Ireland 13-24 South Africa: Springboks win in Dublin as hosts shown five cards and reduced to twelve players
Ireland's James Ryan shown 20-minute red card for clearout on Malcolm Marx, with Sam Prendergast, Jack Crowley, Andrew Porter, Paddy McCarthy all sin-binned by referee Matt Carley; South Africa score tries through Damian Willemse, Cobus Reinach, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Penalty Try
by Michael Cantillon · Sky SportsDespite a near remarkable Irish effort to remain in the contest after being shown five cards and reduced to 12 players at one stage, South Africa posted a 24-13 win for a first success in Dublin since 2012.
After South Africa struck early through a Damian Willemse try, Ireland lock James Ryan was shown a 20-minute red card for a clearout to the face of Malcolm Marx.
Sam Prendergast (offside, repeat team infringements), Jack Crowley (cynical act off feet) and Andrew Porter (successive scrum penalties) were then all dismissed from the field during the first half as referee Matt Carley appeared to lose all control.
With Ireland down to 13 and then 12 players in a madcap contest, Cobus Reinach added a try before a penalty try was awarded to the visitors following a five-metre scrum drive.
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Ireland 13-24 South Africa - Score summary
Ireland - Tries: Sheehan (37). Cons: Crowley (38). Pens: Prendergast (44, 56).
South Africa - Tries: Willemse (4), Reinach (34), Penalty Try (40+5), Feinberg-Mngomezulu (46). Cons: Feinberg-Mngomezulu (35).
Dan Sheehan had scored for the hosts either side of those Boks tries, despite Ireland being down to 13 players, but at 19-7 behind at half-time with three players in the sin-bin the Test looked dead.
The home side emerged with great heart to score first via a penalty to narrow the lead, and despite South Africa facing a side so down on numbers - replacement loosehead Paddy McCarthy was also sin-binned in the second half for scrum penalties - one further try through Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was all they could add.
With the margin 14 points, Ireland kicked a penalty to reduce things to 11, and had a clear chance on penalty advantage with three minutes to play, but Prendergast failed to find Crowley for a try which would have brought them within four points.
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Amid an electric atmosphere at the start of the contest, it was South Africa who struck first via Willemse down the left after quick hands at pace conjured a lethal score.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu missed the conversion and Ireland put together a spell of pressure in response, with the Springboks fly-half extremely fortunate to avoid a card for a shoulder charge on Tommy O'Brien.
Eventually Ireland were awarded a try through Tadhg Beirne, only for the score to be ruled out for Ryan's earlier clearout on Marx, for which he was sin-binned.
Ireland defended stoutly with 14 players, but news then came that Ryan's yellow had been upgraded to a 20-minute red card.
Seven minutes later, Reinach jinked his way over and round for South Africa's second try after a series of scrum penalties put Ireland under huge pressure. Prendergast was sin-binned in addition to the score for being caught offside, with ref Carley harshly choosing a double jeopardy punishment.
Down to 13 players, Ireland improbably grabbed the next try as Sheehan flew over after superb attack off a rolling maul.
With time running out for South Africa to attack against 13, Reinach appeared to knock-on at the base of a ruck in the Irish half. A TMO review ruled Crowley had caused the fumble while off feet, and he was duly sin-binned just as Cian Prendergast emerged following the end of Ireland's 20-minute red card.
In dead time at the end of the first half, South Africa called for a scrum to attack from and Carley showed his fourth card to the hosts with Porter penalised, incredibly reducing them to 12 players.
The Springboks scored a penalty try from the next scrum effort to end the half 19-7 ahead, as the officials left to loud boos at the Aviva Stadium.
Almost inconceivably, Ireland were the side to score first at the start of the second half despite having three players less on the park: Prendergast driving a penalty over from distance to reduce the deficit to nine points.
His brother Cian Prendergast spilled the restart, however, and what followed was a period of South Africa attacks against 13 players which inevitably gave way to Feinberg-Mngomezulu sprinting in for a fourth South Africa try.
The Springboks playmaker missed the conversion to leave the lead at 14 points, and Ireland rode out their remaining period down to 13 and 14 players with no further concessions.
In the 56th minute, Prendergast drove over a penalty from in front to narrow the deficit to 11 points, but McCarthy was then binned seven minutes later after more issues at the scrum.
Somehow, Ireland emerged from defending under their sticks and a period of incessant pressure to clear and remain in the game and with three minutes to go came the chance to put real pressure on South Africa.
Kicking to the corner and mauling forward, Ireland had the opportunity to score on penalty advantage with South Africa's defence bunched narrow, but Prendergast's pass to Tom Farrell instead of Crowley proved the wrong one.
Grant Williams was sin-binned for South Africa after they conceded a flurry of penalties, but in the end there remained no time for Ireland to score twice, and they failed to add one try before full-time from a long spell in the 22 in any case.
Farrell 'unbelievably proud' after 'amazing' Irish effort
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell post-match:
"If you can't learn from that (game), you're in the wrong place.
"I thought going down to 12 men, how the lads came out and showed the bottle for their country, certainly in that first 10 minutes of that second half, was absolutely amazing.
"The crowd recognised that and supported them. To be able to win a second half 6-5 under those circumstances - I know it doesn't tell the full story of the second half - it's amazing really.
"We overplayed a little bit and wasted a little bit of time, but then we found a way, and with four minutes to go we had a glaring chance to score a try under the posts, and if we scored that with four minutes to go, who knows what could have happened with a little bit of momentum.
"You think you've seen it all and I haven't seen a game like that ever.
"First and foremost you look at yourself and why things have happened. We'll do that and make sure we learn the lessons from that.
"But my overriding thought of the game is, I'm unbelievably proud."
Asked if the officials should have sin- binned Feinberg-Mngomezulu for his tackle on O'Brien, Farrell responded:
"Well, you're asking the question because you thought so as well.
"We brought it up with the referees before the game [South Africa complaining about officiating against them this month] and they said that would never be a factor, obviously, because this is a separate game and I'll let you be the judge of that."
What's next?
Ireland have now completed their Autumn Nations Series campaign, losing to New Zealand in Chicago, beating Japan and Australia in Dublin, and suffering defeat to South Africa in the Irish capital.
Andy Farrell's side are next in action for the opening round of the 2026 Six Nations, travelling to face France on Thursday February 5 at the Stade de France in Paris.
South Africa have one final Autumn Test next Saturday November 29 against Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff (3.10pm kick-off).