Donal Lenihan: Farrell and O'Connell can sleep easier after a direct strike at the Boks' soul

On a day when real grit and a monumental physical commitment was required to see Ireland home, to achieve a win of this magnitude with so much scope for further improvement is so encouraging

ROARING HOME: Ireland players, from left, James Ryan, Tadhg Furlong and Dan Sheehan celebrate their side winning a penalty during the Bank of Ireland Nations Series match between Ireland and South Africa at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

They’re called test matches for a reason. While not every international lives up to that monicker, this one certainly did.

It may not have been aesthetically pleasing to the casual observer - games against this South African side rarely are - but in terms of raw power, ferocious collisions and punishing defence it proved absolutely captivating from start to finish.