Overview
- South Africa secured their first victory in Dublin since 2012, closing out a physical contest at the Aviva Stadium.
- Scrum dominance proved decisive as Ireland conceded a rash of penalties, with props Andrew Porter and Paddy McCarthy sent to the sin-bin.
- Ireland’s discipline unraveled with multiple cards, including a bunker-reviewed 20-minute red for James Ryan, leaving them down to 12 players at one stage.
- Erasmus clarified that the televised gesture was directed at Springbok fans near the coaches’ box and later posted “Love you” on X to supporters.
- The coach framed the result as lifting a psychological weight rather than revenge, noting Ireland still lead the recent head-to-head 3–2 and that South Africa left points on the field.