South Africa beat Ireland in first Test

Springboks take 1-0 lead in three-match series

Kriel's late try seals victory for home side

South Africa beat Ireland 28-24 in the first Test of their three-match series in Pretoria on Saturday.

The Springboks took an early lead through a try from Lukhanyo Am, but Ireland hit back with a converted try from James Lowe to level the scores at 7-7.

South Africa regained the lead with a penalty from Handre Pollard, but Ireland again hit back with a try from Josh van der Flier to make it 14-14 at half-time.

The second half was a tight affair, with both sides trading penalties. Pollard kicked two for South Africa, while Johnny Sexton kicked one for Ireland.

With the scores level at 24-24, Jesse Kriel came flying out of the line to put a huge hit in on Ireland's Conor Murray.

The ball popped up loose and Kriel was on hand to gather it and score the winning try.

The victory gives South Africa a 1-0 lead in the series, with the second Test taking place in Johannesburg next Saturday.

Conclusion

South Africa's victory was a hard-fought one, but they ultimately deserved the win. They were more physical than Ireland and they made fewer mistakes.

Ireland will be disappointed with their performance, but they will take solace from the fact that they were able to come back from a 14-point deficit to level the scores.

The second Test is sure to be another close encounter, and it could be the decisive match in the series.