Head coach Andy Farrell wasn’t having any of suggestions Ireland’s first half against South Africa was a shambles. While it might not have been the most diplomatic opening question, shambles didn’t seem like the most inaccurate word to use.
“Chaotic. Yeah, I won’t repeat your word because I think you’re wrong,” said Farrell after his side’s 24-13 defeat at the Aviva Stadium.
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Bewildering, bemusing and befuddling were other words to describe a perplexing opening period in which Ireland drew three yellow cards and a red to end up with just 12 men on the pitch leading up to half-time.
When James Ryan charged over bodies to hit Malcom Marx on the nose with his shoulder, he was shown a yellow card that was later upgraded to red on review.
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The subsequent cascade of yellows proved to be the undoing of Ireland and Farrell was far from pleased.
“I haven’t seen a game like that ever, and you think you’ve seen it all, and I haven’t seen a game like that ever,” he said.
“I suppose, first and foremost, you look at yourself and ask why things have happened. So, we’ll do that and make sure that we learn the lessons from that.
“But my overriding thought of the game is that I’m unbelievably proud, so for you to start a conversation off like that doesn’t sit well,” he added of the shambles descriptor.
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It was later put to Farrell that Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu should have got at least yellow for his hit on Tommy O’Brien, the Springboks outhalf making contact with the Ireland winger’s head. It looked like card territory, referee Matthew Carley said he didn’t believe it was a no-arms tackle and so no card followed.
“Well, you’re asking the question because you thought so as well,” replied Farrell. A room full of heads nodded in agreement.
The question was tossed to captain Caelan Doris. “I thought the same,” he replied.
While the cards were obviously consequential to the outcome of the game, Ireland also didn’t manage to execute aspects of their game as well as they did last weekend against Australia.
“You can look at all sorts of different situations within the game and you can say that [the card] was the turning point. The yellow card that went to red was a try that we’d scored and obviously pulled back,” said Farrell of Ryan’s dismissal.
“We started the game pretty well, but then we went on the back foot, certainly under the pump there with scrum.
“Then a few stupid errors from us playing the ball through the ruck and I think with three offside penalties. They’re the manageable ones that you don’t give a team like that access. We did,” Farrell added.
But there was little doubt that the cards were playing on his mind. Over the past week South Africa had been loud in their criticism of red cards shown to Lood De Jager and Franco Mostert in their previous two games, claiming they were being treated unfairly by officials.
Could that have had any influence?
“Well, we brought it up with the referees before the game and they said that would never be a factor,” said Farrell. “Obviously, because this is a separate game. I’ll let you be the judge of that.”
Both Farrell and Doris drew significant pride from how Ireland defended when to 12 either side of the interval. They also found a surge of energy towards the end to manufacture a rousing finish.
Ireland pushed the Springboks right back to their line and hammered at the door for the closing minutes of the bruising battle. While the visitors managed to survive the late barrage, it certainly got the crowd to their feet.
“It was pretty unique,” said Doris, synopsising the defeat.
“Chaotic is the word that sums it up,” he added. “Like Faz’s reference earlier, I’m proud of the fight, the courage, the character that we showed at times.
“I do think you want that to transfer into points and results, but I do think it’s going to stand to us going forward.”
