PRETORIA — The Springboks claimed victory against Ireland in a thrilling test match on Saturday, winning 27-20 at a packed Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria during the Castle Lager Incoming Series.

According to South African Government News Agency, the 2023 Rugby World Cup (RWC) winning team started strong, scoring a try by Kurt-Lee Arendse within the first three minutes of the game. The Boks held a 13-8 lead at the break and, despite a dominating opening 30 minutes, the match remained tense and challenging. "The Boks held a 13-8 lead at the break and apart from a dominating opening 30 minutes, it was not the smoothest win ever, but a seven-point margin over the second ranked team in the world is not something to sniff at," SA Rugby stated. This win marks South Africa's first victory over Ireland since 2016.

Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus acknowledged the performance was not perfect but was satisfied with the outcome. "Overall, the goal was achieved but it was far from a perfect performance," he said. Bok captain Siya Kolisi echoed these sentiments, expressing satisfaction with the result while emphasizing the need for continued focus. "Of course, this game was very important for us. We haven't beaten them since 2016, so it was special for our confidence. But the job is not done yet. We want to win the series and we know they are going to come back harder," Kolisi said.

The match's atmosphere was further electrified by new Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie, who led the singing of the national anthem with the crowd's support. "After that stellar opening performance by KB Motsilanyane, I knew we had this one in the bag #GoBokke #StrongerTogether," McKenzie posted on social media platform X, previously known as Twitter. He followed up with a post declaring, "We are a winning nation."

The second test between the Springboks and Ireland is set to take place at Hollywoodbets Kings Park stadium in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday.