Caelan Doris says Ireland went from one extreme to the other in Saturday's comeback win against South Africa, before showing composure when it was needed in the final minute of the game.
Andy Farrell’s side tied their series with the Springboks 1-1 after their 25-24 victory, which came through the boot of Ciarán Frawley who landed a 42-metre dropgoal with the final kick of the game.
It had been a bizarre Ireland performance on a humid night at Kings Park in Durban.
Having led 16-6 after an impressive first half, Ireland’s discipline fell apart in the third quarter, allowing South Africa out-half Handre Pollard score 18 points off the tee between the 45th and 65th minutes.
"Well, the second half felt like a bit of a s***show at times, that first 20 in particular," Doris bluntly told RTÉ Sport.
As part of that indiscipline, the Ireland captain spent ten minutes in the sin-bin following a croc-roll on hooker Malcolm Marx at a ruck.
He said: "I was sitting on the sideline watching some of it unfold, being unable to influence it. And it sort of felt suffocating at times – penalty after penalty.
"We got it back on track a little bit and Frawls [Frawley], in fairness – massive credit to him."
On Friday, Doris (above) revealed that Farrell had given the players a dressing down over how easily they were pushed around by the Springboks in the first Test, and those words were evidently still ringing in the ears of the players by kick-off on Saturday, as Ireland controlled the first half.
The physicality of that opening half was unrelenting, as South Africa lost Willie le Roux and Franco Mostert to injury, while Eben Etzebeth and Ireland’s Andrew Porter needed treatment for blood.
Doris was Ireland’s best ball-carrier in the opening half, and in the build-up to the only try of the game, scored by Conor Murray, the Ireland number 8 was able to recycle the ball despite being met with a ferocious double-tackle by RG Snyman and Ox Nche.
"I think first half was right up there, in terms of some of the collisions that went in, up there with the best we’ve had in the past," said the Leinster back row.
"It’s always a pretty physical encounter. Last week wasn’t quite there but you think back to the World Cup and previous encounters, it was right up there. And we showed that in the first half.
"I think South Africa showed their class in the third quarter and it was a little bit back and forward in the last 20 but absolutely delighted with the result."
Saturday’s win was a 50th game in charge of Ireland for Farrell, and the head coach says the late comeback ranks high on his list across his four-and-a-half-year tenure.
"As far as drama and the pressure we put on ourselves to perform, it's right up there because they're a wonderful team, a magnificent team," Farrell said.
"Last week was difficult for us, we said it as it was - we weren't happy. We had to come out and perform and when you have those conversations you're talking about character.
"So, for that to come through, it certainly wasn't perfect, it was ridiculous at times, first half was brilliant but the second was ridiculous for all sorts of reasons.
"The character we showed, that's what sport's about really."
Meanwhile, both South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus and captain Siya Kolisi were magnanimous in defeat, and cited their first-half performance as the reason.
"The way we started wasn’t good, and we’ve only got ourselves to blame" Kolisi said.
"We weren’t all on the same page or firing at the same time, but you must also give credit to the guys who came on to fight our way back into the game.
"It would have been great to win the series and we’re definitely hurting, but we’re not dead and we will come back again.
"We allowed them to set the tone for the game in the first half. There’s so much we can improve as a group. Each of us as an individual is going to look at ourselves. Hopefully we can rectify this next time out."
