Mawande Mateza14 July 2024 | 7:15

Drop goal on the stroke of full-time gives Ireland 24-25 win over Springboks

A tense and nervy finish to the game kept the sold-out crowd enthralled as the Boks edged closer to a series win - but that was snatched at the last possible second to give the Irish a well-deserved victory.

Drop goal on the stroke of full-time gives Ireland 24-25 win over Springboks

Ireland took on the Springboks at the Kings Park Stadium in Durban, where a last-minute score saw them win 25-24 over the World Cup champions in the second test on 13 July 2024. Picture: X/Springboks

DURBAN - There was high drama at Kings Park as a drop goal on the stroke of full-time gave Ireland a 25-24 win over South Africa in the second test.

Irish substitute Ciaran Frawley held his nerve with the game and the series on the line to convert his kick and share the honours at one game apiece.

The second test was a well-contested one in front of 50,000 fans.

At the break, Ireland led 16-6 after three Jack Crowley penalties and a converted try from Conor Murray after some neat interplay with Robbie Henshaw.

Ireland began the game at a frenetic pace and imposed themselves on the world champions in the opening exchanges.

Their dominance was evident as Springbok fullback Willie le Roux came off the field with what appeared to be a head knock in the first minute and was replaced by Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

The Boks got themselves on the board with a couple of Handré Pollard penalties but continued to struggle in asserting themselves with some mistakes, costing them attacking opportunities.

While the Boks had the better team at the scrums, Ireland prevented them from getting the ball with their dominance at the breakdown as Joe McCarthy, Caelan Doris, and Josh van der Flier made a nuisance of themselves.

A rejuvenated Springbok side came out to play in the second half, intent on overturning the seven-point deficit.

Led by an outstanding performance from Feinberg-Mngomezulu, the Boks were able to put sustained pressure on Ireland through their high balls and by building phases.

South Africa reaped the benefits of that pressure as an infringement in the ruck saw Irish captain Caelan Doris receive a yellow card, while Bok flyhalf Pollard kept the scoreboard ticking over with six penalty conversions as the teams exchanged the lead several times over the course of the half.

A tense and nervy finish to the game kept the sold-out crowd enthralled as the Boks edged closer to a series win - but that was snatched at the last possible second to give the Irish a well-deserved victory.