By Simon Lewis, Cape Town
Ireland coach Joe Schmidt has said CJ Stander’s red card for his collision with South African fly-half Patrick Lambie in their win today was “very, very harsh”.
However, it was a prelude to a famous victory as his depleted side upset the odds to seal an historic first Test win in South Africa.
Ireland won the first Test 26-20 at Newlands having been reduced to 14 men following the controversial sending off of back row Stander in the 23rd minute.
The tourists were then reduced to 13 men for 10 minutes following Robbie Henshaw’s yellow card on 32 minutes but having led 10-3 before Stander’s dismissal, thanks to Jared Payne’s 12th minute try and a conversion and penalty from Paddy Jackson, Ireland fought back to 13-13 by half-time, the fly-half adding a drop goal to his tally after Lwazi Mvovu had scored a try converted by Lambie’s replacement Elton Jantjies.
Conor Murray scored a 43rd minute try with the Irish back to 14 men and Jackson’s conversion and penalty opened up a 23-13 lead before South Africa closed the gap to 23-20 after an intercept try from replacement lock Pieter-Steph du Toit and conversion from Jantjies.
In a dramatic closing five minutes Jackson nailed a long-range penalty and then combined with Payne and Henshaw to hold up JP Pietersen as he crossed the line with the clock past 80 minutes, the trio epitomising an heroic defensive effort by bundling the Springbok wing into touch.
Head coach Joe Schmidt reported no immediate injury concerns as Ireland prepare to fly north to Johannesburg for next Saturday’s second Test at altitude in Ellis Park.
Lambie was stretchered off as a result of the collision that led to Stander’s dismissal but was given the all clear by medics at the stadium.
Schmidt felt Stander had been badly treated by his sending off from French referee Mathieu Raynal, taking charge of just his seventh Test and his first in South Africa, the official ruling the Irish flanker had made no attempt to charge down Lambie’s kick before his hip made contact with the fly-half’s head, leaving him on the field to receive treatment before being taken off on a stretcher.
“I thought the red card was very, very harsh to be honest. CJ’s got both hands extended, once you’re in the air you can’t change your trajectory,” Schmidt said.
“The one thing I would say, I think Pat Lambie’s a super player, I certainly hope that Pat’s okay. I know CJ and Pat are friends, and that they know each other. CJ was upset that Pat was hurt as much as he was upset that he had to leave the field.
“It’s one of those thing that happens. I think, sometimes, when there is an injury like that, the consequence is that a card comes out and that was the result.”
Of Ireland’s first victory in South Africa, Schmidt said: “It’s pretty hard to put into words really. I thought it was an incredibly collective effort. The nine minutes before half-time when we were down to 13 players, to just put them out in the corner, just to scramble and work as hard as the players did to keep them out. There was almost a direct repeat at the end of the second half again. To their attacking left hand corner, we managed to scramble across and three or four players turned up to avoid the try being scored.
“For the players, I think they can be incredibly proud of the effort they put in.”
“It’s a very special win, to come here and win but we’ll see in the next few weeks exactly how special it is in terms of creating history. Whether it’s a one-off or whether we can go on and clinch a series,” Ireland captain Rory Best said, referencing the two remaining Tests in Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth.
“To win any game when you’re faced with going down to 14 men is special and to do it here, with everything… look, it’s a special game, a special performance.”
Best was asked if during that last-ditch defensive set against the Boks, Irish minds had wandered back to the heartbreak they had suffered in similar circumstances against the All Blacks in Dublin in November 2013.
“I don’t think we flashed back to there, I think we’ve come a long way since then,” the captain replied.
“There was similarities to it, but for us it was about the way we stood up. It’s not easy to come here and win, there’s a reason no Irish team has ever done it and to do it for just short of 60 minutes with 14 men, it took a lot of character.
“For me, as captain of this 32-man squad, it wasn’t just the XV that took the field or the guys that made an impact, I think you tell a lot about the individuals that you have at your disposal by what they do when they’re faced with a bit of adversity.
“There was no real panic whenever we went down, we knew it was going to be incredibly tough but what a way to make history, by having to do something special.
“We sort of knew we had to keep going at them and at them, because if you sit back against the Springboks and try to soak them, it’s just not going to work; they’re too big, too physical,too good a rugby team.
“So we knew we had to keep going at them and it’s a credit to a man, the guys who came in off the bench, they really did that.”
