Ireland 26 South Africa 20: The South African press reacts

Ireland’s 26-20 win over South Africa on Saturday will live long in the memory.

Not only was it a historic victory in itself but it also highlighted how Joe Schmidt’s side remain on the right course despite a disappointing season for Irish rugby both internationally and domestically.

For the Springboks the fixture was the first of a new era, with Allister Coetzee leading his side for the first time since he took over from Heyneke Meyer, who resigned last December in the wake of a third place finish at the Rugby World Cup.

But Coetzee’s tenure got off to a poor start as they failed to put away the tourists in Cape Town, despite Ireland having just 14 men for nearly an hour following CJ Stander’s harsh red card.

And the South African newspapers have been quick to put the boot in on Sunday following the Bok’s defeat.

In The Times, Craig Ray writes that Coetzee has a serious challenge on his hands if he wants to return the Boks to the very top of world rugby: "The task that awaits new Springbok coach Allister Coetzee is even more mountainous than he might have imagined after Ireland secured a famous victory yesterday."

He adds: “Coetzee has promised a new dawn in South African rugby and he was true to his word by selecting one of the most racially transformed Bok teams in history for yesterday’s clash.

“But his revolution is clearly going to have to encompass more than the racial demographics of the team. He will have to focus on why South African attack is so blunt.”

However while the Springboks were a disappointment, Ray also pays tribute to the performance of Ireland: “But picking over the bones of the Boks and ignoring Ireland’s contribution to the contest would be doing the tourists a disservice. They were magnificent when they weren’t being thuggish.”

Elsewhere in the City News Adnaan Mohamed was also underwhelmed by South Africa’s showing: “To say that the Springboks disappointed in their first outing under new coach Allister Coetzee is an understatement.”

Meanwhile in the SARugbymag Jon Cardinelli has been particularly scathing of the Boks, and he believes things could have been a lot worse for Coetzee's side were it not for Stander's red.

He writes: “The reality, of course, is that the Boks are one loss away from losing a home series to Ireland. The question that so few have asked in the wake of the Newlands Test is this: What would have happened had CJ Stander not been sent off?”

“What if the flanker was not ejected for his clumsy challenge on Pat Lambie? Would South Africa have suffered a beating akin to the 29-15 hammering in Dublin two years ago? The Boks were poor at Newlands, but how bad are they really? If Stander remained on the pitch, and the contest was 15 versus 15, we may have obtained a clearer and possibly more painful answer.”

But a common theme in the South African press is that while the Boks were poor, Ireland earned their victory and the respect of their opponents.

Cardinelli goes on to say: “While Ireland are missing their star players, they have a crack coach and a simple yet effective game plan. On Saturday, they dominated the collisions and won the battle for territory through their accurate kicking game.

“They used their defence as a weapon. They succeeded in their mission to rattle and stifle the Bok attack. They generated turnover ball and had the Boks scrambling on several occasions.

“Schmidt has been under pressure since Ireland finished third in the recent Six Nations tournament. His record against South Africa, however, now reads two wins from two matches.”

Two from two against one of world rugby’s heavyweights - not bad eh?