Ken Borland

DURBAN (July 13, 2024) – Victorious Ireland coach Andy Farrell said he did not care apropros the debate around which team is the best in the world following his side’s dramatic 25-24 win over world champions South Africa in the second Test at Kings Park on Saturday.

Farrell instead highlighted the character of his team after replacement flyhalf Ciaran Frawley kicked two long-range drop goals in the last 10 minutes, including one on the final hooter, to snatch a series-levelling win. It was just the second time Ireland have won a Test in South Africa.

Ireland led 16-6 at halftime after a superb first-half display in which they dominated the Springboks with great physicality and high-intensity rugby. The home team came back strongly in the second half and flyhalf Handre Pollard kicked six penalties to put them 24-19 ahead after 65 minutes.

But Ireland then fought back at the death to end their season on a high.

“As far as drama goes and with the pressure we put on ourselves because we were not happy with last week’s performance, this result is right up there because it came against a magnificent team,” Farrell said. “We had to come out and perform and the character of the team came through. That’s what sport is all about.

“It’s been a 13-month season for these lads but you wouldn’t think it after tonight, and when you play for Ireland, there are no excuses. Our tussles with South Africa have been immense and we had to show guts, bravery and composure tonight. Our first half was outstanding, as good as it gets, but in the second half we made enough mistakes to last us three games. It was a complete role-reversal from last week.

“I honestly don’t care who the best team in the world is. You would not want to separate these two teams and there are probably three or four other countries who come into the conversation. World rugby is in a good state when we have this sort of competition,” Farrell said.

Having won the first Test in Pretoria 27-20 last weekend, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus was humble in defeat on Saturday, praising Ireland as a quality side who deserved their victory.

“It was a very well executed drop goal that made the difference, but I’m not surprised because that’s what Ireland do, it’s why they are such a consistent team. The best team won on the day and I thought the referee [Karl Dickson] was good tonight as well.

“We fought back from a long way, but Ireland were better than us at the end when it mattered. But if that drop goal had missed then we would have been sitting here with big smiles and talking about what a good comeback to win the series 2-0,” Erasmus said.

While South Africa scored three tries in the first Test, all their points on Saturday came via eight penalties by Pollard, and Erasmus said their attack missed the direction and authority of experienced fullback Willie le Roux, who was concussed in the second minute.

“Our attack functions better with Willie there, with his vision and feel for the game and the way he links the two centres and wings very well. We lost one specific player and a lot of attacking ability with that because we build our attack around him. So our game became very stop-start,” Erasmus said.

“I am very proud of the way we bounced back, it showed that we have learnt from our mistakes,” chuffed DP World Lions captain Bjorn Fortuin said shortly after lifting the CSA T20 Challenge trophy following their commanding seven-wicket win with 14 balls to spare over the HollywoodBets Dolphins in Johannesburg on Sunday.

While the margin of victory was ultimately comfortable, there were tough periods in the game that our Pride had to overcome. The Dolphins dominated the last five overs of their batting innings to post a competitive 165 for eight, and the DP World Lions had lost three wickets by the halfway stage of their chase.

But just as Fortuin (4-0-24-2) and Codi Yusuf (4-1-16-2) stepped up with the ball, Reeza Hendricks and Wiaan Mulder made light of the situation with the bat, plundering a tremendous unbeaten 85 runs for the fourth wicket off just 48 balls.

Hendricks played the perfect anchoring role, facing the first ball of the innings and batting through to the end to finish with a wonderful 73 not out off 52 balls, including three sixes. Mulder blasted a fiery 55 not out off just 26 balls, with four sixes.

“All of the squad have been responsible for us winning at some stage,” Fortuin said. “It’s nice to see the younger players developing alongside all the very established players we have.

“The Dolphins batted well after we made it difficult for them at the start, but with our batting line-up, I know if we restrict the opposition to anything close to par, then I’m confident we will chase it down.”

Hendricks and Mulder showed their experience and class during their partnership, when another wicket for the Dolphins could have made for an awkward finish for the #PrideOfJozi. After Ryan Rickelton (18 off 13) and Hendricks had rushed the DP World Lions to 50 in five-and-a-half overs, the Dolphins struck back with three wickets and did not concede another boundary in the next fifty runs.

But vitally, they could not buy another wicket.

“They really kept us honest in the middle and it was important for me to try and bat deep,” Hendricks said. “It was also important to bat well up front and lay a platform, and we did that between Ryan and myself. One of the top four then had to bat through and today it just happened to be me. At the DP World Wanderers Stadium, you want to take it as deep as possible because with wickets in hand, you can always score well in the last five overs.

“We did slow down after the powerplay, but we really needed to make sure we didn’t lose another wicket. Wiaan then came in and played an unbelievable knock, it changed the momentum and put the Dolphins under pressure,” Hendricks said.

Yusuf did a superb job with the ball in the final over, removing both the set batsmen, Jason Smith (51) and Eathan Bosch (17), and he was impressively cheap, going for just four runs an over in his four-over quota.

“Codi has been massive for us. He was in and out of the team at the beginning of the competition and it is tough for a youngster to be mentally up for it when you get dropped after one game and then come back in and are expected to produce. He has a bright future and he’s not just a white-ball bowler,” captain Fortuin said.

Fortuin himself capped an outstanding season with his telling contribution, ending the competition as the second most economical bowler with a run-rate of just 5.85. The left-arm spinner was only fractionally behind Imraan Manack of Boland (5.83).

Rickelton (441) ended as the second-highest run-scorer, with Hendricks just one run behind, while leg-spinner Nqaba Peter, who bowled three tidy overs before getting some punishment in his fourth on Sunday, took the second-most wickets.

Our DP World Lions, the #PrideOfJozi, continue to justify the adulation of their fans as they finished top of the Cricket South Africa T20 Challenge and will host their semi-final on Wednesday, following their clinical victory over the AET Tuskers in Johannesburg on Sunday.

The Lions comfortably saw off the Tuskers by seven wickets with two-and-a-half overs to spare at the DP World Wanderers Stadium on Sunday, taking them to 44 points from their 10 wins, and setting up a semi-final against the Titans at home on Wednesday.

Victory in that match will ensure our Pride host the final at the DP World Wanderers Stadium next Sunday, against either the Dolphins or the Warriors, who will play the other semi-final at Kingsmead on Thursday.

Our Pride won the toss against the Tuskers and sent the KwaZulu-Natal Inland team in to bat on a DP World Wanderers pitch that provided some assistance for the bowlers but nothing excessive. An excellent bowling and fielding effort saw the visitors restricted to 132 for nine.

Seamers Delano Potgieter and Lutho Sipamla set the tone up front by each grabbing a wicket, and then young leg-spinner Nqaba Peter continued his sensational introduction to franchise cricket as he ripped through the Tuskers middle-order with outstanding figures of three for 15 in his four overs.

Those three wickets came in the space of four deliveries as he dismissed Kyle Nipper for 30 off 25 balls and then trapped hard-hitting Keith Dudgeon lbw first ball. Peter then bowled Ntando Zuma for a duck two deliveries later with his trademark slider.

Sipamla (4-0-25-2) returned to take a second wicket and left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin also took two wickets, for just 19 runs in his four overs.

The writing was on the wall for the Tuskers as Zubayr Hamza and Rassie van der Dussen added 46 off 34 balls for the third wicket. Hamza, as usual, painted some beautiful pictures with his strokeplay as he scored 49 off 38 deliveries, before Van der Dussen splattered three sixes around the field in scoring 51 not out off 35 balls to see the Lions home. The exciting Mitchell van Buuren scored 23 not out off 19 deliveries as he and Van der Dussen added 53 unbeaten runs off 35 balls to seal the victory.

And now the Titans await in the semi-finals. The DP World Lions and their Gauteng neighbours have written the treatise on close finishes in this season’s T20 competition, our Pride winning by one run five weeks ago at the Wanderers, while Northerns won by two runs at the start of the weekend at SuperSport Park.

Sent in to bat at Centurion, a methodical effort by the DP World Lions saw them post 154 for eight. Reeza Hendricks was the pick of the batsmen with 48 off 35 balls, stroking five fours and a six. But he had good support from Temba Bavuma (21 off 13), Wiaan Mulder (25 off 13) and Potgieter (21 off 15).

A terrific bowling effort by the DP World Lions subjected the Titans to pressure throughout their innings, reducing them to 135 for eight after 18 overs.  But from there, the Titans managed to scramble a bye off the last ball to win.

Codi Yusuf (4-0-25-1), Mulder (4-0-24-1) and Peter (4-0-29-2) all produced fine displays with the ball.

The DP World Lions ladies team will be hoping for two days of sun and better basics as they take on the Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers in Johannesburg this weekend, following their disappointing trip to Durban three weeks ago.

The Lions were frustrated to have their one-day match against the Dolphins abandoned due to rain, seeing them slip to fifth in the standings, and they then suffered a 10-wicket defeat in the T20 game.

But it’s not like coach Shaun Pretorius hit the roof or anything, he knows our DP World Lions ladies are not far off from winning form. Just one win in the One-Day Cup will lift them back up to third.

“Things didn’t go according to plan in Durban, and there were small things that we can learn from; the only way you’re going to learn those lessons is on the park,” Pretorius said.

“I’m quite confident actually that if we stick to the basics and follow our game-plans, then we have got enough ability to win this weekend. There are still good things happening around the team, there’s no stress.

“If we execute in the right phases of the game, if we get a grip on the game and then hang on to it, then we are capable of a bonus point win which has a massive effect on the log. It’s about handling situations, not overthinking things. We must focus on the ball being delivered now and not look too far ahead. One ball can change the game,” Pretorius said.

They may be feeling a little blue after recent results, but Pretorius has been reminding our #PrideOfJozi of past successes and epic performances like chasing 250 twice at the DP World Wanderers Stadium before.

Our Pride will be without Chloe Tryon and Shabnim Ismail, who are in India for the IPL, and young stars Karabo Meso and Jenna Evans, who are representing South Africa at the Africa Games in Ghana.

But the DP World Lions are not about individuals, but the system, and Pretorius backs the squad for this weekend to put their hands up in the key phases of the game.

Proteas star Tazmin Brits battered a century off the Lions in their meeting in Oudtshoorn in November, but our Pride will not be overly focused on her. Besides, the DP World Lions have experienced, quality Proteas batters of their own in Kirstie Thomson, Sunette Viljoen-Louw and Nonkululeko Thabethe.