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Ireland 13-24 South Africa
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Home side have five players sent to sin-bin
The IRFU may be disconnected from a chunk of their audience on the price of Test rugby at Lansdowne Road but at least those who paid up can claim to have witnessed a truly crazy event.
In the 2013 Six Nations in Rome Ireland had their backline sundered by a freakish run of injuries, leaving holes being filled by men who didn’t know how to hold a shovel. But here, on a perfect night for rugby and with a game promising to develop into a gripping contest, we saw four players banished for crimes and misdemeanours in the first half alone. Mad stuff, at the end of which – after well over two exhausting hours – the world champions stumbled to a win that should have been managed with half the effort.
Written by Brendan Fanning at the Aviva Stadium
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/nov/22/ireland-south-africa-autumn-nations-series-rugby-union-match-report under the title “South Africa make heavy weather of victory over indisciplined Ireland”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
