Ireland enjoyed almost 80% possession and were easily the better team for it, which does beg the question why the Boks never kept the ball through more phases during the game.
The two times they did string multiple phases together they scored a try and nearly scored another at the death.
In between they were heroic defenders destined to defeat as superb Ireland fullback Rob Kearney dealt with high balls brilliantly and put his side on the front foot in a flash.
Ireland's gamble to select one-cap Jonathan Sexton over 93-Test veteran Ronan O'Gara at flyhalf proved a masterstroke for coach Declan Kidney as the home side stretched their unbeaten run to 11 matches with a deserved win over the world champions.
Sexton, who made his Test debut against Fiji a week ago, was superb from the kicking tee and composed in general play as the brave Springboks faded in the winter of their season.
There was no lack of commitment from the Boks. They were forced to defend for almost the entire match and by denying Ireland a try they kept in the game until the final, excruciating minute. The Boks launched wave after wave of attacks at the death and the Irish defence held. The better team won, but it was a battle worthy of the best in each hemisphere.
Sexton scored all his side's points from five penalties, revelling in the icy, but thankfully wind-free conditions.
His counterpart, Morne Steyn, only landed one out of four kicks at goal for his worst return since making his Test debut in June. He did slot an almost obligatory drop goal.
The Boks were reduced to long periods of defence and yet Ireland never looked like scoring a try as they pounded through phase after phase against a solid green wall.
The only occasions on which the hosts did look dangerous were when Brian O'Driscoll broke the line through individual brilliance, but even then there were enough Bok bodies to defend their line.
It was an eye-wincingly physical encounter that brought out the best in loose forwards Schalk Burger and Danie Rossouw. The former was clearly intent on setting the entire Luke Fitzgerald eye-gouging saga during the Lions series to rest in the only way he could - by playing a blinder.
Rossouw was omnipresent on defence and smashed into Irish ball carriers all afternoon. On the heavy northern hemisphere fields No8 is clearly his best position and in the absence of the injured Bakkies Botha, Rossouw and Burger were the designated enforcers.
Ireland forward coach Gert Smal had clearly dusted off his old 2007 Bok lineout playbook because the Irish made life difficult for the Boks in the one area of the game where they have few peers.
Locks Victor Matfield and Andries Bekker seldom won clean ball and scrumhalf Fourie du Preez had a lot of tidying up to do. The way he managed with such little fuss underlined just what a superb player he is.
But with the Bok scrum suddenly operating on all cylinders thanks to BJ Botha's outstanding technique at tighthead, they more than made up for their lineout problems with a destructive scrumming display.
Burger scored the only try of the match in the 16th minute when he ran a great angle onto a Jaque Fourie pass. The centre held up the defence just long enough to send Burger into a hole. The flank released his pent-up frustration by kicking the ball into the crowd to celebrate. It brought another chorus of boos from the terraces, so perhaps it wasn't the wisest way to celebrate.
SCORERS:
Ireland: 15 - Penalties: Sexton (5).
South Africa: 10 - Try: Schalk Burger. Conversion: Morne Steyn. Drop goal: Steyn
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Ian Clive