Dublin, Ireland – The Springboks defeated Ireland 24-13 in their Autumn Nations Series clash at Aviva Stadium on Friday, 22 November 2025.
South Africa scored three tries through Cobus Reinach, Cheslin Kolbe and Eben Etzebeth, with Handré Pollard converting two and adding a penalty, while Manie Libbok kicked a further penalty in the second half.
Ireland managed one try through Jack Crowley and two penalties from Sam Prendergast, but their performance was severely disrupted by disciplinary issues. The hosts had five players sin-binned during the match, with four yellow cards issued for repeated scrum infringements and one for a high tackle.
The Springboks dominated the set-piece throughout, winning multiple scrum penalties and disrupting Ireland’s feed on several occasions. The second half was particularly low-scoring, ending 6-5 in South Africa’s favour as both teams focused on defence.
The victory extends South Africa’s strong 2025 record and marks another significant win against a top-tier northern hemisphere side. Captain Siya Kolisi played the full 80 minutes, moving him closer to John Smit’s record for the most Test matches as Springbok captain.
The result leaves Ireland still searching for a first victory over the Springboks since 2016 in the professional era when playing in Dublin.
South Africa will conclude their end-of-year tour against Wales in Cardiff on 1 December 2025.
