Munster v South Africa: The history behind the fixture

HISTORIC MEETING: Head coach Graham Rowntree looks on before the latest meeting of Munster and South Africa.

History will be made when Munster welcome South Africa A to Cork on Thursday night for the first rugby match at Pairc Ui Chaoimh in front of the biggest attendance for the sport in the province. 

Yet the 41,400 sell-out crowd on Leeside will be roaring their team on in the knowledge that Munster have not managed to beat the South Africans, the only major touring side yet to fall to the men in red, whose most recent visit was 52 years ago.

December 11, 1951: Munster 6 South Africa 11, Thomond Park 

Four days after beating Ireland 17-5 at Lansdowne Road, there was agony for Munster captain and try scorer Jim McCarthy when South Africa score a late, converted try to break a 6-6 deadlock with Munster also having a try disallowed for a forward pass many at the time believed to be a questionable decision.

December 22, 1960: Munster 3 South Africa 9, Musgrave Park 

Munster again come agonisingly close to an upset against a South African side that would win Test matches against Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland that winter, with Noel Murphy’s try seeing the game tied at 3-3, only for the tourists to strike late again, scoring twice in time added on.

January 11, 1970: Munster 9 South Africa 25, Thomond Park 

Three years after Australia’s Wallabies had become the province’s first international victims, Munster were brought back down to earth by a dominant South African team, the first time a touring side had beaten them by more than six points.