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James Lowe's lightning strikes rocked the Springboks

If the Irish return and stay in contention, it will be thanks to James Lowe, the star winger of the Irish XI. Avoiding the touchline with a crucial leap on Osborne's first try with Ireland, he slid down the South African left flank on his second try. The 32-year-old Leinster player did not see his magnificent run rewarded due to an incident early in the action. Lowe was the only Irishman to really show his edge before the final ten minutes when his team-mates tried to wake him up.

The South African wingers have done well

Arens and Kolbe. The wings of the world champions hurt the Irish. The Pretoria Bulls' winger finished off his side's first good run since the start of the match. In his home garden, he took advantage of opposing defensive prowess to get South Africa on the right track. His counterpart on the right had the ability to kick and score in the second half to make up for the increasing ineffectiveness of his teammates. The double world champions' work was consistent throughout the competition, but without their wings, the result is not guaranteed to be the same.

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The Irish are less immune

The spaces provided for the Springboks were huge. The men in green were given a direct start to the race. Repeated passes were difficult for the Irish defense to follow, allowing Arendse to slip from the 5th minute of the game and as the match progressed, errors led to the Springboks collecting points. They were a bit more efficient in the second half but conceded victory to the home team.

Pollard lost accuracy as the minutes ticked by

Like his team, he lost his effectiveness as the match progressed. However, the South African striker won his first conversion and the first two penalties before missing three kicks. The Springboks lost their stability on the foot which did not harm them, leaving the Irish well short of their goal. He succeeded in his last attempt before being replaced by Mangomezulu.