10 Memorable Bok-Ireland clashes in pro era

The Springboks have won 10 of their 18 meetings against Ireland since 1998, but the Irish will be in search of a first series win in South Africa on the back of a 3-0 record, writes DEVIN HERMANUS.

The teams only met 10 times during the amateur era, between 1906 and 1981, with eight wins for South Africa and one for Ireland to go with a draw.

SPRINGBOKS 37 IRELAND 13
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
13 June 1998

In 1998 Ireland toured the Republic for the first time in 17 years. The Irish came with a young and inexperienced side to face a Springbok team who were on a six-match winning streak and fresh off a European tour in 1997 where records were shattered.

The visitors put up a decent fight for the first 60 minutes of the first Test of the two-match series in Bloemfontein. However, the hosts were too strong and easily won the game with winger Stefan Terblanche scoring four tries on debut.

The Boks cruised to a 33-0 victory a week later at Loftus Versfeld that set them up nicely for the rest of the season when they would go on to win the Tri-Nations, under the stewardship of Nick Mallett, for the first time.

IRELAND 13 SPRINGBOKS 27
Lansdowne Road, Dublin
28 November 1998

This match marked the 17th successive victory of Mallett’s Boks, and remains their longest winning streak in history. Gary Teichmann famously captained the side in all of the matches, which included back-to-back wins over New Zealand and Australia.

Percy Montgomery, with 1995 World Cup winners Joost van der Westhuizen and Naka Drotské, were among the legends to don the green and gold against an Irish outfit boasting SA-born-and-raised Dion O’Cuinneagain in the back row.

A fresh-faced Rassie Erasmus showed skill and pace for the first try of the game in a thrilling first 40 minutes. The South Africans led 7-6 at the break before the boot of Montgomery, and Van der Westhuizen and Bob Skinstad touchdowns, sealed the result.

The Boks, though, surrendered their winning record and a potential Grand Slam when they went down to England at Twickenham.

SPRINGBOKS 31 IRELAND 17
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
12 June 2004

After the debacle of Kamp Staaldraad, the Jake White era kicked off against Ireland in the Free State against an Ireland outfit that had won their first Triple Crown since 1985, and beaten the 2003 World Cup champions, England, in their first home game since the final.

But the Springboks, led by John Smit, overpowered the Irish with Bakkies Botha scoring a brace of tries. Wayne Julies and Pedrie Wannenburg also crossed the whitewash as Gaffie du Toit kicked 11 points.

The home side dominated the second half, continually driving the visitors back, with Ireland fading terribly as they were strangled by the South African forwards who refused to let up.

White’s men would take the series 2-0, with the core of the Bok squad going on to lift the Webb Ellis Cup in France three years later.

IRELAND 17 SPRINGBOKS 12
Lansdowne Road, Dublin
13 November 2004

The game’s only try was scored in controversial circumstances by flyhalf Ronan O’Gara. Referee Paul Honiss awarded Ireland a penalty inside the Springbok 22 and told John Smit to go and talk to his players regarding their repeated infringements at the breakdown.

While Smit’s back was turned and the Boks were being called into a huddle, O’Gara took a quick tap and ran in for five points. Smit protested but the try stood.

Smit would claim that Honiss approached him after the match to apologise for the mistake regarding O’Gara’s try, and a few months after the incident the Kiwi whistleblower apologised publicly on South African radio for his mistake.

IRELAND 32 SPRINGBOKS 15
Lansdowne Road, Dublin
11 November 2006

White, as a way of blooding players for the 2007 World Cup, and South Africa’s urgent need to develop new players in the lead-up to that tournament, included three debutants in the back three – one of them future two-time world champion Frans Steyn.

It was a Test match for South Africa to commemorate 100 years playing in the Springbok jersey, and the Boks wore an exact replica of the jumper that was worn by the touring side captained by Paul Roos in 1906.

But the South Africans never once had a stranglehold on the game that was marred by too many silly penalties, heaps of turnovers and ruined opportunities.

Try-scorer Steyn put in a wonderful pass to Bryan Habana, playing at outside centre, to race past two defenders for a brilliant touchdown in an otherwise uninspiring performance from the Boks.

IRELAND 21 SPRINGBOKS 23
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
6 November 2010

South Africa survived a storming fightback by Ireland as the hosts failed to win the first Test at the new Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

A penalty from Morné Steyn – who later saw his successful run of Test kicks end at 41 – and converted Juan Smith try gave the Springboks a 10-0 lead.

Three Johnny Sexton penalties and two further Steyn efforts made it 16-9, but a try by Gio Aplon sent the South Africans clear and a converted Tommy Bowe touchdown and Rob Kearney’s late effort were not enough.

The Boks, who desperately needed to build momentum after a disappointing Tri-Nations, rode the storm and escaped with an invaluable victory, their first in Dublin for 10 years.

SPRINGBOKS 20 IRELAND 26
Newlands Stadium, Cape Town
11 June 2016

The most remarkable thing about Ireland’s first win on South African soil, which came despite them losing CJ Stander to a red card midway through the first half, is just how comfortable it was, and left Allister Coetzee with some difficult questions to answer after his first match in charge of the Boks.

The Irish led by seven when Stander departed, and did so for most of the second half – only an intercept try from Pieter-Steph du Toit ensured a jittery finish.

Jared Payne’s try helped Ireland lead 7-0 and they were 10-3 ahead when South African Stander was sent off for a reckless challenge on Pat Lambie.

SPRINGBOKS 32 IRELAND 26
18 June 2016
Ellis Park, Johannesburg

If this had been a track race then Ireland would have run out of gas with the finish line in sight, and the sound of the Springboks eating up the metres behind them.

South Africa staged a stirring comeback in the second Test in Johannesburg to square the three-match series before winning it 2-1 in Port Elizabeth.

Ireland were chasing a first series win in the Republic but the Springbok replacements injected much-needed urgency and the hosts eventually outscored the tourists four tries to two. Ruan Combrinck and Warren Whiteley came on for the second half, and both scored, before Damian de Allende and Pieter-Steph du Toit added their names to the scoresheet.

IRELAND 38 SPRINGBOKS 3
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
11 November 2017

Tries from Andrew Conway, Rhys Ruddock, Rob Herring and Jacob Stockdale, and a Man of the Match performance from Johnny Sexton, helped Ireland claim a record winning margin over the Springboks.

The crushing defeat to kick off a forgettable four-Test tour for South Africa under Allister Coetzee all but signalled the end of the former assistant coach’s term at the helm that included a 57-0 hammering by the All Blacks in 2017.

With Rassie Erasmus back in the country, the Boks needed a victory to ease the pressure on Coetzee and his coaching staff, but instead frittered away possession through aimless kicking in a scoreless first half – the third time that year they failed to register points in the opening 40 minutes.

IRELAND 13 SPRINGBOKS 8
Stade de France, Saint-Denis
23 September 2023

Ireland cemented their status as the top-ranked team as they edged an enthralling Pool B tussle between the world’s No 1 and 2, in a maiden World Cup meeting and first on neutral turf.

Manie Libbok’s early penalty put South Africa ahead as Ireland’s lineout malfunctioned, but the pressure told as Ireland set up camp in the Bok 22 and James Lowe released Mack Hansen in the corner, with Sexton’s conversion giving the Irish an interval lead.

The Boks hit back on the resumption when Libbok’s long pass found Cheslin Kolbe out wide, only for Sexton’s penalty to edge the Irish back in front. Libbok and Faf de Klerk both missed further shots at goal before Jack Crowley’s strike sealed victory.

However, Andy Farrell’s men exited in the quarter-finals while Rassie Erasmus’ troops marched on to glory.