Ciarán Frawley, Ireland’s hero of the drop goal and Skerries’ likely future freeman, was able to savour “a few pints” prior to meeting with the press. He can certainly look forward to a warm welcome and drinks gifted to him upon returning back home.
With two exceptional drop goals – the initial one at 69 minutes and the subsequent one during the final whistle marking the game’s conclusion, Frawley led Ireland to a close 25-24 triumph, leveled the series and closed the season on an excellent note. Overcoming the twice-crowned global champions, particularly after the previous week’s letdown in Pretoria, was truly a redeeming achievement.
He confessed, “After indulging in several pints, I’m in high spirits. The conclusion of the game was almost surrealistic. It was a thorough Test match. I am over the moon. A considerable amount of lessons were learnt from last year’s season end which were integrated into this season. We practised for such circumstances and I am ecstatic that it went our way.”
Frawley’s final blow to the Springboks with a drop goal was perfectly apt – he had narrowly missed a drop goal in the last play of full time during Leinster’s Champions Cup loss to Toulouse in overtime.
He continued to share his insights, “At times, execution can be instinctive but you undoubtedly visualise the game. We found ourselves entrapped in that footy match and I felt time slipping away. The boys made an exceptional effort but were running out of steam – at that point we believed securing the field position was the right call.
“It was probably just around the 79th minute when we launched the grubber kick,” he said humbly. He was able to partially break free and launched the kick. Frawley further commented, “The powerful kick/chase by Lowey (James Lowe) was incredible, he pushed him (Cheslin Kolbe) out of bounds, providing us with the opportunity for a drop goal. A multiplicity of factors came into play, causing numerous Irish supporters to hold their breath when the grubber kick was initiated and questioning the decision to kick away. We are elated that our tactic worked, the ball bounced in our favour, and we are victorious.”
Frawley and Caolin Blade were chosen to take over the roles of the first-string halfbacks, Jack Crowley and Conor Murray; something Ireland’s match winner, Andy Farrell, endorsed. Reflecting on the changes made, Frawley noted that he believed Farrell’s choice to bring new energy into the team with his roster switches was astute, especially when the team found itself one player short due to a yellow card.
Reliving his own on-field experience, Frawley praised the team’s spirit and tenacity. He acknowledged those who played for the full 80 minutes and their instrumental roles in securing the team’s victory.
When asked about his career pinnacle, Frawley unhesitatingly stated that indeed it was, especially in comparison to his performance in the Tottenham versus Toulouse match. He expressed great satisfaction in watching the ball squeeze through the goalposts.
Frawley further elaborated on the final moments that led up to his 42-metre drop goal. Due to the visible scarcity of the timepiece on location, he and Blade were compelled to estimate the remaining game time. During a brief altercation before a lineout, Blade noticed the timer approaching red, leading to their decisive action.
Despite not executing the most elegant drop goal of his career, contrary to his Tottenham verse, it paid off. Frawley praised Blade’s tactical intuition at a crucial time, which took their opponents by surprise.
Andy Farrell, Ireland’s head coach, displayed a smile that belied his spirit, requiring no verbal expression. Reflecting on the unpredictable nature of the game and the stark contrast to last week’s performance, Farrell agreed that this week was a display of Ireland’s best performance yet.
“But, reflecting on the second half, suffice to say, we made enough blunders to throw three matches. Nevertheless, there lies a persistent belief in this team given their courageous spirit and determination, which they exemplified superbly,” Farrell commented on the team’s performance from last and this week.
When asked about Frawley’s courage to execute the decisive kick, he narrated, “You have to consider it. He accidentally kicked the ball out on a direct cross-field kick. Regaining control was not easy, yet we managed to execute the strategy. But, it always requires tremendous grit. He initially summoned the courage to secure the first drop-goal and it was commendable how he dared to take the risk, so kudos to him.”
Bitterly disappointed yet gracious in defeat, South Africa’s coach Rassie Erasmus stated, “We could sit here with downcast expressions and formulate excuses, but the superior team triumphed that day. We’re sincerely gutted and so will be the supporters. The situation echoed our past four encounters with them – all matches have been fiercely close – but what truly mattered was the first half. Despite a terrible first half, we resiliently bounced back and seized our chances, but in that crucial final minute, they outshined us.”