Springboks crush Ireland in Dublin as dominant scrum powers 24-13 victory on Outgoing Tour

THE SPRINGBOKS completed another strong chapter in their 2025 Castle Lager Outgoing Tour by beating Ireland 24-13 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday. It was their first win in the Irish capital since 2012 and a performance that reinforced their status as the No.1-ranked team in world rugby.

Ireland’s discipline unravelled under pressure, with multiple yellow cards and a 20-minute red card disrupting their rhythm. The match threatened to slip into chaos at moments, but the Springboks’ control at scrum time and calm decision-making kept them in front throughout. 

South African supporters also praised referee Matthew Carley for his handling of the contest, particularly as Ireland were reduced to 12 men in the first half.

South Africa’s coaching team had claimed their team had been unfairly treated on the tour, beating both France and Italy in previous weeks despite playing with just 14 men. But in Dublin they delivered a composed performance built on power, patience and a brutally uncompromising defensive effort.

A dominant platform up front

The Bok scrum set the tone early and rarely let up. Wilco Louw, Thomas du Toit, Malcolm Marx, Johan Grobbelaar, Boan Venter and Gerhard Steenekamp anchored a platform that repeatedly forced penalties and field position. Their dominance led directly to momentum swings that Ireland struggled to recover from.

Damian Willemse’s early try came after sharp work from Damian de Allende, whose timing and late pass opened space in the Irish midfield. Cobus Reinach then finished from close range after sustained pressure, while a later penalty try from a series of commanding scrums pushed the visitors further ahead. Ireland’s only bright moment in the first half was a finish from Dan Sheehan, but even that came while the home side were already heavily penalised and reduced in numbers.

Ireland hang on but Boks stay in control

Ireland started the second half with 13 men but chipped away at the scoreboard through penalties from Sam Prendergast. The Springboks hit back when Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu scored following another huge shove from the forwards, stretching the lead to 24-10.

Prendergast added a final penalty, but Ireland spent the closing stages under pressure again. Another yellow card to their front row highlighted the strain they were under as they scrambled to keep the Boks out. Despite a late attacking burst from the hosts, the match had already been shaped by the dominance South Africa showed over the previous 70 minutes.

Erasmus pleased with a hard-earned win

In the aftermath, head coach Rassie Erasmus said his “beer tasted better” after the result.

“It was a great win against a team like Ireland, who have dominated against us since we’ve been together as a group,” said Erasmus.

“If you look back at the last five games we’ve played, they are still three-two up against us, so we won’t get carried away with the result, but the beer tastes a little better.”

Scorers:

Ireland 13 (7) – Try: Dan Sheehan. Conversion: Jack Crowley. Penalty goals: Sam Prendergast (2).

Springboks 24 (19) – Tries: Damian Willemse, Cobus Reinach, Penalty Try, Sacha Feinberg- Mngomezulu. Conversion: Feinberg- Mngomezulu.