“Just keep believing, there’s still time.”
This was the message from Ireland captain Caelan Doris to his teammates during the closing moments of their intense match against South Africa.
After a dazzling first half in Durban, Ireland saw their lead slip away as South Africa edged ahead by two points with the clock nearing the 80-minute mark. Doris’ optimism seemed improbable when Ireland faced a scrum on their own 22-metre line with just 90 seconds remaining.
Enter Ciaran Frawley.
Despite struggling with scrums all evening, Ireland managed to win this crucial one. Frawley, the replacement fly-half, executed a perfect kick into Springbok territory, allowing the Irish pack to pressure Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu into touch.
From the ensuing line-out, another area where Ireland had faltered, the ball was carried into contact. Frawley moved into position and, just as he had earlier in the game, delivered a flawless long-range drop goal to clinch a dramatic 25-24 victory for Ireland.
“It’s pure elation seeing the ball sail over at the end there,” Doris told Sky Sports. “It was back and forth, there were two points in it. We believed if we got down there and got territory, we could score.”
Former Ireland wing Shane Horgan agreed, saying, “I don’t think any other Irish team in history has quite had that.”
Rory Best noted that South Africa’s similar mentality would only intensify the rivalry between the sides. “They put themselves in the perfect place to win, and it took a moment of genius from Ireland to snatch it from them,” remarked the former Ireland skipper.
South Africa had earned a solid victory in Pretoria the previous week, but Irish head coach Andy Farrell had predicted that his side wouldn’t lose two in a row. This seemed prophetic when Conor Murray’s try and three Jack Crowley penalties gave Ireland a 10-point lead at halftime.
However, South Africa, back-to-back world champions, responded strongly in the second half. Through Handre Pollard’s impeccable kicking, they turned the 10-point deficit into a two-point lead.
“South Africa don’t lose easy; they find a way. It’s so frustrating at times to play against,” Murray added. “We believed in ourselves coming into South Africa’s backyard. It was always going to be a big challenge.”
Murray, with 118 caps, said the previous week’s defeat had “hurt the players.” The Test match was the final game of a grueling 13-month season, beginning last August with aspirations of winning the World Cup. Although Ireland’s World Cup dreams remained unfulfilled as South Africa retained the trophy, there was no silverware at stake on Saturday. Nonetheless, Murray emphasized the importance of putting everything on the line for one last effort.
“I think we can be really proud,” he said. “We had a really honest meeting on Wednesday about ourselves. We knew we were getting a break at the end of the week, and the boys fronted up and committed to this week.”
The rivalry with South Africa has been brewing since Ireland’s narrow win in Dublin in November 2022. While Ireland held bragging rights from the World Cup pool stages, the Springboks had the final say by lifting the Webb Ellis Cup in Paris.
The Durban match added another thrilling chapter to the rivalry between the world’s two best rugby teams. Despite the South African players and media stoking the flames ahead of the Tests, the series was ultimately defined by two breathless, brutal, and brilliant 80-minute battles.
Murray acknowledged that the rivalry between the two rugby heavyweights is “good for the game.”
“There is huge respect there; we have huge respect for them, and it’s an honor to go toe-to-toe with them,” he added. “The nerves were high this week, but it’s nice when it pays off. You have to celebrate it. These are rare times, and it’s such a tough thing to do.”
Credit: BBC Sport
