South Africa produce stunning late fightback to level series with Ireland

Damian de Allende scored the match winning try to ensure South Africa level the series against Ireland. Kim Ludbrook / EPA

A great last-quarter comeback gave South Africa a 32-26 second Test victory over Ireland in Johannesburg on Saturday that levelled the series with one match left.

Trailing by 16 points with 20 minutes to go, the Springboks scored three tries to triumph after the Irish had built a 19-3 half-time advantage

Centre Damian de Allende scored the match-winning try five minutes from time when he brushed off two tackles to dot down and Elton Jantjies converted before adding a penalty.

The third, series-deciding Test will be next Saturday in Port Elizabeth.

Ireland led 19-3 at half-time and South Africa were booed off the field after 40 minutes in which they took the lead and were then repeatedly penalised, giving Jackson opportunities to build a big lead.

Jantjies, who had been told by coach Allister Coetzee to ‘boss’ the match, slotted a long-range penalty on four minutes to give the Springboks an early lift in a chilly, near-full Ellis Park stadium.

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But those points were to prove the only ones of the half for the twice world champions with Jantjies failing to score from two kickable penalties within a few minutes around the half-hour mark.

The first struck a post and rebounded into play while the second drifted left and wide at a time when the Ireland were already 12-3 ahead.

Those Irish points all came from the boot of Jackson, who contributed 16 points to the shock triumph in Cape Town last weekend — the first over the Springboks on South African soil in eight attempts.

Offered four penalty opportunities, the playmaker took them all after 11, 15, 23 and 28 minutes as South Africa paid a heavy price for a string of infringements.

It got worse for the Springboks six minutes before half-time when the vulnerability of winger Lwazi Mvovo under the high ball was brutally exposed.

He failed to deal with a lofted kick, Irish winger Andrew Trimble skilfully tapped the ball back and several pairs of hands took it forward before lock Devin Toner barged over.

Jackson converted before, given a fifth penalty shot, missed to the left and his first failure of the Test was greeted with ironic cheers from many in the crowd.

It was a nightmare half for South Africa, who never threatened to score a try, repeatedly lost the ball in contact and booted numerous aimless tactical kicks into the Irish half.

The Springboks showed much more fire early in the second half, but it was Jackson who came closest to scoring, narrowly missing his sixth penalty attempt.

Winger Ruan Combrinck, a half-time replacement for Mvovo, finally gave the frustrated crowd something to cheer when he dived over in the corner after an electric break by full-back Willie le Roux.

Jantjies converted to trim the gap to nine points only for Ireland to hit back within two minutes as No. 8 Jamie Heaslip claimed a pushover try off a line-out and Jackson converted.

A scoring burst brought a third try within nine minutes as substitute No. 8 Warren Whiteley went over for the Springboks but Jantjies could not convert, leaving Ireland 26-15 ahead.

But as the match entered the closing stages, the momentum was with the Springboks and lock Pieter-Steph du Toit scored beside the post, Jantjies converted and the Irish lead was down to four points.

De Allende then scored to give South Africa a dramatic triumph.

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