Applicant versus defender. The number 1 in the ranking and winner of the Six Nations against the World Cup champion. Ireland defeated South Africa 8-13 this Saturday in a historic duel, as it was the first meeting between both teams in a World Cup, and it paradoxically took place in the group stage of the World Cup in France.
The duel, played at the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis, could have perfectly been a final due to the quality of the contenders and their play. For now it has served to put Ireland at the top of Group B and with options to achieve a more accessible rival in the quarterfinals.
The duel could have gone perfectly towards South Africa, but the Springboks will have nightmares due to the failures in the kicks with the foot, three penalty shots and one transformation.
As in other anthological games between both fifteens, the defenses were heroic, the scrums were titanic duels and, despite very good attacking plays, the defenders were the protagonists.
South Africa struck first, with a penalty shot converted by Manie Libbok (5), after Ireland started strangely with many inaccuracies in throw-ins, which offered repeated opportunities to their rivals.
Ireland recovered and in the 13th minute Hugo Keenan was tackled just over a meter from the try line, after a pass from Johnny Sexton, who faked the delivery twice to confuse the South Africans and amaze the public.
Much of the rest of the first half was spent with Irish attempts to score, stopped by a South African defense that established itself as a real fortress.
Finally, and after a few minutes of authentic Irish harassment in the vicinity of the rival try line, Mack Hansen scored (33) and Sexton did not fail in the transformation (3-7).
With this result, the break was reached and the pattern was maintained upon resumption, with intense attacks by both sides that were contained by the solid defenses of both sides.
A key moment came in the 48th minute, when South African Faf de Klerk crashed a penalty shot into a post that seemed to go in.
But the Boks were undaunted and kept up the harassment until Kolbe received a solo pass and scored a try. This time it was Manie Libbok who kicked the transforming shot and, despite being a very reliable thrower, he missed again. South Africa led 8-7.
Ireland regained the lead with a penalty hit by their star Sexton (59) to put the score at 8-10.
South Africa’s shooting curse continued when Libbok again missed a penalty shot in the 63rd minute, and continued with another error by De Klerk just three minutes later.
Denied before the posts, the South Africans went all out to try to score a try, but their attempts were stopped by the tenacious Irish defense.
After a few minutes of real stress, the Clover XV regained the initiative and took the game to South African territory. As a result, Ireland scored a penalty shot (Crowley, 77) to put the score at 8-13.
With time almost up, the South Africans approached just two meters from the try line to tie the game and perhaps win it with the transformation, but the Irish defense, once again, saved the victory in the final seconds.
A victory that was cheered enthusiastically by the thousands of Irish fans who traveled to Paris.
