South Africa v Ireland LIVE rugby: Score and updates as Springboks survive crazy finish to win first Test

Both sides scored three tries in a tight match at Loftus Versfeld with home wingers Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe crossing for the home side, plus a penalty try awarded by English referee Luke Pearce.

Ireland fullback Jamie Osborne scored on debut with Conor Murray and Ryan Baird adding tries for the touring side in a dramatic final five minutes.

“It was a tough battle. We knew it was going to be very, very difficult here. There are a lot of positives to take out of their postives, but there were little bits here and there that a side like the Springboks are going to punish.

“We knew coming in that there was going to be a bit of a tweak to the Springboks’ approach. Certainly, they are playing a bit more expansively. We’ll have a look.”

So on to Durban, then, with tensions simmering today and likely to be similarly hot next week. Ireland will fret over the health of Craig Casey and Dan Sheehan – let us hope Casey particularly is ok after that horrible incident.

Plenty of debate over James Lowe’s try being chalked off. Should TMO Ben Whitehouse come in for a ticky-tacky breakdown infringement? It proved a pivotal moment, particularly after the Ireland wing then gifted Cheslin Kolbe a try in another marginal call.

Blimey. Truly breathless stuff at the end, but the Springboks have held on by a score! It was a contest that took time to warm but that final quarter was quite something, both sides throwing haymakers after injury to Craig Casey had forced a long second-half pause. Let us hope the Ireland scrum half is ok.

South Africa nudge in front in this two-match series with their first win over Ireland in eight years.

One last chance for Ireland, but they’ll have to go the length. Is that a knock-on? Luke Pearce thinks not…his TMO disagrees! It’s all over in Pretoria and the Springboks have clung on!

James Lowe now creates a score, atoning for his error with dynamite feet and then a delectable offload for Ryan Baird. The rangy back row strides in.

Can Jack Crowley convert? Not quite, the ball falling off his tee and forcing him to hurry. The draw is still a possibility, though.

That is some way to put the nail in the Irish coffin! The Bomb Squad provide an ecxclamation point, driving Ireland over their own line. Luke Pearce trots under the posts and sends an Irish front rower to the bin.

Another horrible moment for James Lowe! Ireland let the restart bounce and Lowe, scrambling back to try and ground but knocking on in-goal. South Africa’s scrum five metres out.