Ireland took a massive step towards topping World Cup Pool B with a thrilling 13-8 victory over champions South Africa in Paris.
In doing so they have likely avoided a quarter-final meeting with hosts France, who lead the way in Pool A.
While defeat was never going to be fatal for either side, the psychological boost that taking the scalp of the fearsome Springboks, three-time Webb Ellis winners, can hardly be measured for Andy Farrell's men, who remain the world’s number one side.
Billed as a blockbuster, it didn’t disappoint, even if Ireland had to overcome a disastrous lineout performance, losing six throws.
But captain Johnny Sexton and centre Bundee Aki led from the front and the much hyped 'bomb squad’ were dismantled in Saint Denis.
Mack Hansen scored the only Irish try, while Sexton kicked five points, with Jack Crowley’s late penalty proving crucial as it forced South Africa, who missed four kicks off the tee, to find a try late on.
Rassie Erasmus’s gamble on not adding out-half Handre Pollard to the match-day 23 after a late call-up proved costly.
Farrell’s side now have a two-week break to prepare for Scotland, who play Tonga tomorrow in Nice.
A win of any description in that Paris match-up will seal first place for the Irish and set them on a collision course with three-time World Cup winners New Zealand.
Very little went right for Ireland in the opening quarter of an hour.
There was a complete lineout malfunction with four throws going astray and three handling errors.
Farrell's side had possession and territory but time and again, coughed up soft ball with the Springboks happy to take to the air as they cleared.
James Lowe slipped before Kurt-Lee Arendse caught a Faf de Klerk kick that bounced awkwardly in front of the Irish winger.
Garry Ringrose hauled down Jesse Kriel but as the Irish defence scrambled they conceded a penalty close enough to the posts for Manie Libbok to slot over without pressure (below).
There were two scrum infringements either side of a Hugo Keenan run where he was stopped three metres out and Ireland knocked on at the breakdown.
The huge Irish contingent in the crowd roared as Lowe won a turnover but support was too slow to arrive at the next breakdown and Arendse came up with the steal.
The world champions were settling into the game, their defensive linespeed giving Ireland no time. Frans Malherbe registered 10 tackles and strong carries from Damian de Allende and an inch perfect kick from Damian Willemse took South Africa in the Irish 22.
They looked destined to score but Lowe turned the ball over close to the line and then Siya Kolisi knocked on a metre out and Ireland cleared. As the southern hemisphere side pushed, Ringrose came off second best after a tackle attempt on De Allende but was fine to continue after a head injury assessment.
Aki (below), Ireland’s top performer in the wins over Romania and Tonga, found a gap and made 50 metres before recycling on the 22. South Africa went offside and despite losing five throws to that point, Sexton declined the three points and went for the corner.
This time Tadhg Beirne claimed Kelleher’s throw and the trap was set.
Peter O’Mahony, Aki and Caelan Doris bashed at the door. Sexton dummied and was stopped inches short but Gibson-Park and Lowe spun their passes quickly with an unmarked Hansen out wide waiting to pounce.
The winger ran in, flirting dangerously with the dead ball line as he attempted to make the angle easier for Sexton’s conversion and Ireland led 7-3 in the 36th minute.
Mack Hansen goes over and Ireland lead South Africa! ☘️
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) September 23, 2023
📺 Watch https://t.co/X7cSkZilkC…
📱 Updates https://t.co/rU6OV0cnGL…
📻 https://t.co/MBTch4SP3B pic.twitter.com/Hl9z0D37o7
It was a slow-scoring affair, as these matches between the teams tend to be, but it was frantic everywhere but the scoreboard but Ireland had a crucial four-point advantage at the break.
Jacques Nienaber took just seven minutes to deploy four of the 'bomb squad' with former Ireland international Jean Kleyn and fellow Munster man RG Snyman among the new men in.
At that point they were deep into Irish territory after Eben Etzebeth was the quickest player to a long-range De Klerk penalty that hit the post.
Ireland did have a chance to clear but infringed after Doris took a ball out of a scrum going backwards. Playing a penalty advantage, Libbok found Kolbe with an inch perfect pass and the winger, anonymous until then, ran in to give the Springboks the lead in the 51st minute but the out-half couldn’t add the extras.
Then Ireland won a scrum penalty on the Boks 22, Andrew Porter given the credit, and Sexton, as part of another exceptional out-half display, slotted over.
The Saint-Denis Stadium shook as the Fields of Athenry rang out in the cool Paris air but the champions won a penalty at the next scrum. This time Libbok pushed his shot wide and Robbie Henshaw, Finlay Bealham and Ryan Baird joined Dan Sheehan and Iain Henderson in the pack.
Sheehan, making his tournament debut after recovering from a foot injury, went offside at the first breakdown and De Klerk again missed a shot from distance.
Conor Murray came on for Gibson-Park and won a big turnover, Lowe’s kick was blocked down and then Snyman slipped out of Baird’s grasp but the move came to an end when Murray knocked the ball out of Pieter-Steph du Toit’s hands 12 metres from the Irish line.
But Ireland were on the back foot as the Boks squeezed. Deon Fourie, the back-up hooker, threw crooked into the lineout after a side-entry penalty brought South Africa to the five-metre line.
Sexton, with a massive tackle count of 11, made way for Jack Crowley with seven minutes left and first Lowe and then Beirne hoofed the ball all the way to the Boks’ line.
Crowley had a rushed drop goal attempt blocked down but Ireland were in the right area of the pitch as the clock ran down.
Then another South Africa penalty at the scrum handed Crowley a shot under the posts from which he made no mistake. Ireland led 13-8 with three minutes to play.
But Ireland went off their feet at the next breakdown and Libbok kicked the South Africans deep into the 22.
Du Toit took the ball cleanly but a mess of Irish players flooded the maul and the Springboks couldn’t present it for Cobus Reinach.
Having never made it past a quarter-final, Ireland's previous best at World Cups came via pool wins over Australia in 2011 and France in 2015.
They've topped that with this special win in an electric atmosphere in front of 78,542 fans in Stade de France.
Ireland: Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Johnny Sexton, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong; Tadhg Beirne, James Ryan; Peter O'Mahony, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris.
Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Dave Kilcoyne, Finlay Bealham, Iain Henderson, Ryan Baird, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, Robbie Henshaw.
South Africa: Damian Willemse; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe; Manie Libbok, Faf de Klerk; Steven Kitshoff, Bongi Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe; Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert; Siya Kolisi (capt), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jasper Wiese.
Replacements: Deon Fourie, Ox Nche, Trevor Nyakane, Jean Kleyn, RG Snyman, Marco van Staden, Kwagga Smith, Cobus Reinach.
Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)
