Ireland beat Springboks in tightly contested World Cup match in Paris

Ireland beat the Springboks 13-8 in the Rugby World Cup's box-office pool clash at a tension-filled Stade de France on Saturday night.

This time four drifted wide as Manie Libbok and Faf de Klerk both missed two.

These teams had been eyeing and sizing each other up for almost 1,000 days and when the night finally arrived, the Springboks and Ireland did not give each other a split-second.

They took the game of rugby not so much to another level but another dimension.

The frenzied fervour with which this game was played left no-one in doubt that these were the game's two apex teams.

Though Ireland had the better of the first half and deserved their 7-3 lead, the Boks grew stronger in the second as their oversupply of forwards helped gain them the upper hand.

The Boks will feel this match carried elements of last year's clash in Dublin, which could have swung their way had their goal kickers been on target. It was frenzied and frenetic from the outset.

It made for an on-the-edge atmosphere in which the dread of defeat clung to Paris air. It was there before the game and indeed when Johnny Sexton sent the ball skyward at kickoff.

But it was no carnival, or dinner with the rugby gods. What unfolded at the Stade de France was the result of men in white coats who had taken the science of rugby not just to another level but near boiling point.

The result of meticulous mixing and matching, the measuring of minutes, workloads, the fastidious attention to detail was there for all to see.

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It wasn't just the forwards, who had dominated so much of the pre-match chat, that made the big hits. Battering ram inside centre Bundee Aki and his opposite number Damian de Allende left their imprint in the first half.

Unlike the aforementioned gents, Damian Willemse extolled the virtues of a ball carrier evading defenders.

They made some significant steals in the line-out. Franco Mostert has risen to the challenge in Lood de Jager's injury-induced absence. Jasper Wiese had one of his better outings of the year.

Ireland won the toss and got their wish when the Boks fluffed their exit. The early Ireland pressure yielded a penalty and in a game that was rich with the potential for surprises, Johnny Sexton kicked for the corner flag. It was then Ireland's turn to fluff their lines.

When the Boks eventually got out of their half, they almost went all the way. Jesse Kriel was about to break into his stride before he was apprehended.

Playing with more zeal, the Boks upped the ante in the 19th minute. Every support runner collected with speed and preprogrammed intent. Ireland had to show their defensive mettle and when Garry Ringrose clattered into De Allende, it was the former who came off second best in a shuddering collision. He departed the scene for a head injury assessment in the 21st minute.

Of greater concern for Ireland was when human wrecking ball De Allende knocked Sexton back as he made a spirited surge for the tryline. He came up short.

In that period the Boks, too, failed to deliver on their promise.

Ireland eventually fashioned a try through sheer force of will and persistence. They kicked another penalty into the corner and from the line-out they launched wave after wave of attack. Increasingly wider defenders got drawn to the action and a looping pass found right wing Mack Hansen completely unmarked. It was a stinging blow.

By the break Ireland had 57% of the possession and 58% of the territory.

Members of the forwards-heavy bench started to emerge in the 47th minute. It seemed to yield immediate results as the Boks flipped the Irish scrum into reverse. They got the penalty but opted for another scrum and from another dominant push they created enough space on the outside for Cheslin Kolbe to do what Mack Hansen did for Ireland in the first half.

Despite their heroics in the scrum, the Boks conceded a scrum penalty in the 59th minute that Sexton converted.

The Boks conceded another scrum penalty at the death to almost put the game out of reach.

There were different shades of green, but the one no-one wanted was the one signalling envy. The Boks for now have to settle for that as Ireland look destined for pool honours.

Scorers

Ireland (13) - Try: Mack Hansen. Conversion: Johnny Sexton. Penalties: Sexton, Jack Crowley.

South Africa (8) - Try: Cheslin Kolbe. Penalty: Manie Libbok