and were for once at the wrong end of a one-point game where before it had brought glory.
That desire to get better has always been a hallmark of the team and they will feel burnt by this loss.
But they will need to take it on the chin and know while the contest was ill-tempered, and Ireland did again get away with a lot, they were the better side on the night.
BLOODY CLASH
In many ways it was the perfect start for Ireland. Not only did they get the rub of the green early and looked full of life for their task, but they also inflicted pain early on for the Boks, so much so that the early exchanges resembled the aftermath of an EFC fight.
Eben Etzebeth left the field with blood streaming down his face, followed shortly after his return by Franco Mostert, both bloodied and limping.
Mostert is back on, but now Eben Etzebeth goes off for some repairs as Snyman comes back on 🔁#ForeverGreenForeverGold #Springboks #RSAvIRE pic.twitter.com/UNTIy3cog5
— Springboks (@Springboks) July 13, 2024
And this came after Willie le Roux didn’t last two minutes on the park before limping off with an injury.
In this time Jack Crowley opened the scoring with a penalty. Jamie Osborne then got through the tightest of gaps and fed centre Robbie Henshaw, who slipped a pass back inside to Conor Murray to score.
Things weren’t going right for the Boks in the opening half, but at least their powerhouse scrum gave them their first points with a midfield penalty and a trademark Pollard 50-metre strike to get them on the board.
The scrum proved particularly powerful and gave them their next three penalties, the fourth giving Pollard another strike at goal to cut the deficit to four.
But soon after they had cut the lead, Pieter-Steph du Toit was penalised for changing his running line and Crowley extended it back to seven.
Another penalty from Crowley on the stroke of halftime left the Irish 10 points up and South Africa with a mountain to climb.
Whatever was said in those halftime minutes seemed to work.
IRISH CAPTAIN YELLOW-CARDED
The Boks emerged renewed and re-energised, attacking with vigour and purpose for almost the first time in the game.
It was almost as if they found an elixir in the changeroom, and it worked like a charm.
It was sparked by a Kurt-Lee Arendse run down the near touchline, and the sense of a momentum change was there. And it came at the right time.
A cynical cleanout by Irish captain Caelan Doris proved the moment the Boks needed.
Doris was rightly yellow carded for a cynical roll of Malcolm Marx after the latter had won a jackal penalty.
Replays made it look as if Doris had fallen on Marx’s knee, then rolled him along with a cleanout by James Ryan, a move that could have badly injured the Bok hooker.
The yellow was telling in so many ways. It gave the Boks purpose and momentum, and allowed Pollard to slot penalties - not once, not twice, but three times.
FRAWLEY MAGIC
That moved the score quickly from 16-9 down to put the Boks in the lead 18-16 with the game poised on a knife edge.
But this was a different Bok side to the first test. They were far from perfect, struggled with the restarts and were at times their own worst enemy.
But they were again full of passion and pride, and it mattered.
Even when Crowley sent another penalty through to reclaim the lead, the Boks took it back with two more and looked on song for victory.
But then Frawley arrived, and the increasing sense that the Boks had not put Ireland away, kept gnawing at those watching.
And their mistakes finally caught up with them as Ireland came back once more.
And Frawley grabbed the moment that mattered, and the glory that came with it.
Come the day and come the hour!
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) July 13, 2024
A drop goal from Ciaran Frawley and a win for Ireland!#TeamOfUs pic.twitter.com/Z1DPy4gwK0
SCORERS
South Africa - Penalties: Pollard (8)
Ireland - tries: Conor Murray. Conversion: Jack Crowley Penalty: Crowley (4). Drop goals: Ciaran Frawley (2)