Brutal Boks expose Ireland’s gap to world champions
Ireland's Tadhg Beirne walks through the South Africa guard of honour after defeat to the Springboks. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
With just 17 Test matches from now to the pre-World Cup window, the clock is ticking on Ireland’s preparations for Australia 2027. This chastening defeat to South Africa in Dublin on Saturday exposed the size of the task facing Andy Farrell if his team is to travel Down Under as genuine contenders.
Ireland were no match for the world’s current best rugby nation, and a side shepherded by Rassie Erasmus that has been so imperious for long stretches of 2025 that a hat-trick of successive World Cup titles in two years would surprise nobody.
The way the Springboks demolished the Irish scrum and applied such intolerable pressure that Ireland’s discipline collapsed during a torrid first 40 minutes, completed an impressive run of victories on this end of year tour. And if their victories over France and Italy having been reduced to 14 men following first-half red cards in Paris and Turin, were major statements of South African rugby prowess, their Aviva Stadium masterclass was a serious flex of the muscles. One can only ponder what damage they can inflict on a demoralised and downtrodden Wales side in Cardiff this weekend, even if they are denied the use of a large core of their squad outside of the November Test window.
Ireland’s year is, thankfully, at an end however, and with 10 weeks and three days to a Guinness Six Nations opening round trip to Stade de France on Thursday, February 5 there is much for Farrell and his coaching staff to contemplate if the collateral damage of this defeat does not carry over into the championship.
A slow start to November, with a defeat to New Zealand followed by a disjointed first half against Japan does not bode well in that regard, as Farrell recognised when he spoke to the media on Saturday night. The Ireland boss could have no complaints about the manner of his side’s loss, underscored by a 20-minute red card for James Ryan and yellows for Sam Prendergast, Jack Crowley, Andrew Porter and Paddy McCarthy.
Yet while he spoke of his pride at the resilience of his side to not only score their only try through Dan Sheehan when Ireland were down to 13 men late in the opening half but then negotiate the second period by outscoring the Springboks 6-5, Farrell also outlined what needed to happen to bridge a gap to the back-to-back world champions that appears to be widening rather than closing.
“By making sure that we look after ourselves,” Farrell said. “We have a Six Nations which is our bread and butter, which matters the world to us. So how we go about the next nine weeks in our preparation individually and collectively as a team whilst everyone goes back to the provinces and coming back ready for international rugby, which was obviously difficult to do at the start of this campaign.
“But nine weeks to see how we need to come back into camp is plainly obvious after playing a game like that.”
It might have been an entirely different game but for a couple of pivotal moments that sowed the seeds for a miserable defeat. Referee Matthew Carley became public enemy number one to the pumped-up Ireland supporters in a sell-out Aviva crowd but their team only had themselves to blame for the 20-minute red, the four yellows, the 18 penalties and the penalty try they conceded on the stroke of half-time to fall 19-7 down at the interval. What the English official arguably got wrong was his failure to sufficiently sanction Springbok fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu for a no-arms shoulder to jettison Tommy O’Brien over the sideline early in the piece. A penalty was all that accrued and the die was cast.
Ireland had conceded to South Africa’s first attack, an incisive move finished by full-back Damien Willemse but what should have been the perfect riposte as Tadhg Beirne powered over from close range was ruled out by Ryan’s overzealous cleanout at the preceding ruck, sent to the bin for a bunker review from which he would not return. From there, Ireland were flailing, first Sam Prendergast’s yellow for an accumulation of team penalties, then Crowley’s for a rash tug on scrum-half Cobus Reinach’s arm as he tried to play away from a ruck. Porter’s yellow was the price Ireland paid for wilting under the pressure of a pulverising Springbok scrum as was the penalty try that followed to leave the home side to start the second half with just 12 players.
So, plaudits to Ireland for making the second half competitive, Sam Prendergast’s two penalties besting Mngomezulu’s third-quarter try and their defensive effort keeping South Africa scoreless for the final 35 minutes. But do not be fooled that this was some sort of moral victory, the Boks were playing as if the second half was a training session, an extended attack versus defence simulation.
Ireland are going to have to learn the lessons of Saturday’s schooling pretty sharpish if they are to have a say in the upcoming Six Nations, with that opening fixture on a Thursday night in Paris already looming large. If there is any comfort it is that the French are gearing up for some soul-searching of their own after an underwhelming autumn, despite a 48-33 victory over Australia.
"We are not as strong as we were four years ago, not everything is clicking like it was then,” moaned head coach Fabien Galthié. Andy Farrell will relate to the sentiment.
M Hansen (T Farrell, 64); T O’Brien (J Crowley, 31 - HIA), G Ringrose (C Casey, 72), B Aki, J Lowe; S Prendergast, J Gibson-Park; A Porter (P McCarthy, 60), D Sheehan (R Kelleher, 56), T Furlong (F Bealham, 60); J Ryan (C Prendergast, 40, after 20min Red), T Beirne, R Baird (J Conan, 60), J van der Flier (P McCarthy, 40-50, for Porter YC, Porter 62-72 for P McCarthy YC), C Doris – captain.
J Ryan 20-40
S Prendergast 34-44; J Crowley 40-50; A Porter 40-50; P McCarthy 62-72
D Willemse; C Moodie, J Kriel, D de Allende, C Kolbe; S Feinberg-Mngomezulu (M Libbok, 58), C Reinach (G Williams, 68); B Venter (G Steenekamp, 40), M Marx (J Grobbelaar, 66-72 - blood), T du Toit (W Louw, 40-72); E Etzebeth (RG Snyman, 50), R Nortje; S Kolisi – captain (A Esterhuizen, 58), P-S du Toit, J Wiese (K Smith, 53).
G Williams 78 mins
Matthew Carley (England).
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