Springboks confirm No. 1 status by beating Ireland 27-20

South Africa ended eight years of hurt at the hands of Ireland when it won their No. 1-vs.-No. 2 showdown 27-20 at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

They met only three previous times in those eight years, and Ireland gave South Africa its only loss at the Rugby World Cup last year, but the record niggled the Springboks, who have tagged this two-test series “Unfinished Business.”

The world champion Springboks deserved to underline their top-dog status, but their second most capped team in history was squeezed of every drip of experience. They had luck and got the rub of Television Match Official Ben Whitehouse.

With the game on a knife edge, Whitehouse found reason to rule out a try for Ireland’s James Lowe, and confirm a try for South Africa’s Cheslin Kolbe when he couldn’t see if Lowe stepped in touch beforehand.

Kolbe’s converted try made it 20-8, but in a frantic last six minutes Ireland had a try attempt ruled out, scored a minute later through Conor Murray, and closed to within five again. But then South Africa’s five-meter scrum obliterated Ireland’s and referee Luke Pearce awarded a penalty try.

That secured victory in the 78th minute of South Africa’s first game of the year despite Ryan Baird’s late try from a Lowe offload for the Six Nations champions.

“I can’t explain how great it has been to just come back and be with the boys,” Boks captain Siya Kolisi told Sky Sports. “This team is so special. What we did in 2023 was for the people, so to come back and play here is really special.”

Ireland, trying to win in South Africa for only the second time in 118 years, has another chance in Durban next weekend, and can square a series for the first time.

“There are a lot of positives to take out of our performance but little bits here and there, playing against a side as good as this, they are going to punish you,” Ireland captain Peter O’Mahony told Sky Sports. “We’ll … fix a few things and look forward to next week.”

South Africa scored the first points inside four minutes remarkably easily. They spread the ball wide, Kolisi gave Kurt-Lee Arendse an overlap and the wing burned off the cover to the tryline. Handre Pollard converted.

Ireland tried to match it straight away from a tapped penalty but Joe McCarthy knocked on. They still left the 22 with a Jack Crowley penalty.

Kolisi flattened center Robbie Henshaw in such a big carry that referee Pearce was moved to stop play to let Henshaw be medically checked. He carried on.

Pollard nailed consecutive penalties for 13-3 but Ireland finished the half on top. Spreading the ball, hooker Dan Sheehan’s backflip found Lowe, who stood in Kolbe’s touchline tackle to offload to fullback Jamie Osborne to dive over in his test debut for 13-8. Osborne, despite being out of position, excelled.

South Africa started with a XV of world champions but sent in the ‘Bomb Squad’ in the 58th minute, replacing the tight five and Kolisi, and got a noticeable lift in energy.

But Ireland appeared to score next when Jesse Kriel was turned over and Lowe got the ball. He slipped Malcolm Marx and fended off Pollard to scream in. The try was ruled out when Ronan Kelleher was deemed to have hooked the ball with his leg in the Kriel ruck.

Ireland got a break when Pollard, a 77% test goalkicker, missed a third straight penalty attempt, but scrumhalf Craig Casey was taken off on a stretcher after his head slammed the rock-hard ground in a RG Snyman tackle.

Lowe tried to keep a South Africa penalty kick from going out 35 meters from his tryline, but his fling inside was reached first by Kolbe, who hacked the ball on and won the race to it in goal. The try stood when TV angles couldn’t show Lowe stepped in touch before releasing the ball.

Ireland upped the desperation, and Arendse was forced to the sin-bin. No. 8 Caelan Doris was held up between the posts but, moments later, replacement front-rowers Finlay Bealham and Kelleher worked Murray clear to dive between the posts. Ireland was back within five with four minutes to go.

But South Africa’s scrum got the decisive penalty try and Kelleher’s yellow card ensured both teams finished with 14 men.