After an epic end to the game in Durban, the global rugby community had no interest in anything other than Ciarán Frawley’s superb last-minute drop goal that gave Ireland a sensational victory in the second Test against South Africa.
Notwithstanding an unsuccessful drop kick attempt during the season’s Champions Cup final between Leinster and Toulouse, Frawley successfully secured the kick this time, following a highly physical game, ensuring Ireland’s win and a drawn series in the Test matches.
The South African paper’s headline read, “Ireland stuns Springboks in extraordinary Durban triumph”, before running a separate report on Frawley underpinning his two drop goals. The article, penned by Mariette Adams, reiterated the heartwrenching moment which led to Springboks’ downfall through Frawley’s magical performances not once but twice.
Ciarán Frawley cherishes his career’s best moment following his drop-goal exploits.
Despite a violation of the new croc roll law, there’s debate about whether the right player received the penalty. However, the standout performance came from substitute flyhalf, Ciaran Frawley, whose impeccable drop goal in the eleventh hour ensured a dramatic victory for Ireland. Adding to Frawley’s remarkable performance was his second drop goal of the match, earlier leveraged to narrow down the Springbok’s lead.
The Telegraph too acknowledged the thrilling climax of the game under the headline “Frawley brings drama to Durban and reaffirms the Ireland-South Africa rivalry is alive and kicking”. Drawing parallels with Charles Dickens’ masterpiece, A Tale of Two Cities, the author Charles Richardson wrote, “At the 79th minute, South Africa was in a triumphant mood, leading Ireland by two points, having been trailing by 10 at the halfway point. However, a minute later, their joy turned into despair,” whilst injecting some ambiance.
Even after the Durban game culminated with Frawley’s timely heroics, the confrontations among players extended with heated exchanges and blaming anyone within an arm’s reach.
In a thrilling display, the BBC likened Ciarán Frawley’s victorious final kick to an extraordinary win for the Irish team. Simultaneously, The Guardian featured several articles, one of which included the gracious concession of defeat by captain and coach Siya Kolisi and Rassie Erasmus of the opposing side. The headline, “No excuses for disappointing Springbok loss,” succinctly captured Erasmus’ attitude following the match. Erasmus firmly acknowledged, “We can sit here with a sad face and think of excuses, but the best team won on the day.”
RugbyPass, a well-liked online platform, couldn’t escape highlighting Frawley’s role in the Irish win, with the headline “Boks bowed as Ciaran Frawley’s magic clinches Ireland’s last moment win”. The narrative continued in the same spirit.
They emphasise Frawley’s significant impact, stepping up from the bench to dramatically smash the winning points in the final confrontation at Kings Park. In addition, it was insinuated that Frawley’s move came at a critical moment when Andy Farrell’s side seemed destined for an upsetting defeat.
Providing coverage, The Daily Maverick showcased a triumphant image of the Irish bench surging towards the field after the concluding whistle, an injured Bundee Aki leading the charge. As usually, Frawley received most of the commendation. “Ciarán Frawley’s drop-goals drive Ireland to a sensational victory over Boks at Kings Park,” Craig Ray penned down, offering an insightful glance into South African rugby’s history. “It was a harsh setback for the Boks, who are well-established winners of close contests. They experienced what being on the other side of that scoreline feels like,” he added.
Meanwhile, the South African Rugby website adopted a more restrained approach, presumably to avoid building up any Irish heroes. Their summation of the encounter simply observed, “Late drama in Durban results in Ireland sharing series honours.” And that’s the reality.
Rugby player Ciarán Frawley admits that his last kick in the second Test match against the Springboks in Kings Park was perhaps the most unsightly drop goal he has ever executed. Despite this, the kick was successful, which was the most crucial aspect. Frawley described that he had aimed the ball to the left, with the intention that it would swing back to the right. He simply willed the ball to pass over the line while the referee watched on. Frawley felt a moment of panic when the Television Match Official (TMO) began reviewing the play, but was ultimately relieved when his goal was confirmed. He expressed immense satisfaction with the nail-biting end to the Test series.
In South Africa, the Under-20 World Championship is underway. Currently in its 14th run since its inception in 2008, the championship offers a thrilling opportunity to witness emerging talent from various nations. Before this, it used to be an Under-21 and Under-19 tournament.
One consistent issue that can’t be rectified is the recurrence of the same victorious teams. New Zealand has emerged victorious in six tournaments, including the first four consecutive ones. France and England have each taken home the trophy three times. South Africa, the reigning double senior World Champions, has only won once in 2012 when they hosted the championship. Despite making it to the finals twice in 2016 and 2023, Ireland is yet to clinch a victory. The eagerly anticipated final of this edition will occur this Friday.
As an interesting figure to note, Frawley has executed three crucial drop-kicks over the course of the last few weeks. One was unsuccessful in the Champions Cup final for Leinster, while the other two impeccably found their targets in Durban the previous Saturday.