South Africa break 13-year Dublin hoodoo with win over Ireland

Ireland paid a heavy price for ill-discipline as world champions South Africa ended a 13-year wait for victory in Dublin by battling to a chaotic 24-13 victory.

Andy Farrell’s men lost James Ryan to a 20-minute red card during a remarkable first half in which team-mates Sam Prendergast, Jack Crowley and Andrew Porter were sent to the sin bin.

Ireland’s repeated infringements followed the perceived injustice of Springboks fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu avoiding an early card for a high hit on Tommy O’Brien.

With the hosts down to 13 men, hooker Dan Sheehan crossed in response to scores from Damian Willemse and Cobus Reinach, before a penalty try left the visitors 19-7 ahead at the break.

Depleted Ireland outscored their opponents in a spirited second half thanks to a pair of Prendergast penalties – either side of a score from Feinberg-Mngomezulu – but were ultimately well beaten.

Paddy McCarthy became the fourth Irishman to be shown a yellow card as South Africa avenged Aviva Stadium defeats in 2014, 2017 and 2022.

Two years out from the next World Cup, Ireland boss Farrell said taking on rugby’s top-ranked nation would be a “litmus test” of his side’s current standing.

The fired-up hosts began on the front foot but fell behind inside four minutes when Willemse dived over in the left corner to cap a devastating attack.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu was off target with the touchline conversion and then fortunate to escape punishment after sparking a mass brawl with his crude challenge on O’Brien.

Ireland suffered further frustration at the midway point of a ferocious first half.

After Prendergast struck the left post with a penalty, James Lowe caught the rebound, culminating in Tadhg Beirne bulldozing over.

Referee Matthew Carley disallowed the try on review and sent lock Ryan to the sin bin for an illegal clearout on Malcolm Marx in the build up, prompting boos from the terraces due to the perceived inconsistency.

South Africa prop Boan Venter had a 26th-minute score chalked off because of Jasper Wiese’s forward pass earlier in the move before Ryan’s punishment was upgraded to red.

Ireland wing O’Brien then escaped a card for a high tackle on Canan Moodie but suffered a bloody nose and was replaced by Crowley to undergo a head injury assessment.

Scrum-half Reinach wriggled clear to claim his side’s second try following sustained pressure, with Ireland reduced to 13 men after Prendergast was sin-binned for multiple penalties.

Sheehan crashed over two minutes later amid a superb response from Ireland before Crowley, who added the conversion, joined fellow fly-half Prendergast in the bin for knocking the ball out of Reinach’s hands in a ruck.

Cian Prendergast came on for the dismissed Ryan in time to prevent the hosts going down to 12 players.

But they soon suffered that fate as prop Porter was ordered off for collapsing the scrum, prior to match official Carley awarding South Africa a penalty try at the culmination of a breathless opening period which ended with more jeers.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu burst past Jamison Gibson-Park in the 47th minute to further delight the sizeable Springbok contingent among the capacity crowd, in between penalties from Sam Prendergast.

Replacement prop McCarthy was yellow carded as the home side hung in the fight in the face of intense pressure.

Crowley prevented Ireland falling further behind with two superb pieces of defending before South Africa celebrated becoming only the third country to beat Ireland in Dublin during the Farrell era, following a late yellow card for replacement Grant Williams.