Grahsmstown-born coach Allister Coetzee began his Springbok reign with a 26-20 loss to a dogged Ireland at Newlands.
5 minutes into the game, Ireland were penalised for not releasing the ball. The Boks opted to go for posts, but fly-half Patrick Lambie yanked his kick wide.
Grahsmstown-born coach Allister Coetzee began his Springbok reign with a 26-20 loss to a dogged Ireland at Newlands.
5 minutes into the game, Ireland were penalised for not releasing the ball. The Boks opted to go for posts, but fly-half Patrick Lambie yanked his kick wide.
Six minutes later, Ireland opened the scoring with a try from full-back Jared Payne, which was converted by their fly-half, Paddy Jackson. The Boks suffered a double blow as lock Lood de Jager was given a yellow card.
Lambie pulled a penalty back for the Boks in the 16th minute. However, Jackson responded with a penalty kick of his own just three minutes later.
The tide turned after 23 minutes, when flanker CJ Stander was sent off for clattering Lambie's head with his hip from a jump. Lambie came off injured as a result, and was replaced by Elton Jantjies.
The Boks responded by darting for the try-line. full-back Willie le Roux almost made his way over, but lost the ball forward two metres out.
Three minutes later, the Boks had a penalty straight under the posts and Jantjies made no mistake with his kick.
The Boks finally made their pressure tell with a try from winger Lwazi Mvovo in the 32nd minute, which Jantjies converted. To make matters worse for the Irish, centre Robbie Henshaw was yellow-carded.
Jackson nailed a drop goal three minutes before half-time to level the scores. The Irish then weathered a spell of pressure from the Boks, bundling flanker Francois Louw into touch just in front of the line to ensure that the teams went into the break all-square.
Ireland grabbed momentum after the break, with scrum-half Connor Murray scoring a try just two minutes into the half. Jackson converted once more.
Jackson tried to add a try of his own five minutes into the half, chipping the ball over the Springbok defence and darting for the line. However, Springbok scrum-half Faf de Klerk was able to reach it first once it had crossed the try line and dot it down safely.
Jackson almost stretched Ireland's lead with 18 minutes remaining, but his penalty kick from just inside the Springboks' half hit the post.
The fly-half did stretch the lead soon afterwards with a penalty, but substitute Pieter-Steph du Toit hit back with a try right under the posts, which was easily converted.
Jackson attempted another drop goal with eight minutes left, but missed. However, with less than four minutes to play, he nailed a penalty.
JP Pietersen darted for the tryline after the hooter, but was bundled out. Ireland repeated their 2014 Dublin triumph, beating the Boks for the first time on South African soil.
