Ireland did their lofty world ranking justice when they beat the world champion Springboks 19-16 in a match that crackled with tension throughout.

The Springboks who were hoping to build momentum as they head to the defence of the World Cup in France next year, did not lack for effort but were found wanting in too many key areas.

Ireland masterfully neutralised the Springboks upfront, drawing the sting not just from their maul but their much vaunted scrum. They backed it up with rugged and determined defence and the Boks, apart from deep in the game when they were chasing the ball, made little inroads.

A debilitating penalty count also served to undermine the Boks.

Damningly too they lacked authority when they had to apply the boot. Concerns had been raised before this tour about their ability off the kicking tee and those fears weren't entirely unwarranted.

It fell to Damian Willemse and Cheslin Kolbe to take shots at goals and neither convinced.

While the lead was shared at the break it was Ireland who rose to the occasion in the big moments in the second half.

The Springboks served up a mixed bag in the first half. They eschewed the chance to go for posts in the fifth minute, opting to go for the corner.

Earlier, when Sexton pointed towards the poles after Ireland won a third-minute penalty there was a roar of approval. He made no mistake off the tee but when SA earned one barely two minutes later they kicked for touch. Persistent pressure, mainly through their forwards earned them another shortly after. This time Willemse emulated Sexton.

Productive counter rucking from the Springboks also helped keep Ireland in check. They needed to keep the Ireland forwards within reach. Allowing Josh van der Flier to spread his wings would have invited peril.

Ireland however were effective at stunting the Springbok maul. Whenever the visitors deployed their human caterpillar it was met by resolute defence.

Ireland stood firm and scored from a maul in the 47th minute when Van der Flier somehow managed to ground the ball before the pile of bodies crashed into touch.

It would have been a deflating blow for the Springboks. It proved to be an Irish one-two as they struck again soon after through a try for wing Mack Hansen.

Kolbe's selection invited questions about his ability to soar under the high ball but it was his lifting of Hansen that saw him cop a yellow card in the 17th minute. He was in the words of the TMO, “the primary lifter”.

By the half-hour mark the Boks showed appreciably more gainline success and possession.

Though, at that point, the score was still locked at three-all, in boxing parlance the Springboks would have been ahead on points.

Ireland though proved adept at absorbing whatever the visitors threw at them. They remained stout in defence and their resolve only seemed to firm when their goalline came under threat.

Sexton added a second penalty in the 36th minute but it was the passage of play preceding that, that was more keenly felt.

The sight of Lood de Jager writhing in pain as he departed the scene during the World Cup final is hard to erase from memory. When he on Saturday headed for the touchline with his right arm braced in the 35th minute, his chances of playing soon appeared grim.

Soon after scrumhalf Conor Murray, who led Ireland out in his 100th Test, also headed for the touchline. He did himself a mischief when he burst through a gap but once the defence inevitably caught up with the 33-year-old he grimaced as he went to the ground.

He cut a disconsolate figure as he headed for the touchline under sympathetic but rapturous applause.

Perhaps crucially too, titanic tight head Tadhg Furlong did not make it back for the second half.

It was Ireland however who played with greater focus and belief at the restart.

They engineered more line breaks as the pressure that the Springboks were applying in the first half all but evaporated.

With Ireland holding a 10-point advantage the Boks turned to their bench. Franco Mostert and Kwagga Smith brought energy but their teammates weren't always on the same page.

Dublin today was awash with different shades of green but it was the one with which these two teams view each other that gave this match its titanium edge.

Driven by envy Ireland and SA took lumps out of each other.

Ireland, desperate to prove they are worthy holders of the game's top ranking have long coveted the tag of World Champions. SA of course, as three time and current holders of that title have another in their cross hairs next year but they also want to be the top ranked team by the end of the month.

If Ireland sought validation, their ticket got stamped on Saturday night.

Scorers

Ireland (6) 19 — Tries: Josh van der Flier, Mack Hansen. Penalties: Johnnie Sexton (2).

SA (6) 16 — Tries: Franco Mostert, Kurt Lee Arendse. Penalties: Damian Willemse, Cheslin Kolbe.

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