Key events
Lest we forget, South Africa have and entirely new front five to come off the bench early in the second half. If Ireland can get through the initial bounce of that, then the game could be theirs.
“This is fun isn’t it?” posits Andy Bradshaw, “South Africa looking a bit discombobulated facing a pack that’s at least on Par with them, maybe just a little better”
It’s been the best half of rugby any of us have seen for a while, Andy, I would venture.
HALF TIME!
PEEEEP! Nothing comes of it as the ball spills forward and that’s the end of a pulsating, physically terrifying half.
40 mins. South African are back on the ball, but some strong breakdown work from Van Der Flier wins another breakdown penalty for Ireland. They will have possession from a lineout as a last attack of the half.
37 mins. Very much Ireland’s period of the game this, as they enjoy possession in the Bok half, but the hits from the SA defence are bone-rattling. Gibson-Park floats a long pass to Lowe on the left who chips it forward, but it rolls dead.
TRY! South Africa 3 – 7 Ireland (Mack Hansen)
33 mins. Kelleher is rock solid, finding Beirne and as the backs fold right from the left touchline Sexton checks back inside, which holds the SA drift defence long enough to free Hansen to receive a long floated pass and cross in the right corner. A wonderfully crafted score, that showcased all that makes Ireland great.
Sexton converts.
31 mins. Anyhing De Allende can do, Aki decides to do better, as he takes a carry up off the scrum, through a gap and rumbles into the Bok half. He’s stopped eventually and the SA scramble does well to check the momentum of the Ireland attack.
A few phases later it’s Aki again, this time on the left wing sprinting forward and popping to Lowe who is stopped but not without Etzebeth being pinged for not rolling away.
Sexton puts it in the corner again, inviting Kelleher not to be rubbish.
28 mins. Arendse streaks after a Libbok bomb and rises to claim it ahead of Keenan, but Ireland manage to prevent him from capitalising as the ball squirms loose and forward. Ireland will have a scrum midway in their own half.
25 mins. The ball is fed right to Kriel who is stopped at full pelt by a wonderful Aki tackle just short of the line. The contact rattles the ball loose as Kriel attempts an offload, allowing Lowe to welly it clear.
It feels very important that Ireland weather this few minutes of relentless South Africa-ness.
23 mins. It’s as simple as you like for South Africa off the scrum as they ask De Allende to run straight while simultaneously being massive. This cocktail is enough to carry him through two tackled before he’s hauled down short of the line. The ball pops loose and forward to be grounded by Keenan in-goal, but Ref O’Keefe says it was ripped by Ireland, and so it’s a scrum five for the Boks.
They will come again and come strong.
21 mins. South Africa are brutalising the Ireland tackle line, with Ringrose the latest to be bumped over, before Willemse slides a lovely kick into touch close to the Ireland line which Kelleher can’t throw straight.
Ringrose needs and HIA after that, and is replaced by Robbie Henshaw.
18 mins. James Lowe wins a huge jackal turnover to give his team a lineout on the SA 22, and Kelleher has found his groove it seems as he finds Ryan. It goes off the top for a big Aki carry, but the clearout is too slow allowing Du Toit to win a turovoer pen of his own.
16 mins. Everyone gets a merciful breather as some time is taken to set a Bok scrum while a bit of treatment is doled out. It’s held solid for De Klerk to play it and put his side on the attack in the Ireland half.
13 mins. Peter O’Mahoney claims a lineout throw from Kelleher! Let joy be unconfined in the Irish ranks! The possession is worked left quickly to Keenan who hits the line on an outside drift off a long Ringrose pass sets off on a 30 metre run to up the shadow of the Bok line. But it’s lost forward!
Both sides are making inroads with possession. What a game so far.
10 mins. Four is not a charm for Kelleher as he flings the ball high over James Ryan’s extended arms on the SA 22. Yikes.
7 mins. The Boks have started again with the defensive pattern of sprinting up on the first receiver that so disrupted Scotland and Finn Russell, and De Klerk is this close to nicking the ball, but knocks on.
Kelleher misses another lineout – that’s zero from three and I can’t see Farrell tolerating this much longer no matter how early in the match it is, the hooker could get, er, hooked.
My word that was a unreasonable amount of action in the opening five minutes! I could do with a drinks break.
PENALTY! South Africa 3 – 0 Ireland (Manie Libbok)
5 mins. The gambit fails as Kelleher can only find and SA jumper – the Irish hooker is 0 from 2 with lineouts so far. Arendse breaks into open pasture on the resulting possession after the ball bounces over Lowe’s well thatched head before Ringrose scrags him.
Two phases later, Ireland are offside. Libbok tees is up and opens the scoring.
2 mins. South Africa show some early intent with Willemse running the kick off, then De Klerk fling the ball in a failed attempt to kind Kolbe early that the winger can’t hold. Ireland have an early lineout and are on the ball and working phases in the Bok 22, already looking busy and machine like.
Kitshoff is slow to roll away from the ruck. Penalty Ireland and Sexton puts in in the corner!
KICK OFF!
The wait is over as Sexton drop kicks the ball long into the Bok 22 to put the show on the road.
The noise is absolutely deafening as the anthems come to an end. Kick off is minutes away…
Siya Kolisi, clapping and singing in full voice, leads his team into the tunnel to await Ireland, Sexton on point puffing out his cheeks and silently focusing. A perfect vignette of how there is not any single correct approach to oustanding leadership.
James offers this via email, “Fun fact: Kwagga Smith is named after an extinct relative of the zebra.”
Wow, there was a relative of the zebra called Albertus Stephanus?
“Evening Lee, this is massive for both teams but a tad more for Ireland.” reckons John McEnerney. The Boks have been there and done it but we haven’t; this game will be one for us to make a huge statement. Winning in the November Tests is all well and good, but this is what it’s all about – the World Cup against the best. Heart says Ireland, head doesn’t know.”
“SA have laid down the gauntlet, which shows huge respect for Ireland. Ireland will go and play as they know they can.” venture Paul Butler. “The World Cup is a tournament that has tripped us up many times. But, this team and their style and cameradarie is something special.”
“I am nervous sitting here at home in Leitrim, but I feel Ireland can win this.”
“A big shout out to our son who is watching the game in The Lucky Llama in La Paz, Bolivia.”
I, for one, wish I was with your son, Paul.
Rob Kitson sees this as the chance to make statement for the rest of the tournament.
What does this match mean to you at this stage of the tournament? Tell me everything on the e-mither if you so wish.
Teams
Much pre-match talk has concerned the Springboks 7:1 split on the bench, with sensible pondering of the inherent risk of having only a scrum-half as backs cover; while the more loco takes have declared it immoral. There is method to it, though. Ireland have a mobile and dymanic game with much expected of the forwards, so having nearly two entire packs to burn themselves out defending, dominating and therefore negating this opposition strength is unusual but not unhinged.
Other than this, both sides have gone with what would be expected. Ireland’s first choice match squad is more predictable than Jonny Wilkinson making no sense on television and South Africa’s 23 is not too far off that.
South Africa: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff
Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Jean Kleyn, 20 RG Snyman, 21 Marco van Staden, 22 Kwagga Smith, 23 Cobus Reinach
Ireland: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Mack Hansen, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 James Lowe, 10 Johnny Sexton (c), 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Caelan Doris, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Peter O’Mahony, 5 James Ryan, 4 Tadhg Beirne, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Ronan Kelleher, 1 Andrew Porter
Replacements: 16 Dan Sheehan, 17 David Kilcoyne, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 Iain Henderson, 20 Ryan Baird, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Jack Crowley, 23 Robbie Henshaw
Preamble
It’s Paris for one the marquee fixtures of the pool stages as the Springboks take on Ireland, a clash of teams fancied to take the whole damn show.
Huge import has been heaped upon this match for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it should be a titanic battle of two of the best teams, with the whole ‘putting a marker down’ narrative to the fore. Although, I’m not sure how much store I would put in that, myself, given we remain three weeks out from the business end of the tournament. Second, it will likely decide who tops the group given the smart money is on these two sides progressing – although Scotland may still have something to say about that.
On current predictions, topping the group would lead to a likely clash with the All Blacks and Fiji or Argentina waiting in the semis; runner-up means France next, then a semi with England or Wales. Not a huge amount between those two routes, so depending on how you wish to look at it, the result of this game means a huge amount or ultimately very little.
Whatever the context, though, this remains a standalone fixture to get your nerve endings going on this, the highest stage in the sport.
