Chaos and drama mark the Springboks’ first win over Ireland in Dublin in 13 years

Ireland 13, South Africa 24

South Africa beat Ireland in Dublin for the first time in 13 years, winning 24-13 after a dramatic and chaotic incident-packed match over the weekend.

The Irish struggled to handle the Springboks’ physicality and a green mist descended in which they conceded a 20-minute red card, four yellow cards and an equally uncharacteristic 18 penalties. For a time Ireland was down to 12 men.

The Springboks turned the pressure into four tries, one of them a penalty try. They hadn’t won in Dublin since 2012 and ended up with their biggest win there over Ireland since 1998. They have three straight wins on their European tour with only lowly Wales to visit.

“We won’t get carried away with the result but the beer tastes a little better,” Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus said. “We are certainly proud after such a long season to grind through a win against a team such as them at home for the first time in 13 years.

The penalty try, awarded against Ireland’s backpedalling scrum in first-half injury time, lifted the Springboks to a 19-7 lead as a train of Irish players were brandished with yellow cards by referee Matthew Carley.

Carley’s halftime whistle prompted loud booing from the packed crowd in Aviva Stadium.

But short-handed Ireland was all heart after the interval, outscoring South Africa 6-5.

“To be able to win a second half 6-5 under those type of circumstances, I know it doesn’t tell a full story of the second half but it’s actually amazing,” Ireland coach Andy Farrell said.

South Africa got a moment of solo brilliance by Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu but Jesse Kriel was held up over the line and Canan Moodie knocked-on in goal under pressure.

The Irish were unable to break the Springboks’ defense in the second half, even after besieging their try-line for the last five minutes. They finally got a man advantage in the 78th when replacement Boks scrumhalf Grant Williams was yellow-carded but the visitors held out.

“It was definitely not a perfect performance but there was a monkey on our backs that we had to get off,” Erasmus said.

The buildup spotlighted red cards the Springboks have overcome to beat France and Italy in their previous two tests. Their tackle technique came into sharp focus again in the sixth minute in Dublin after Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s shoulder-led hit on Tommy O’Brien. But Carley issued only a penalty, saying the tackle slid up O’Brien’s chest to his head.

By then the Springboks had already teed up a try for Damian Willemse, who shushed the crowd.

Prendergast’s first goalkick hit the post then Ireland suffered a double blow: Tadhg Beirne’s try was ruled out and fellow lock James Ryan was yellow-carded for an illegal clearout into the face of Malcolm Marx. The bunker upgraded it into a 20-minute red, the first of Ryan’s career.

O’Brien’s following high tackle and head contact on Moodie passed inspection but Prendergast was next to be yellow-carded after Ireland was suckered by Cheslin Kolbe and allowed Cobus Reinach to score a converted try untouched.

Prendergast returned to kick two penalties but South Africa moved beyond reach when Feinberg-Mngomezulu used scrum ball to stiff-arm Jamison Gibson-Park and score.

Ireland fought on but the scrum gave away six penalties, a third of their total, and instigated the yellow card — the team’s fourth — for replacement prop Paddy McCarthy. MDT/AP