Springboks celebrate their first win in Dublin since 2012 after a hard-fought 24-13 victory over Ireland. Picture Credits: Rugby SA
By Aisha Zardad
Dublin, Ireland – South Africa secured their first win in Dublin since 2012 with a 24-13 victory over an ill-disciplined Ireland side in a gripping Autumn Nations Series Test at Lansdowne Road.
Tries from Damian Willemse, Cobus Reinach, and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, alongside a penalty try, saw the world champions home, despite Ireland’s valiant defensive efforts.
The match was defined by disciplinary drama. James Ryan received a 20-minute red card — the first of his career — while Sam Prendergast, Jack Crowley, Andrew Porter, and Paddy McCarthy were sin-binned at various points, leaving Ireland temporarily reduced to 12 men.
Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus, who had never won at Lansdowne Road even during his time at Munster, saw his side strike early. Willemse crossed in the corner following a rapid passing move, taunting the Irish supporters with a hand-to-ear gesture, although Feinberg-Mngomezulu missed the conversion.
Ireland briefly had a glimmer of hope when referee Matthew Carley ruled out a Springbok try for a forward pass, but their fortunes quickly worsened. Reinach went over for South Africa, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu converting for a 12-0 lead, while Prendergast was sin-binned for repeated offsides.
Despite being down to 13 men, Ireland fought back through Dan Sheehan’s try, converted by Crowley for 12-7. Yet sin-binnings for Crowley and Porter left the home side rudderless, and a penalty try awarded to South Africa pushed the half-time score to 19-7.
Ireland’s resilience continued in the second half. Prendergast converted a penalty for 19-10, but Feinberg-Mngomezulu extended South Africa’s lead with a try, though he missed the conversion, making it 24-10. Both sides returned to full strength late in the match, with Ireland’s Prendergast slotting another penalty for a final score of 24-13.
South Africa’s discipline and composure under pressure proved decisive, while Ireland’s repeated infringements undermined their competitiveness. The result marked a long-awaited Dublin triumph for the Springboks, ending an 11-year winless streak in Ireland.
