South Africa vs Ireland LIVE rugby: Result after Ciaran Frawley kick stuns Springboks in brutal battle
South Africa 24-25 Ireland: Ciaran Frawley’s remarkable final-minute drop goal secured a famous win in Durban
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Ireland secured a remarkable victory against South Africa as Ciaran Frawley’s last-minute drop goal secured a one-point win in Durban.
Frawley dropped into the pocket to send the tourists into wild celebrations having survived a brutal second Test. An extraordinary encounter was settled by a moment of majesty from the replacement Ireland fly half, Frawley knocking over his second drop goal of the match to pip the Springboks.
It secured a draw for the tourists in a two-Test series that delivered on its lofty billing. South Africa had won the first Test in Pretoria thanks to the impact of their bench and appeared to again be taking control at the Shark Tank, with Handre Pollard’s accuracy from the tee putting them on the brink of victory.
The fly half’s eighth penalty had appeared to put the hosts out of reach until Frawley stepped up to slot three points with the clock expiring and snatch a famous win for Andy Farrell’s side.
Re-live all of the action from South Africa vs Ireland below:
PENALTY! South Africa 0-3 IRELAND (Jack Crowley, 6 minutes)
Ireland are on the board. A clean, crisp strike for Jack Crowley to open.
South Africa 0-0 Ireland, 5 minutes
A few whistles from the crowd as South Africa are free kicked for Bongi Mbonambi’s removal of the brake foot at scrum time. Ireland tap and go, as they have to now with no scrum option, and draw another free kick with the hosts not back ten.
Etzebeth’s pinching paws get to the ball once more to disrupt Ireland’s rhythm, but he was offside this time. Jack Crowley beckons for the tee.
South Africa 0-0 Ireland, 4 minutes
Outstanding anticipation from Eben Etzebeth as he intercepts Conor Murray’s pass for an onrushing Tadhg Beirne, but the lock can’t quite gather cleanly. He’s so good at timing those interventions, as France will of course attest from Paris last October.
South Africa 0-0 Ireland, 3 minutes
Off goes Willie le Roux for a head injury assessment, James Lowe’s knee having made contact with the full-back’s head as the Irish wing carried. A blow if he’s done; Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu faces the biggest test of his young career.
There might be a second change, too. Franco Mostert is covered in claret and out trots RG Snyman, but the hulking second row is sent back to the bench with the medics electing to strap Mostert up, shirt bloodied as if he’s coming off shift at the abattoir. Apt.
South Africa 0-0 Ireland, 2 minutes
Ireland look to stretch their hosts but are driven back beyond halfway, South Africa’s linespeed accurate and their tackling thumping. Jack Crowley tries to find a grubber but has it blocked by a pair of leaping Springbok legs.
That’s a better kick, Garry Ringrose threading up the touchline. Handre Pollard crabs across to cover and clear, and we’ll take a pause with a couple of players down already.
South Africa 0-0 Ireland, 1 minute
A crunching hit first up from the Irish chasers, James Ryan in the thick of things after his recall to the starting side. South Africa reply in kind, belting Jamie Osborne as the full-back comes down to deck having taken a high bomb.
KICK OFF!
Jack Crowley drops boot to ball and the second Test is underway in Durban!
Anthems
Two pleasant renditions of the anthems, though “Ireland’s Call” is rather put in the shade by 50,000 full-throated South African supporters belting out for all their worth.
England’s Karl Dickson has the whistle and will soon get proceedings up and running.
South Africa vs Ireland
Out into Kings Park, or the Shark Tank as it is more often known, come the Irish players. One of Ireland’s (far too regular) World Cup quarter-final heartbreaks came here in Durban in 1995, France powering away late on to take that last eight encounter.
Siya Kolisi leads the Springboks out to a mighty noise from the home support.
South Africa vs Ireland
Siya Kolisi: “It (complaints) happens so much that we just don’t care. If you look at the rule book you will see that none of the stuff we do breaks any rules.
“You never hear us speaking about other team’s tactics, the focus is always only us and what works for this team. It is all about what we need to do on Saturday. It is always related to the teams we are playing. The coaches explain to us what they want, and we understand the selection around that.
“We don’t know why people always have something to say about what we do but we never say anything about them. But it’s fine, they can keep talking, we’ll just keep focusing on what we do, and if it doesn’t work then we can change it, but we don’t sit and dwell on it.”
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