Ireland and Boks setting the standard in world rugby

PURE EMOTION: Ireland's Peter O'Mahony celebrates. Pic: Dan Sheridan

South Africa and Ireland are fierce rivals on the pitch now, but it is a contest laced with mutual respect.

Ireland’s dramatic 25-24 win over the Springboks at Kings Park in Durban on Saturday gave them a share of this series, if it can be called that.

Ireland coach Andy Farrell certainly doesn’t think two Tests is a series in the strict sense of the term, but that didn’t dimmish his enjoyment of overseeing such a special achievement.

Considering Ireland have now beaten the Springboks three times out of four meetings since Rassie Erasmus returned to his native South Africa as director of rugby/head coach, South Africans are leaning towards Ireland being the new gold standard they must beat.

Erasmus, who loved his stint at Munster and has involved Munster coaches such as Felix Jones and now Jerry Flannery in the Bok set-up, was magnanimous in defeat on Saturday, just as he was in victory a week earlier at Loftus when the Boks won 27-20.

“We can sit here with a sad face and think of excuses, but the best team won on the day,” Erasmus said. “We’re really disappointed and the fans will be disappointed.

“If they miss the drop goal we’d all be sitting smiling saying what a good comeback it was. Ireland deserved to win.

“But this was like the past four games we have played against them – all the margins have been less than one score – but the main concern was that first half.

“We fought back from a long way at halftime and converted when we had to but in that last minute, they were better than us.” 

The drop-goal in question was the final kick of the game from Ciarán Frawley to seal the famous victory.

Farrell, in turn, understood what the Boks were going through in their dressing room and coaching box at the end.

“I actually feel for South Africa because I’m sure that they thought in their (coaching) box that they had won it,” Farrell said. “It’s hard to take when it is so close and it is over, like that. You can imagine the elation in our box. Look, it's a 1-1 series draw, if you call it a series. It is a win away from home in our last game.” 

Farrell was mildly bemused that there wasn’t a deciding third Test, but wasn’t going to let that detract from this achievement.

“I don’t get the two-Test series. I’m a traditionalist and I love the three-match series, plus a few more,” Farrell said. "I heard New Zealand and South Africa are going to do it every four years and I’m jealous of that.

“That’s proper touring and that’s the tradition of the game and I’m jealous of that.

The depth of the team, and the performances of Frawley and fellow halfback Caolin Blade, was a vindication for Farrell in his faith in the fringe players. And it was a big tick for Ireland’s provinces who are producing such quality.

“I've got a great relationship with all the (provincial) coaches, but it has to be this way - that the provinces are allowed to have their own say because they have to manage a full season,” Farrell said about whether he could demand players be used in specific positions.

“Nobody ever is working against each other in Irish rugby, even if we disagree on a few things everyone is always working towards what's best for Irish rugby.

“For example, is somebody a No 6 or a 4 or 5, you've got to go after both really.

“You try and work on it together, chats behind the scenes... just because somebody is playing in one position, I'd constantly pick up the phone and ask do you think he could do this, and ask about his skillset.

“In all of those conversations, it never marries up perfectly because of situations like injury, rotation and things like that.” 

And why did he back Frawley and Blade in those final, desperate minutes to get the job done?

“I’ve seen them train and they deserved it and deserved the responsibility to show what they can do,” Farrell said.

“Bladie has always been a guy who has come in, in the middle of a competition and had a week to get up to speed and his thought process has been in overdrive. This time he’s been in the squad from the start and is more and more comfortable.

“Frawls is exactly the same. He’s been a bit part at 10 and a bit part at 15, filling in at 12 as well. He deserves the chance to slot in at 10. There was a bit of Jack in him actually from the cross-field kick that went out on the full, he could have crumbled there, but his strength was his mental ability to dare to dream.” 

And the drop-goals were part of training scenarios Ireland worked on during the tour during training.

“You are thinking, ‘go one more (phase), get us a little bit closer,’ but he went early, gave himself room,” Farrell said. “He knows distance is not a problem. It was ugly, the second one; the first one was beautiful. We will take it.”

South Africa: W le Roux (S Feinberg-Mngomezulu 2); C Kolbe, J Kriel, D de Allende, K-L Arendse; H Pollard, F de Klerk (G Williams 44); O Nche (G Steenekamp 59), B Mbonambi (M Marx 46), F Malherbe (V Koch 46); E Etzebeth (RG Snyman 8-17), F Mostert (Snyman 17); S Kolisi (capt) (M van Staden 50), P-S du Toit, K Smith.

Ireland: J Osborne; C Nash (C Frawley 59), G Ringrose, R Henshaw, J Lowe; J Crowley (S McCloskey 66), C Murray (C Blade, 59); A Porter (C Healy 57), R Kelleher (R Herring 65), T Furlong (F Bealham 44); J McCarthy, J Ryan (R Baird 57); T Beirne, J van der Flier (P O’Mahony, 57), C Doris (capt).

Referee: K Dickson (England).