Ireland retain rugby's top spot but win over Boks comes at a cost
Mack Hansen scored a scintillating try as Ireland shrugged off a host of injury setbacks to cement their status as rugby’s top-ranked nation by holding on for a tense 19-16 win over world champions South Africa.
Connacht wing Hansen lit up a pulsating Dublin Test match by gleefully diving over early in the second half to cap a spellbinding Irish move from right to left.
The eye-catching score added to a bulldozing effort from Josh van der Flier as Andy Farrell’s in-form hosts laid down a marker ahead of next year’s World Cup pool-stage meeting with the Springboks.
Scores from replacement Franco Mostert and Kurt-Lee Arendse brought the tourists to within touching distance late on but the hosts, aided by nine points from captain Johnny Sexton, dug in to begin their autumn campaign with a bang.
Victory, however, came at a cost as centre Stuart McCloskey, centurion Conor Murray and prop Tadhg Furlong were each forced off due to first-half injuries.
South Africa suffered their heaviest defeat to Ireland when the sides last met – a humiliating 38-3 thrashing on this ground in 2017.
The Springboks returned as holders of the Webb Ellis Cup and seeking to avenge that embarrassment against hosts who shot to the top of the global rankings on the back of a stunning summer series win in New Zealand.
Murray was afforded a standing ovation by the capacity crowd as he led out his country on the occasion of his 100th cap amid the excitement of booming pyrotechnics.
The much-hyped contest took time to ignite, with Sexton and rival fly-half Damian Willemse exchanging early penalties during a frantic opening which quickly developed into a more attritional affair.
South Africa enjoyed the better territory, while the Irish defended doggedly and were eventually beginning to show signs of their free-flowing best when Cheslin Kolbe was sin-binned for a tip tackle on Hansen.
Willemse shanked his second penalty attempt before the hapless McCloskey was forced off, having only gained a rare Test opportunity due to Robbie Henshaw pulling out on the eve of the game, to be replaced by debutant Jimmy O’Brien.
Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan was unfortunate to be denied the opening try in the 32nd minute when he knocked on before grounding after superbly charging down Willemse’s attempted clearance.
Scrum-half Murray, who became only the eighth man to reach a century of Test caps for Ireland, then joined McCloskey in making a premature departure, leaving the field in obvious distress due to an apparent groin issue.
Sexton slotted between the posts to swiftly nudge his side back ahead but Kolbe’s kick wiped out the lead with the final action of a stop-start half in which defences were dominant to leave the score level at 6-6.
Prop Furlong did not reappear for the second period after sustaining an ankle issue just before the break.
Following a lengthy video check, Ireland claimed the first score of the bruising contest seven minutes after the restart when Van der Flier managed to ground wide on the left just before a rolling maul was bulldozed into touch.
The hosts quickly took control of the scoreboard courtesy of the best move of the match.
Magical cross-field play sparked by Caelan Doris’ superb offload involved Van der Flier, Andrew Porter, Finlay Bealham, Jamison Gibson-Park, Tadhg Beirne, Hugo Keenan and O’Brien, before Hansen dived over on the left, prompting roars of delight on the terraces.
South Africa responded and it took a robust, last-ditch tackle from Gibson-Park to thwart the onrushing Deon Fourie.
Mostert, on in place of the injured Lood de Jager, successfully stretched for the line to set up a tantalising final 13 minutes but Kolbe somehow struck the posts with the conversion.
Sexton’s third penalty of the afternoon briefly calmed Irish nerves before Arendse crossed wide on the right to increase the tension.
Yet Ireland, dubbed “softies” by Springboks director of rugby Rassie Erasmus just three years ago, had the resilience to get over the line and make it 10 home victories in a row with another headline-grabbing result.
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments