As it happened: Ireland v South Africa, November Internationals
Sam Prendergast of Ireland reacts after the Quilter Nations Series game against South Africa at the Aviva Stadium. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Thanks so much for joining us on the liveblog today. We're off to dip our fingers into a bowl of ice water after that and get some reaction from the two camps. You can read that here on the website and in Monday's newspaper.
Simon Lewis will have a full-time match report up online imminently before he joins me for a podcast where we will see if we can make sense of everything that just happened.
That's it. Ireland fail to have the last say as the Boks turn it over in their 22 and kick to touch.
A chorus of boos met the final whistle. A game no-one will want to watch again but one that will fuel an endless supply of debate.
One of the strangest games of rugby you are ever likely to see. The whole thing took two hours and seven minutes.
Penalty after penalty being committed by the Boks who have time on their side. We're in the last play now. Time only for Ireland to score a consolation.
Now Grant Williams has been sent to the sinbin. Ireland again on the Bok line.
Ireland are somehow pulverising the Bok line - and it's a yellow card for RG Snyman as well. Wait, that card has been rescinded now...
It is now two hours exactly since this game kicked off. Sorry, but that's just ridiculous.
The game in a nutshell?
Paddy McCarthy is back on from the sinbin to bring Ireland back up to 15 men. Nice for a change, like.
This game should be done ages ago. It probably is anyway, but Ireland have used up so much energy hanging on with men on the sidelines that they might need a miracle to even make it to the other 22 at this stage.
Brilliant defending by Jack Crowley - twice - as he chases back to collect a kick into the Irish 22, evades two opponents and runs out of the 22. Then he does it again, racing back with Canan Moodie to prevent the touch down.
Ireland still can't get out of their own half, even if the Boks aren't camped on their line for the moment. Hard to see how Andy Farrell's team can do much more. Paddy McCarthy is still in the sinbin.
Somehow, the Springboks haven't scored in 23 minutes. Don't ask me how!
Ireland have somehow survived another siege. Incredible resistance from them against all the odds.
Ireland have conceded 18 penalties now and it feels like 17 have been in the scrum!
Another penalty against Ireland at the scrum - and another YELLOW card. This one for Paddy McCarthy.
Back down to 14 men and still on their own try line ... facing another scrum.
Andrew Porter has to come back on in place of Josh van der Flier for it. All sorts of trouble for Ireland here.
55min and Ireland still in striking distance despite all the adversity...besides their poor discipline they've been combative...full of heart
— Craig Ray (@craigray11) November 22, 2025
Ireland hanging on on their own try line here.
The Six Nations website says South Africa have a 96% chance of winning this game. Hard to disagree.
Cian Prendergast stoops to make a steal a on the Ireland line and the Boks are penalised for not releasing. No lack of effort from Ireland here and the next score will be vital.
Sam Prendergast pops over a penalty from in front of the posts after the Boks fail to roll away at a ruck.
It's Ireland 13-24 South Africa.
Ryan Baird disrupts a Bok lineout and roars at the crowd who respond with the Fields of Athenry. Ireland need these small wins now.
Ireland hold the Boks up, get a scrum on their own 5m line that is marched backwards before Jamison Gibson-Park fires a brilliant kick to near the halfway line.
Andrew Porter has returned from the sinbin. It's now 15 v 15. And Ireland immediately give away another scrum penalty.
Jack Crowley's time in the sinbin is over. Ireland now back to 14 men.
Happier times...
A fierce battle at the Aviva Stadium 😮💨
— Quilter Nations Series (@QuilterNations) November 22, 2025
Watch every #QuilterNS match live on @rugbyontnt and @discoveryplusUK 📺 #QCNS pic.twitter.com/ynLQUEmNyv
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu fends off Jamison Gibson-Park off the back of a midfield scrum and scoots over against the thin white line. The No.10 can't add the conversion.
Ireland 10-24 South Africa.
Sam Prendergast gets to eat up some clock as he stands over a penalty, which he sends between the posts.
Ireland 10-19 South Africa.
All ten of Ireland's points have now been scored with 13 men on the field!
Sam Prendergast returns from the sinbin. Ireland are back to 13 men. Hooray! Andrew Porter and Jack Crowley are still serving their time in the sinbin.
Matthew Carley booed onto the field before the restart.
Okay, let's sum up. Three yellow cards and a 20-minute red for Ireland who finish up down down to 12 men and managed to score their try with 13. Nothing more than a penalty for a very questionable hit on Tommy O'Brien by Sacha Fein berg Mngomezulu too.
Ireland lost a few lineouts, were struggling badly in the scrum in the eyes of Carley - the only man whose opinion matters - and they made too many elementary mistakes besides. Oh, and there was a disallowed try apiece as well.
And they're still down to 12 men for the opening minutes of the second-half. Yeah. Not good.
Like it or not, Matthew Carley is the name on everyone's lips during the interval.
Matthew Carley draws a line in the sand ❗️
— Quilter Nations Series (@QuilterNations) November 22, 2025
Watch every #QuilterNS match live on @rugbyontnt
and @discoveryplusUK 📺 #QCNS pic.twitter.com/qo77IACLkv
That was coming after referee Matthew Carley continually penalised Ireland at the scrum and the Irish crowd does not like it one bit.
It's Ireland 7-19 South Africa.
And there goes the half-time whistle. Everyone take two in a darkened room there and we'll go again for the second-half.
Okay, so you won't believe this but (deep breath!), Ireland have just been shown ANOTHER Yellow card. Andrew Porter gets his early half-time oranges in after yet more trouble for the home side at the scrum.
This is now an officially bonkers game of rugby.
And now the Boks are replacing two-thirds of their front row just before the break. A very Rassie move, that.
Ah here! That's another yellow card for Ireland with Jack Crowley shown the line for interfering with scrum-half Cobus Reinach in the ruck. Ireland are, for a few seconds, down to 12 men before Cian Prendergast comes on to replace the red-carded James Ryan.
Are we all keeping up here? There'll be an exam on all this later!
That is a sensational response. Ryan Baird just about clutches a lineout and starts a maul. Josh van der Flier and Bundee Aki barrel deep into the 22 and its spread wide with the Bok defence stretched for Dan Sheehan to go over.
Jack Crowley gets the conversion. It's 7-12 South Africa.
The Boks were playing with two penalty advantages and hammering away metres out when scrum-half Cobus Reinach dummied a pass and scurried over.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu adds the pair...
...And Sam Prendergast is shown a yellow card for offside after persistent team fouling.
Ireland are down to just 13 men for now. They need to get to half-time without shipping any more water here.
Ireland 0-12 South Africa.
And after all this, we're still looking at another scrum on Ireland's 5m line.
Huge cheer as Jack Crowley comes on to fill the gap left by O'Brien.
Another TMO decision imminent. Canan Moodie carries at Tommy O'Brien and there is head contact as the Bok powers through and into the Irishman as the latter attempts to wrap. How will this go?
Just a penalty for the Boks as O'Brien was "extremely passive" in the tackle. Fair? If anything, it was the ball carrier who initiated that but, hey, rugby!
And it's O'Brien, with a bloodied bandage stuck up his nose, who goes off for a HIA.
This game, man, I dunno...
Bok scrum five-metres from the Irish line... Big moment.
Ireland have left scoring chances behind, committed a dreadful clearout rightly punished and made some other elementary mistakes. And they're still only five points down.
A decision arrives from the bunker and James Ryan's yellow card has been UPGRADED to a 20-minute red. Fair enough, whatever about the gripes over Feinberg-Mngomezulu's earlier one.
Lucky, lucky Ireland. Jasper Wiese half-breaks the line, Ruan Nortje powers through to within a metre and Boan Ventre touches down only for the referee to call it back for a forward pass.
And now Tommy O'Brien kicks one straight touch after great work in the air by Mack Hansen. Ireland cannot be doing that.
Prendergast sends a clearing kick straight into touch and Ireland lose major ground. Compounding errors has been a problem for this team.
Prendergast's miss seems to pay off with Tadhg Beirne going over on the fourth or fifth phase. One glitch, though, with the officials looking at a James Ryan clearout...
That looks bad, an arm straight into the face of Malcom Marx. Yellow and a bunker review. Correct decision.
Ireland's pressure has created a few penalty advantages in the last few minutes and Sam Prendergast uses one to have a pop at the posts and get the home team on the board.... But he smacks it off a post and back into play. Ireland have a huge chance here...
Bit of a settling phase now for both teams after that high-adrenalin start.
Ireland with much more of the territory and possession so far but those Bok backs look so dangerous every time they get their hands on the ball.
Major attack in the Bok 22 but it is turned over near the line after Mack Hansen and James Lowe show some slippery moves. That's two 22 entries for Ireland with no reward already.
Only a penalty, says referee Matthew Carley. Jeez! The official says the impact started at the shoulder and rose up.
The Boks were reduced to 14 men in both of their last two games, against France and Italy. They've escaped a yellow card at the least here.
Whoah! Tommy O'Brien races down the right wing into the Bok 22 only to be hit high by the shoulder of Feinberg-Mngomezulu. He's in trouble here. No attempt at a wrap in that tackle!
Garry Ringrose took major exception to the hit and we have our first mini-melee.
That is superb. Jasper Wiese makes a break through the Irish midfield and suddenly all doors are open. The Boks had a three-man overlap on their left wing and Damian Willemse goes over in the corner. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu couldn't add the extra two though.
Ireland 0-5 South Africa.
Ryan Baird collects the kick-off and cue the kicking. We knew there would be plenty and it's started early.
Zombie banging around the stadium now. Brilliant. Here we go...
Barry Murphy delivers a zippy version of Amhran na bhFiann. That's the spirit! None of this maudlin, slow stuff. Get the crowd going!
Amazing rendition of the South African anthem. There are thousands of Bok fans here.
Catherine Connolly welcomed to the Aviva Stadium now for her first official visit as President of Ireland. Very Leinster-looking blue coat, that. No jokes, please!
RG Snyman given the honour of trotting out on his own first to mark his 50th Bok cap.
The pre-game show is kicking in. Fireworks flaring, lights dimming and blinding, band about to play.
Huge focus on Ireland out-half Sam Prendergast today. Andy Farrell wasn't best pleased with two questions about his No.10's tackling abilities this week.
Rassie Erasmus tried to kill him with kindness.
“People are talking about his tackling, that there's maybe a weakness there, but I've seen him go really hard, and he's a big boy, and he looks pretty fit. I read a bit about his background. He's got a toughness about him.”
Ireland have had the better of the rivalry in the last 21 years, winning nine of the 14 meetings, but the most recent encounters have been painfully close with no more than a converted try the difference in ties since 2022.
The aggregate score across those four meetings? Ireland 77-75 South Africa.
- 19-16 South Africa: Dublin, November 2022
- Ireland 13-8 South Africa: Paris, October 2023
- South Africa 27-20 Ireland: Pretoria, July 2024
- South Africa 24-25 Ireland; Durban, July 2024
Big day today for Leinster's and South Africa's RG Snyman who will earn his 50th Test cap off the bench in the city he currently calls home.
50 Tests of thunder from RG Snyman 💥
— Springboks (@Springboks) November 22, 2025
A milestone for the #Springboks warrior. #ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/RUzyrOrCBV
The team lists have been sent to the media box and there are no changes
Well, we've been spoiled for international sport this last ten days or so and the hope is that this evening's Test match between Andy Farrell's Ireland and the Springboks will be no different.
The atmosphere around the ground for the last couple of hours has been buzzing. The number of Bok fans that make it to their games here in Ireland and the UK never ceases to amaze. And we think the Irish are good at getting their hands on tickets: wait until you see the 'away' support at this one!
Kick-off is 5.40pm.
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