Ireland shown five cards as Boks win chaotic Test

3 hours ago 2

Cobus Reinach celebrates scoring South Africa's second try

ByMatt Gault

BBC Sport NI senior journalist at Aviva Stadium

Quilter Nations Series

Ireland (7) 13

Try: Sheehan Con: Crowley Pens: Prendergast 2

South Africa (19) 24

Tries: Willemse, Reinach, penalty try, Feinberg-Mngomezulu Con: Feinberg- Mngomezulu

Ill-disciplined Ireland were shown five cards as South Africa produced a typically power-packed performance to win a chaotic, bruising autumn Test - their first victory in Dublin since 2012.

Having bounced back from an opening November loss to the All Blacks, Ireland had hoped to claim a statement win over the world champions to end 2025 on a high.

But coach Andy Farrell was forced to rip up his gameplan on a hectic and deeply frustrating evening which yielded a red card for James Ryan and yellows for Sam Prendergast, Jack Crowley, Andrew Porter and Paddy McCarthy.

Damian Willemse gave the tourists a dream start with a fourth-minute try, before Ryan's yellow for a high hit on Malcolm Marx in the build-up to Tadhg Beirne's disallowed try.

After the card was upgraded to a 20-minute red, Cobus Reinach extended the Springboks' lead with Prendergast also sin-binned, before Dan Sheehan crossed for Ireland.

In a devastating end to the half for the Irish, though, they went down to 12 men as Crowley and Porter were also shown yellows, while Rassie Erasmus' men were awarded a penalty try to take an imposing 19-7 lead at the break.

Ireland could only muster six points in the second period through two Prendergast penalties, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu's superb individual try ensuring a first win on Irish soil for the Springboks in four attempts.

Ireland end eventful first half with 12 players

The Springboks wasted little time showing why they are the world's top team when Willemse finished acrobatically in the corner for the opening try after Damian de Allende's line-break and Cheslin Kolbe's surge through a gap in the Irish defence.

From there, the hosts - who had won four of the past five encounters with South Africa before Saturday - found only frustration in a first half littered with controversial moments and TMO interruptions.

In Ireland's first meaningful attack after the Willemse try, Mack Hansen found Tommy O'Brien on the right wing and, while the Leinster man was taken out by Feinberg-Mngomezulu with what appeared a no-arms tackle, the young Bok fly-half controversially escaped a yellow card.

Ryan, however, did not. After the Leinster second row recklessly lunged at Thomas du Toit in a ruck, Beirne's try was chalked off and Ryan's yellow then upgraded to a 20-minute red following a review.

South Africa, who restored their key players to the line-up after rotating for last week's win in Italy, were also denied by the TMO when Boan Venter's try was ruled out because of Jasper Wiese's forward pass to Eben Etzebeth.

James Ryan illegally clears out Malcolm Marx

Ireland, however, could not repel South Africa's muscle for long and, following a spell spent camped in home territory, Reinach darted through a gap and made it 12-0 with Prendergast's yellow card for straying offside rubbing salt in Irish wounds.

The hosts' fleeting reprieve arrived three minutes before the break when Sheehan crashed over following powerful carries from Josh van der Flier and Bundee Aki.

Instead of ending the half strongly, however, Ireland's discipline again deserted them when, just as Cian Prendergast came on at the end of the 20-minute red-card period, Crowley was sin-binned for knocking the ball out of Reinach's hands at the ruck.

And after Erasmus beefed up his scrum - which was dominant throughout - by sending on front-row replacements Gerhard Steenekamp and Wilco Louw, Porter was sin-binned for a scrum infringement.

It came shortly before a head-spinning half of rugby was ended by English referee Matthew Carley when he awarded the Boks a penalty try that extended their advantage.

After a damaging opening half, Prendergast returned from the bin to reduce the deficit to nine points before the jet-heeled Feinberg-Mngomezulu breezed through the Irish defence to push the Boks further clear in the 47th minute.

While Ireland did well not to concede from there, Prendergast's second penalty was the only score they managed as replacement prop McCarthy's scrum infringement brought the home side's card count to five.

Displaying admirable fight towards the end of a trying night, the Irish pressed for a late try but were repelled by a stern Springbok defensive unit, which held on despite losing replacement Grant Williams to a yellow card late on.

Having followed up wins over France and Italy, South Africa have the chance to complete a European clean sweep when they face Wales next week.

Ireland, however, must look forward to 2026, which begins with a daunting Six Nations visit to holders France on 5 February.

Line-ups

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 (capt).

Replacements: R Kelleher, P McCarthy, F Bealham, C Prendergast, J Conan, C Casey, J Crowley, T Farrell.

Red card: Ryan (20)

Yellow cards: Prendergast (34), Crowley (40), Porter (40), McCarthy (62)

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 (capt), PS du Toit, J Wiese.

Replacements: J Grobbelaar, G Steenekamp, W Louw, RG Snyman, K Smith, A Esterhuizen, G Williams, M Libbok

Yellow card: Williams (78)