Ireland 19-16 South Africa: Hosts hold off late Springboks fightback to win

Two tries aboriginal successful the 2nd fractional enactment Ireland successful the driving spot successful an absorbing match

Ireland underlined their credentials arsenic the world's fig 1 broadside arsenic they held disconnected a precocious South Africa fightback to instrumentality a deserved triumph successful Dublin.

Tries from Franco Mostert and Kurt-Lee Arendse hauled the Springboks backmost into the game, but Ireland held on.

The triumph came contempt losing 3 players to wounded successful the archetypal half.

Stuart McCloskey, Conor Murray and Tadhg Furlong were each forced disconnected but Ireland's replacements roseate good to the challenge, arsenic they broke done the South African defence doubly successful a important 10-minute spell astatine the commencement of the 2nd half.

The Springboks contributed to their ain demise, missing 7 points disconnected the tee that proved yet crucial.

The triumph was sealed successful beforehand of a fired-up Dublin crowd, who stay thoroughly invested successful a squad that continues to impressment and germinate nether Andy Farrell.

Injuries disrupt absorbing archetypal half

Pre-match expectations were for a adjacent crippled betwixt the world's fig one-ranked broadside and the reigning satellite champions, and truthful it proved with neither broadside capable to assertion they were the match's dominating unit for immoderate extended magnitude of time.

A deficiency of immoderate first-half tries did not bash overmuch to detract from what was a captivating spectacle from which some defences emerged with large credit.

The Springboks were acold slicker astatine the breakdown and recovered quicker shot than their hosts, but were constricted lone to tiny gains by a well-drilled Irish defence that did not flinch oregon look connected the backmost foot.

Both sides kept tabs connected the different and settled for 2 penalties apiece successful the opening 40, with Damian Willemse pushing a comparatively casual effort wide midway done the half.

Ireland failed to capitalise connected a 10-minute play with an other antheral aft Cheslin Kolbe was sent to the sin-bin for a unsafe tip-tackle connected Hansen, which would person resulted successful a reddish had the Ireland helping not landed connected his backmost arsenic opposed to his neck.

The hosts came closest to crossing the whitewash erstwhile Dan Sheehan charged down Willemse's footwear and bushed Jesse Kriel to the bouncing ball, but knocked connected arsenic helium tried to ground.

A ft wounded saw Tadhg Furlong forced disconnected astatine half-time

Most disappointing for Ireland nevertheless were the injuries that forced McCloskey and Murray, connected the juncture of his 100th cap, disconnected earlier half-time with Furlong replaced astatine the interval.

McCloskey, promoted to the starting squad connected Friday owed to Robbie Henshaw's injury, had been enjoying a good crippled with an eye-catching transportation and a immense turnover successful his ain 22.

However helium was brought disconnected connected 27 minutes aft landing awkwardly connected his arm, with Murray replaced by Jamison Gibson-Park soon after.

Furlong appeared to wounded his close ankle precocious successful the fractional and did not look aft the break, leaving Ireland somewhat up against it having been forced into 3 aboriginal changes.

Quickfire tries enactment Ireland successful control

In spite of the injuries, Ireland did not suffer immoderate continuity and came retired acold quicker than South Africa to prehend power of the crippled successful a important 10-minute spell.

First Johnny Sexton opted to spell to the country alternatively of taking an casual 3 points, a determination vindicated arsenic Van der Flier expertly touched down from Ireland's rolling maul.

The people ignited the assemblage and buoyed the location side, who yet recovered abstraction for their backs conscionable 3 minutes aboriginal for a sensational 2nd try.

Hansen's effort gave Ireland a 10-point pb successful the 50th minute

Peter O'Mahony reacted rapidly to support a escaped shot live connected the right-hand touchline, with Gibson-Park recognising the breached tract rapidly to snipe done a spread and determination the shot wide wherever Hansen was recovered for an casual run-in.

Despite the lead, Ireland's triumph ne'er felt assured, with Sexton missing some conversions to assistance South Africa enactment successful the game, and determination was a grade of inevitability astir their fightback.

First replacement fastener Mostert stretched implicit earlier Sexton's punishment appeared to enactment Ireland backmost successful steadfast power of the contest.

However Arendse scampered implicit aft Eben Etzebeth's inspired offload with 4 minutes remaining to acceptable up a tense finish, but Ireland saw retired the remaining clip connected their ain presumption to clinch the win.

Ireland: Keenan; Baloucoune, Ringrose, McCloskey, Hansen; Sexton (capt), Murray; Porter, Sheehan, Furlong, Beirne, Ryan; O'Mahony, Van der Flier, Doris.

Replacements: Herring, Healy, Bealham, Treadwell, Conan, Gibson-Park, Carbery, O'Brien.

South Africa: Kolbe; Arendse, Kriel, De Allende, Mapimpi; Willemse, Hendrikse; Kitshoff, Marx; Malherbe, Etzebeth, De Jager, Kolisi (capt), Du Toit, Wiese.

Replacements: Mbonambi, Nche, Koch, Mostert, Fourie, Smith, De Klerk, Le Roux.