Parsons hat-trick as Irish beat South Africa again

WXV Global Series

South Africa (10) 17

Tries: Tose, Solontsi, Ubisi Con: Cilliers

Ireland (14) 38

Tries: King, Parsons 3, Dalton 2 Cons: O’Brien 4

Beibhinn Parsons scored a hat-trick of tries as Ireland closed out their WXV Global Series campaign by securing a historic Test series win over South Africa in Cape Town.

Winger Parsons, the team’s all-time leading try-scorer, crossed once in the first half and twice after half-time to lift the Irish to a hard-fought win having fallen behind with 20 minutes left.

Captain Erin King and Aoife Dalton (2) also scored to help Ireland see off the Springboks in another bruising encounter at Athlone Stadium.

Unam Tose, Sizophila Solontsi and Vainah Ubisi crossed for the hosts, who were unable to avenge last week’s 40-27 loss at the same venue.

In following up last week’s win with another six-try display, Scott Bemand’s side become the first Irish side to win back-to-back Tests on South African soil.

Parsons-inspired Irish prove too strong

Having struggled with South Africa’s power at times last week, Bemand challenged his players to match their hosts’ physicality, but Tose’s second-minute score from a line-out drive immediately put the Irish on the back foot.

However, when King and Parsons scored either side of a yellow card for South Africa’s Alichia Arries, the momentum appeared to be firmly in Ireland’s favour.

But South Africa produced a stout response and reduced the deficit to four points when Solontsi benefited from another driving maul following a sustained spell of pressure from the hosts.

With scrum-half Aoibheann Reilly – drafted into the line-up in Emily Lane’s place – sin-binned for an illegal clearout before Solontsi touched down, Ireland cut frustrated figures at the half-time interval.

Chasing a first win over the Irish, South Africa continued to rely on their power game early in the second half and punctured the away side’s defence once more when Ubisi forced her way over the line.

That score put South Africa 19-14 up with 20 minutes remaining, and while the Boks had frustrated the Irish attack for large parts of the game, they were unable to stop Parsons surging through for her second try.

South Africa’s hopes were further dashed when Jakkie Cilliers was shown a yellow card 10 minutes from time for a dangerous tackle on Irish fly-half Dannah O’Brien.

Within seconds of Cilliers leaving the field, Dalton sprinted through a gap in the South African defence for a converted try that put Ireland two scores clear.

The hosts’ hopes of a late fightback were crushed when Parsons dotted down for her treble, improving her Test record to 29 tries in 40 caps.

Having regained control, Ireland’s hunger for more tries was rewarded when Dalton crossed in the corner in the closing minutes to cap the series-sealing win.

Line-ups

South Africa: Byrhandre Dolf; Jakkie Cilliers, Maceala Samboya, Shiniqwa Lamprecht, Alichia Arries; Mary Zulu, Unam Tose; Yonela Ngxingolo, Lindelwa Gwala, Xoliswa Khuzwayo, Vainah Ubisi, Danelle Lochner; Sizophila Solontsi (capt), Catha Jacobs, Aseza Hele.

Replacements: Anushka Groenewald, Anuschka Ekron, Thandile Mazwi, Nomsa MokwaI, Aphiwe Ngwevu, Lerato Makua, Insaaf Levy, Maria Tshiremba.

Sin-bin: Arries (16), Cilliers (70)

Ireland: Niamh Gallagher; Beibhinn Parsons, Anna McGann, Aoife Dalton, Robyn O’Connor; Dannah O’Brien, Aoibheann Reilly; Linda Djougang, Neve Jones, Eilis Cahill, Jane Clohessy, Dorothy Wall, Fiona Tuite-O’Sullivan, Erin King (capt), Brittany Hogan.

Replacements: Beth Buttimer, Niamh O’Dowd, Sophie Barrett, Grace Moore, Jemima Adams Verling, Emily Lane, Eve Higgins, Stacey Flood.

Sin-bin: Reilly (38)

Referee: Jess Ling (Aus)