Ireland 13-24 South Africa
Eoin Harrington reporting from the Aviva Stadium
Ireland end the November series with a 50-50 record after a strange game of rugby ended in an 11-point defeat to South Africa on Saturday evening.
A surreal contest saw six cards, with five of them going to Andy Farrell’s Ireland side.
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Sam Prendergast, Jack Crowley, Andrew Porter, and Paddy McCarthy were all sent to the sin-bin, with Ireland briefly down to 12 men around half-time with Prendergast, Crowley, and Porter in the bin simultaneously.
All of those sanctions came after James Ryan’s yellow card had been upgraded to a 20-minute red, summing up a frustrating night of ill discipline for Ireland.
Despite spending so much of the game with depleted numbers, Ireland were right in the contest coming down the home stretch, and will rue a few poor decisions in the South Africa 22 as they chased the game.
In the post-match press conference, Jack Crowley explained his frustration with his “costly” sin-bin error, but echoed Andy Farrell’s pride in the spirit Ireland showed to stay in the game.
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Jack Crowley frustrated with ‘costly’ error v Boks
22 November 2025; Jack Crowley of Ireland breaks clear from Kwagga Smith, left, and Cheslin Kolbe of South Africa during the Quilter Nations Series 2025 match between Ireland and South Africa at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Just nine minutes after being introduced against South Africa, Ireland’s Jack Crowley was shown a yellow card for cynical hands in the ruck.
After the game, he would admit it was a moment of over-eagerness as he sought to make his impact on a game that was slipping through Ireland’s grasp.
Just coming in, you’re kind of trying to bring that energy and I probably went over that edge and was a little bit desperate with trying to put back in pressure.
As a result it was costly, you know what I mean. They’re the things you’re trying to avoid.
It’s in my control to avoid that and it’s something that’s, yeah, frustrating for the group, the impact it has.
Crowley’s was only one of a test-record five for Ireland, but despite that they had the Springboks pinned on their line in the closing stages as they chased an unlikely comeback.
It may still have ended in a decisive defeat, but the battling spirit shown by Ireland was a source of pride for both Crowley and head coach Andy Farrell.
Crowley highlighted Ireland’s resilience during their brief period of playing with 12 men, and said it was a testament to the group that they were still in touch in the dying moments.
To be down to 12 men and to, I know there was obviously the penalty try, but to not concede outside of that…the way that the forwards defended on our goal line to get the penalty underneath the post in the second half, the clearance kick. You know, that can’t be looked past.
I know it might have looked like we conceded yards and they were in our 22 a lot. Then, towards the last 10 minutes, we released the valve and we got down there.
But to be part of that group, that’s why it hurts when you do, go off the field and you hurt in the group. But to be part of a group that has such fight and character..to give ourselves a chance in the last 10 minutes.
You know, I’m sure a lot of people watching on are probably going to think, ‘Right, this game’s done,’ but the belief, and the fight for one another and how we want to represent each other – because we know what work lads are putting in, we know what work the coaches are putting in – we’ve unbelievable pride to represent one another out there, those that are playing and those that aren’t.
The word “chaotic” was the one being thrown about the most in the media zone post-match, after a game more chaotic than any top-level test match in recent memory.
And yet, through it all, Jack Crowley says he and the Ireland squad felt an unusual sense of calm.
“I think calmness,” Crowley said of how he felt in the midst of the chaos.
You’re present with the situation that’s at hand. The coaches, the key leaders in the group put a plan in place and [are] not fazed by it.
I mean that’s what you saw when the lads went out for that next 10 minutes in the second half, like there was no panic, it was ‘Right, this is the situation, this is how we’re going to handle it.’
Crowley was initially introduced off the bench as a HIA replacement for Tommy O’Brien, a move that required a lot of positional shifting in the backline.
The Munster fly-half said he enjoyed the challenge of playing out of his comfort zone at full-back, and praised the Irish crowd for their role in rallying the team in the face of such bizarre circumstances.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Crowley said of enjoying his shift at full-back.
The atmosphere out there felt…the crowd was unbelievable.
The atmosphere out there was right behind us. I’d like to think that they could see the fight in us, that we weren’t backing down, that we were representing something greater than ourselves, and we wanted to show that.
We also wanted to win, you know what I mean, we believed we could. To be a part of a group that fights that way and fights for one another and doesn’t back down, it’s…yeah, I’m grateful to be a part of that group.
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