Ireland stunned world champions South Africa 25-24 with a drop goal by Ciaran Frawley in the last second of an epic contest at Kings Park on Sunday (AEST).
The Irish rebounded from losing 27-20 last weekend in Pretoria by notching only their second ever win over the Springboks in South Africa.
It didn’t look like it would happen after the Springboks overhauled them in a predatory comeback from 16-6 down at halftime, forcing Irish errors that Handre Pollard used to kick eight penalties from eight attempts.
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But after falling behind 24-19 with 15 minutes to go, Ireland found the energy to pin South Africa in their 22.
Ireland blew an attacking lineout and a tapped penalty but, out of nowhere in the 70th minute, replacement flyhalf Frawley renewed hope by slotting a 42m drop goal to have them trailing only 24-22.
The Irish, playing their 15th and last Test of an arduous Rugby World Cup season, rallied yet again and, as the clock ticked into red, Frawley let fly with another drop goal from the same length as the first, and won a gripping match and squared a classic series between the world’s No.1 and No.2 sides.
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“Pure elation to see that ball sail over at the end there,” Ireland skipper Caelan Doris said.
“We know what an unbelievable test it was coming over here at the end of the season, playing against the double world champions. We’re definitely happy to finish it on a high.”
Coach Andy Farrell criticised his Six Nations champions after the first Test for not firing from the get go, but the Irish brought the heat in Durban from kickoff and the collisions were relentless and merciless.
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In the first five minutes, South Africa fullback Willie le Roux went off with a head knock and locks Franco Mostert and Eben Etzebeth had blood smeared faces.
Le Roux never returned and Mostert didn’t last much longer, limping off.
“We weren’t as intense as we were last week and they were dominating us and that was the big change,” Springboks captain Siya Kolisi said.
The first bloody and brutal quarter was all Ireland.
An offside penalty against Etzebeth gave Jack Crowley the first points off the tee, then Crowley had fullback Jamie Osborne on his shoulder to open up the Boks defence.
Robbie Henshaw supported and he freed Conor Murray to score the game’s only try.
Crowley’s extras made it 10-0 after 14 minutes.
“South Africa don’t lose easy, they find a way. It’s so frustrating at times to play against,” Murray said.
“We believed in ourselves, coming into South Africa’s backyard and I think we can be really proud.”
The scrum seemed to be the only thing the Springboks were better at.
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Their scrum won three penalties in the first half and Pollard kicked two of them.
Pieter-Steph du Toit gave away an obstruction penalty that Crowley converted but Du Toit compensated when he prevented Doris from scoring a try.
Ireland took only three points instead of seven from the last attack of the half and led 16-6.
The Springboks used the break to impressively find another gear.
Ireland couldn’t cope and gave away penalty after penalty as Pollard relished the kicking practice.
When Doris was sinbinned for a crocodile roll on Malcolm Marx, Ireland led 16-9.
When he returned 10 minutes later, Ireland were losing 18-16.
The injury toll mounted.
Irish props Tadhg Furlong and Andrew Porter and Springboks scrumhalf Faf de Klerk went off for head injury checks.
Crowley, perfect off the tee like Pollard, put Ireland back in front with his fifth and last goal kick an hour in, and Frawley received his sixth cap.
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Two more Pollard penalties seemed to send South Africa clear in Durban, where they hadn’t lost in eight years.
But Frawley, served by replacement scrumhalf Caolin Blade playing his third Test, produced two incredible drop goals to pull out a heart stopping win.
Frawley was an unlikely hero.
He’d never kicked a drop goal in first class rugby.
Capped for the first time less than a year ago, he’s valued by Ireland for his versatility.
Normally a centre at Leinster, his only start for Ireland was at fullback.
“It’s mental,” he said.
“The boys dug in deep. We were in our own half and managed to get up, and get the final points so, delighted.”
ARGENTINA 33, FRANCE 25
Meanwhile, Argentina beat France 33-25 for the first time in eight years with a powerful, pride restoring performance in their second Test on Sunday (AEST).
A Pumas side stocked with World Cup players surprisingly lost to the third string French last weekend in Mendoza.
The French XV had less than 100 caps.
The Pumas were far more aggressive in Buenos Aires and the forwards were responsible for four of their five tries.
They blew a 21-10 halftime lead and fell behind 25-21, but while France prop Georges-Henri Colombe was in the sinbin, the pack engineered two tries finished by replacement prop Thomas Gallo.
France was consumed by controversy in the past week as two of their players were arrested and charged with aggravated sexual assault and Melvyn Jaminet, a first Test try scorer, was sent home after making a racist comment on a social media video.
France’s tour continued under a dark cloud which it hoped to alleviate with a first series win in Argentina since 1998.
They put themselves in a winning position with an energetic start to the second half which saw tries to centre Emilien Gailleton and winger Theo Attissogbe.
But Argentina rallied to seize back the lead and give Felipe Contempomi his first win as coach.
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“We played better than last week. There were a lot of things to improve and I’m proud of the character we showed,” said Pumas captain Julian Montoya, who was forced from the field injured after 20 minutes.
France scored first from an Argentina knock on on halfway.
In the counterattack, Mickael Guillard broke and Attissogbe was in support to put in captain Baptiste Serin.
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In the 17th minute, the Pumas won a penalty and pumped the ball into the right corner.
After seven phases, prop Eduardo Bello drove the ball over to level.
Antoine Hastoy’s penalty nudged France ahead but Argentina claimed the lead for the first time after 30 minutes when they were awarded a penalty try from a pushover scrum.
Loosehead prop Mayco Vivas popped France opposite Demba Bamba and the visitors’ scrum disintegrated.
Santiago Carreras’ own converted try, when the flyhalf barged through two defenders at the line, increased the Pumas’ lead to 21-10 at halftime.
France was re-energised in the second half and cut Argentina’s lead to a single point within six minutes.
Another Hastoy penalty was followed by Gailleton’s try from his own chargedown on his 21st birthday.
Three minutes later, France reclaimed the lead when fullback Leo Barre’s grubber kick bounced kindly for Attisogbe to snatch and score his second try of the series.
Hastoy missed the conversion after four successive goal kicks.
But Argentina steeled, helped when Colombe received a yellow card for a high tackle.
Gallo scored the next two tries in similar circumstances: lineout mauls and pick and goes that France couldn’t stop as Argentina earned a first home win in two years.