The Second Test, South Africa v Ireland.

David Corkery

There are moments in sport that are very hard to put into words, and this, the second test between South Africa and Ireland is one of them.

As a game of rugby it simply had everything.

It was as nerve wrecking as watching Cork Vs Limerick last weekend in the hurling and just as pleasurable when the final whistle was declared.

If you were looking for physicality, it had it. If you wanted bravery, it was there in abundance or if your preferred beverage was proficiency, just watch the last two kicks of the ball that substitute Ciarán Frawley made with his sweet right boot and it will taste like nectar made from the purest of honey.

After last week’s loss and the amount of injuries sustained in that game, not many would have given Ireland a snowball’s chance in hell of winning this one.

At the end of a thirteen month long and demanding season, Ireland’s last game of the season had a loss etched all over it right up until the eighty first minute when substitute Ciarán Frawley received a pass from another substitute Caolin Blade and struck what will go down in history as one of the sweetest ever drop goals.

For anyone who has had the pleasure or displeasure depending on which way you look at it, of playing any kind of sport in South Africa they will tell you that it is not the most friendly of environments to lace up your boots.

There is an air of invincibility and arrogance that flows through the veins of most South African males that makes them a very hard race to warm to, so when you turn up in their back yard and steel their thunder it makes the winning that little bit tastier for you and a whole pile vinegary for them.

As expected the game started with both sides knocking lumps out of each other, but unlike last week where Ireland lost the physical confrontations this week they were winning them and no matter how hard the Springboks ran, the Irish were happy to put their bodies on the line.

Not suggesting anything untoward, but at one point in the opening twenty minutes both South African second rows had to leave the field for treatment. Not since the opening scene to the movie Saving private Ryan did we see so much blood spilled.

Like human scud missiles Ireland’s defenders launched themselves at anything in a white jersey and preserved the gain-line as if their very lives depended on it.

To a man the Irish players knew that if they allowed their hosts to win the all-important line of confrontation like last week, their speedsters like Cheslin Kolbe would be happy to feed off their rampaging forwards and notch up try’s as if they were going out of fashion.

It is very hard to single out any individual on this occasion however, I must pay homage to Irelands back three for the way they so bravely tided up the aerial bombardment that was launched at them on so many occasions.

Full back Jamie Osborne who only received his first cap last week was simply incredible. At the tender age of twenty two Osborne played as if he has owned the full back jersey for the last ten years.

Successfully fielding balls that were returning to earth with snow on them, the Leinster man was hammered to the ground on nearly every occasion by a chasing Springbok and believe you me, this takes a serious level of courage. Just imagine knowing that every time you catch a ball you are going to be smashed by an opposing player who wants to inflect as much pain and suffering on you. Now that takes balls!

Newly appointed captain Caelan Doris and his fellow flankers, Josh van der Flier and Tadhg Beirne also displayed a serious amount of bravery as all too often they found themselves in the front line having to halt the advances of South Africa’s big ball carriers.

Doris who was deservingly awarded the captaincy in place of Peter O’Mahony because of his continual ability to perform at the highest level did receive a yellow card which cost his team nine points during his absence albeit, on this occasion we will forgive him, but it could have easily cost his fellow players one of Irish rugby’s most famous victories.

With regards to Peter O’Mahony being demoted to the bench for this game, it was 100% the correct call by Andy Farrell and whether it is the beginning of the end in a green jersey for the Cork legend he can rest assured that he has played a key roll in bringing Irish rugby to a level never thought possible.

As this game was drawing to an end my immediate thought was cast towards what we had just witnessed and the efforts that this squad have gone through over the last thirteen months.

Whilst it was great to win the game in such dramatic circumstance and even nicer that it was the World Champions that it happened against, it’s the realisation that Irish rugby now finds itself at a place where it can unquestionably herald itself as the cream of the crop that hit me the most.

Going forward I would happily sacrifice every game between now and the next World Cup if Ireland were to make it to the final.

The World Cup is undoubtably the Everest of the international rugby and it is now the only summit Ireland have yet to conquer.

Well done to everyone involved and enjoy your break because you more than deserved it!