Ireland coach Andy Farrell admitted his side “lost composure a little bit” as the world champions’ scrum pressure and a cascade of cards proved too much.
The hosts slumped to a 24-13 defeat to the Springboks in Dublin on Saturday in one of the most chaotic Tests in recent memory.
Ireland finished the first half with just 12 players on the field. James Ryan’s yellow card was upgraded to a 20-minute red, while Sam Prendergast, Jack Crowley, Andrew Porter and Paddy McCarthy were all shown yellow as the hosts struggled to contain the Boks’ physical dominance.
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Yet despite the numerical disadvantage, Farrell refused to label the performance as shambolic, pushing back firmly when a reporter suggested as much.
“I said chaotic. I haven’t seen a game like that ever,” Farrell insisted. “But my overriding thought is that I’m unbelievably proud. Going down to 12 men and how the lads came out and showed the bottle for the country was absolutely amazing.”
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Farrell, however, acknowledged that composure slipped at key moments, particularly under scrum pressure.
“We made a few stupid errors – playing the ball through the ruck, a few offside penalties. Those are the manageable ones you can’t give a team like that. We just lost our composure a little bit.”
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Ireland’s tactical accuracy also deserted them compared to last week’s dominant win over Australia.
“Our kicking game was a bit long and off at times, and our high-ball stuff was way better last week. The conversion in the 22 wasn’t what it needed to be.”
The Irish boss stopped short of suggesting the week’s officiating noise influenced the match, after Bok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick had voiced concerns about previous red cards.
“We brought it up with the referees and they said it would never be a factor. I’ll let you be the judge of that,” Farrell remarked.
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