Ireland's Triumph: A Last-Minute Victory Against South Africa
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Ireland will be very proud of their performance against South Africa on the weekend. A last-minute drop goal from Ciaran Frawley secured a monumental win in the Springboks' backyard. Andy Farrell's team got revenge for the first game, in which they suffered a disappointing defeat. Farrell praised his players and said they did a great job, especially in the first half of the game.
Ireland vs. South Africa
There was tremendous hype heading into these two tests as both sides were at their peak. The two teams are considered the best in the world, and there was much debate about who would come out on top. Ireland and South Africa had two very intense battles over the weeks. Ireland was under considerable pressure going into the game on the weekend as they wanted to prove they could beat the Springboks. It was a dazzling display from the Irish, and coach Farrell praised their efforts in the game.
"As far as drama and the pressure we put on ourselves to perform, it's right up there because they're a wonderful team, a magnificent team," Farrell, whose side were beaten 27-20 a week earlier in Pretoria, said of the victory, according to the Irish Independent.
"It was the sublime to the ridiculous. It was a complete role reversal of last week. The first-half performance was not too outstanding the previous week; this week, it was excellent, as good as it gets. The second half last week was good; this week, we've made enough mistakes to lose three games in that second half.
"But you just know when you're hanging in there that there's always going to be a chance with this team because of their guts and bravery, and they showed that in spades. The character we showed, that's what sport's about."
South Africa React to the Loss
Sports are all about respect, and Rassie Erasmus said Ireland was the best team on the day.
"We can sit here with a sad face and think of excuses, but the best team won on the day," he said. "We're disappointed, and the fans will be disappointed. But this was like the past four games we have played against them—all the margins have been less than one score."
All quotes via Wales Online.
It will be interesting to see where both teams go from here and what they can achieve.
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