Ronan O’Gara shattered South Africa’s grand slam dream by masterminding Ireland to a historic 17-12 victory on Saturday.
The Munster flyhalf scored all of his side’s points in a thoroughly deserved triumph that represents Ireland’s first win over the Springboks since 1965 and only the second in the island’s history.
It also means Jake White’s squad can now forget about completing a clean sweep of victories over Wales, Ireland, England and Scotland, to follow up their Tri-Nations triumph.
Percy Montgomery kicked four penalties to provide all of South Africa’s points but the Springboks were always on the back foot against a confident Irish side that had been fired up by dismissive remarks by SA coach Jake White earlier this week.
South Africa made a confident start, highlighted by Jaco van der Westhuyzen’s stealing a Peter Stringer pass bound for his opposite number O’Gara.
But the Boks failed to exploit that opportunity, and they quickly found themselves pinned back by a combination of O’Gara’s superb positional kicking and the inventiveness of the Irish backline.
Shane Horgan’s reverse pass inside appeared to have given winger Denis Hickie a clear run at the line in the eighth minute, but play was hauled back after the most marginal of decisions — the ball had travelled forward.
Ireland’s pressure finally paid off midway through the half after three lineouts in quick succession, within five yards of the South African line, culminated in a penalty.
The South Africans appeared to assume O’Gara would once again put the ball into touch and, fatally, failed to position any bodies in front of him.
O’Gara spotted the gap and, after a quick tap penalty, had time to dive over the line before a single Springok hand was laid on him.
South African captain John Smit protested loudly that he had been talking to his players when the try was scored, as instructed by referee Paul Honiss.
The complaints fell on deaf ears but a sense of grievance was apparent.
A fingertips tackle from Geordan Murphy floored Montgomery 15 yards from the line with Ashwin Willemse overlapping outside him. That onslaught concluded with Montgomery kicking a penalty from straight in front of the posts but the full-back squandered an equally straightforward effort two minutes later that would have put the tourists in front.
As it was, a 34th-minute drop from O’Gara allowed Ireland to go into the break with an 8-3 lead that was stretched soon after the restart, when Joe van Niekerk was penalised for a foul on Irish prop Reggie Corrigan.
Montgomery pulled the deficit back to five points — and made amends for his earlier miss — with a penalty from close to the right touchline.
Indiscipline was to cost the South Africans again as two penalties allowed the Irish to stretch their lead to 11 points with just over quarter of an hour left.
The first came when flanker Schalk Burger was yellow-carded for obstructing the release of the ball from a ruck right under his own posts, the second when Irish captain Brian O’Driscoll was taken down off the ball.
O’Gara stroked both kicks over to put the Irish in sight of a famous victory.
Montgomery kicked two more penalties to put South Africa within five points for the final six minutes but there were to be no last-ditch heroics and Smit droped the ball in what was to prove his side’s last chance of snatching victory. – Sapa-AFP