Late Frawley drop goal grabs famous Test win for Ireland on South African soil 

Ireland bounced back from last weekend’s defeat with a dramatic win in Durban.

WINNER, WINNER: Ciarán Frawley of Ireland kicks a drop goal during the second test between South Africa and Ireland at Kings Park in Durban, South Africa. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

South Africa 24 Ireland 25

Ciarán Frawley’s name will go down in Irish folklore after two late drop-goals, including one with the final move of the game to give Ireland a 25-24 win over the Springboks.

Ireland promised a backlash after disappointing themselves in the first Test and they duly delivered on that vow, in a seething Kings Park in Durban.

The world champions produced a magnificent rear-guard after being rocked back by the visitors in the first half, with 18 points after the break but Ireland just about hung in to secure a famous win.

Handre Pollard was imperious off the kicking tee, landing eight penalties for all his teams’ points after the Bok pack, which was kept at bay in the first half, upped the ante after the break.

Ireland though, won this match with a magnificent start, despite a yellow card for captain Caelan Doris and a slew of penalties against them after the break.

It was a perfect way to end a long season and underline that they are going to remain a force in world rugby for several years to come.

Ireland’s defence was also other-worldly and despite being on the ropes for much of the second half, they never broke as wave after wave of Bok attacks were stopped.

The breakdown battle, which Ireland shaded in the first half, turned with the introduction of the granite-like Malcolm Marx and his colleagues, but even then, Ireland managed to survive and keep themselves in the match.

It looked like it was over when the Boks, with all the momentum, took a five point lead with 10 minutes to play. In a game of such fine margins, it seemed insurmountable.

But Ireland kept at it and when they couldn’t find a way through the Boks’ wall, replacement scrumhalf Caolin Blade flung a long pass to Frawley, 40 metres out, and he struck it sweetly for three points.

AERIAL BATTLE: South Africa's Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu in action against Ireland's Robbie Henshaw during the second Test. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

That left the game in the balance. Only two points in it. The Boks, now flustered, tried to control territory and keep Ireland deep, but the men in emerald green managed one last escape to set up a lineout on the Bok 22.

They won the ball, went through a couple of phases before Blade and Frawley reprised their earlier heroics.

Kurt-Lee Arendse appealed that he had been obstructed in the chase, but referee Karl Dickson blew the final whistle seconds after he awarded the drop-goal. Game won.

The first half was one of savage accuracy by both sides, but Ireland were just that little bit sharper and wiser.

Ireland led by 10 points at halftime but there was a sense that the Boks might have been happy with that, considering how comprehensively outplayed they were for the first 25 minutes.

Only desperate South Africa defence on their line late in the half prevented the margin being wider and in the final analysis, those desperate tackles were probably the difference.

Ireland flyhalf Jack Crowley scored 14 points from four penalties and a conversion, as his pack edged the opening exchanges.

Ireland deployed a better kicking game, which might have been the gameplan or it might have been a result of the Boks losing fullback Willie le Roux to a head knock inside the first two minutes.

That meant the inexperienced Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was drafted in at fullback, out of position for a man usually playing flyhalf and centre. Ireland tested him to the full and he initially struggled with Jack Crowley and Jamie Osborne’s aerial assault.

That gave Ireland momentum and from the quick ball they generated, they kept the Boks defence stretched to the limit. 

Perhaps Ireland should’ve scored at least one more try in the half, but sometimes you have to credit the opposition too.

The Boks refused to buckle as Ireland pounded their line and the only time they did break was in the opening stanza. Scrum-half Conor Murray finished a sweeping move started by Robbie Henshaw and the impressive Jamie Osborne.

Scorers for South Africa: Penalties: Handre Pollard (8) 

Scorers for Ireland: Try: Conor Murray. Conversion: Jack Crowley. Penalties: Crowley (5). Drop-Goals: Ciaran Frawley (2)

Springboks: Willie le Roux (Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu-3); Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Kurt-Lee Arendse; Handré Pollard, Faf de Klerk (Grant Williams-45); Kwagga Smith, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (captain) (Marco van Staden-50); Franco Mostert (Salmaan Moerat-72), Eben Etzebeth (RG Snyman–9); Frans Malherbe (Vincent Koch-47), Bongi Mbonambi (Malcolm Marx-47), Ox Nche (Gerhard Steenekamp-60).

Ireland: Jamie Osborne; Calvin Nash, Garry Ringrose (Stuart McCloskey-65), Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Jack Crowley (Ciaran Frawley-58), Conor Murray (Caolin Blade-58); Caelan Doris (captain), Josh van der Flier (Peter O’Mahony-56), Tadhg Beirne; James Ryan (Ryan Baird-56), Joe McCarthy; Tadhg Furlong (Finlay Bealham-45), Ronan Kelleher (Rob Herring-65), Andrew Porter.