Andy Farrell’s men will feel they made too many errors to edge the South Africans.
THE STADIUM ANNOUNCER at Loftus Versfeld tempted fate by playing Zombie for the first time as early as the 20th minute, clearly getting excited with the Boks in the ascendency, but the South African fans were able to roar it out again at the end of this absorbing battle.
Erasmus’ side also benefited from bringing all six of their bench forwards off the bench in the 50th minute, lending them plenty of power in the closing stages. Still, Farrell can feel his side showed enough to suggest that they will give the second Test a real crack. McCarthy was guilty of the same offence soon after and Pollard made it a seven-point game again, while Dan Sheehan then had a crooked throw into the next Irish lineout.
Trailing 13-3, Ireland finally got some momentum as Doris and van der Flier made big carries, the second of them leading to a kickable penalty that Crowley pulled wide. It was a frustrating miss but Farrell’s men did score in the next passage. Erasmus’ men went into the corner but Ireland defended the maul superbly and fronted up in the ensuing phases before Beirne picked off de Klerk’s loose pass. Frustratingly, replacement hooker Rónan Kelleher – on for Sheehan at half time – swiftly conceded a penalty for kicking the ball out of a ruck but Pollard was wide again from a central position.
But it was chalked off on TMO review for Kelleher hooking the ball backwards while off his feet, and Pollard had another shot at goal from distance. He was wide and as the game entered the final quarter, Ireland still trailed by five. Ireland had another chance in the Boks’ 22 with 10 minutes to go but du Tout rose at the front of the lineout to pick off Kelleher’s throw. Pollard’s exit kick was poor, though, and Ireland kept coming.
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