Siya Kolisi runs at Jack Crowley during the first Test at Loftus (Anton Geyser/Gallo Images)
The Springboks beat Ireland 27-20 in their first home Test since winning the 2023 Rugby World Cup in front of an electric Loftus Versfeld crowd on Saturday.
The performance was full of energy and intent, but it was far from clinical as the Boks failed to turn large periods of dominance into points.
As a result there was little separating the sides on the scoreboard for most of the match, with a combination of Ireland’s defensive heroics and South Africa’s struggles to capitalise keeping it close.
It is South Africa’s first Test win over Ireland since 2016 and the first of the Rassie Erasmus era in four attempts.
The result leaves Erasmus’ charges with two wins from two this year after they beat Wales at Twickenham two weekends ago.
This time around, though, the Boks picked their best possible side and backed the bulk of the players who had done the business in France last year.
Ireland, the number two ranked side in the world behind the Boks and the only outfit to beat South Africa at the World Cup, will consider themselves bitterly unlucky after they had a James Lowe try overturned when they were 13-8 down.
Then, with that scoreline still intact, the Irish were on the wrong side of another close TMO call that – this time – determined that Cheslin Kolbe’s opportunistic try would stand.
Bok flyhalf Handre Pollard had missed touch with a penalty, with Lowe doing brilliantly to keep the ball in play – whether he was in touch or not was the point of doubt – before Kolbe pounced on the loose ball expertly to take the Boks clear.
South Africa’s first try, scored by a stepping Kurt-Lee Arendse, was the result of a superb team effort and came in just the second minute of the match.
At that point, it looked like the Boks were poised to run Ireland ragged, but they were never able to do so.
Despite being 12 points down, Ireland found another gear in the closing stages and piled the pressure on the Boks, with Arendse yellow-carded in the 74th minute for a professional foul.
There was a frantic finish with both sides striking late – the Boks with a penalty try from a scrum and Ireland through substitute Ryan Baird – but, in the end, it was the Boks who got over the line.
Pollard, meanwhile, missed three straight penalty attempts at goal.
Standout performers for the Springboks were captain Siya Kolisi, flank Pieter-Steph du Toit and outside centre Jesse Kriel.
The two-match series continues in Durban next Saturday.
Scorers:
South Africa 27 (13)
Tries: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Cheslin Kolbe, Penalty Try
Conversions: Handre Pollard (2)
Penalties: Pollard (2)
Ireland 20 (8)
Tries: Jamie Osborne, Conor Murray, Ryan Baird
Conversions: Jack Crowley
Penalty: Crowley