Frawley drop-goal gives Irish thrilling win over South Africa

South Africa (6) 24

Pens: Pollard 8

Ireland (16) 25

Try: Murray Con: Crowley Pens: Crowley 4 Drop-goals: Frawley 2

Ciaran Frawley kicked a brilliant drop-goal with the last kick of the game as Ireland edged South Africa in a hugely dramatic and captivating Test in Durban to earn a draw in the series.

At the end of a brutal second half in which South Africa battered an error-strewn Irish side to overturn a 16-6 half-time deficit, Frawley seized his chance and lifted the tourists to victory in the most dramatic fashion.

It is a gut-wrenching defeat for the back-to-back world champions, for whom Handre Pollard pounced on Ireland's rising penalty count to kick eight penalties.

But replacement fly-half Frawley, whose first drop-goal brought Ireland to within three points, nailed a do-or-die kick from distance to spark ecstatic celebrations from the Six Nations champions.

Introduced in the second half, Frawley has etched his name into Irish rugby folklore after condemning South Africa to their first defeat at Kings Park since 2016.

The Leinster back's heroics echoed Johnny Sexton's drop-goal to beat France at the Stade de France in the 2018 Six Nations.

Of course, Ireland's flame-haired hero delivered the heart-stopping crescendo at the end of a second half in which a dominant South Africa appeared on course for victory after overturning a 10-point deficit to lead 24-19 with just over 10 minutes left.

After a gruelling season that included the Rugby World Cup last autumn, fans are denied a decider but Ireland will bask in their latest significant win under head coach Andy Farrell.

South Africa: W le Roux; C Kolbe; J Kriel, D de Allende; KL Arendse; H Pollard; F de Klerk; O Nche, B Mbonambi, F Malherbe; E Etzebeth, F Mostert; S Kolisi (capt), P-S du Toit, K Smith.

Replacements: M Marx, G Steenekamp, V Koch, S Moerat, RG Snyman, M van Staden, G Williams, S Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

Ireland: J Osborne; C Nash, G Ringrose, R Henshaw, J Lowe; J Crowley, C Murray; A Porter, R Kelleher, T Furlong; J McCarthy, J Ryan; T Beirne, J Van der Flier, C Doris (capt).

Replacements: R Herring, C Healy, F Bealham, R Baird, P O'Mahony, C Blade, C Frawley, S McCloskey.

Sin-bin: Doris (48).

Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU).