Ireland suffers at Cape Town

Press, 1 June 1981, Page 14

Ireland suffers at Cape Town

NZPA Cape Town South Africa overcame an in-jurv-hit Ireland 23-15 in the first rugby international at Cape Town on Saturday, but not before the touring team had given the highly rated home side a fright with a fierv first-half display. The Irish lost two key players, centre Ollie Campbell and fullback John Murphy, in a bruising second half when the Springboks gradually wore down the visitors. First indications were that Campbell had a broken left wrist and Murphy, who was carried off on .a stretcher, a hamstring injury. At half-time the teams were locked at 15-15, and at times there appeared to be twice as many green Irish shirts on the field’ They chased every half chance arid threatened to run rings around the Springbolts. From the first whistle the Irish surged into the attack. But the Springboks were the first to score with an eleventh minute penalty from Naas Botha, the first of three for him.

McGrath put the Irish right back in the game when he swept over for a try after a breakaway on the right. Campbell converted and then Botha scored his second

penalty to level the score at 6-6. Soon after Campbell sent over a big penalty from near the centre spot and the Irish were in the lead again. Botha replied in the twentyeighth minute, and Gerber' touched down with a brilliant trv. But just on half-time Murphy sent Freddie McLennan away for the second Irish try which Campbell converted to level the score again. The tries by Louw and Gerber in the second half sealed victory and the remainder of the match was something of an anticlimax as the Springboks tightened upand took control.

A strong contingent of police, including dog units, patrolled the Newlands Stadium and kept a close watch on entrances after several bomb threats in the city in past - week. No incidents were reported. After the match the Irish captain. Fergus Slattery, said: “We really stretched them in the first half." Then we got loose in the second half.''

Teams.—lreland: John Murphy (Kevin O'Brien). Freddie McLerinan. Ollie Campbell (John Hewitt). David Irwin, Terry Kennedy. Paul Dean. Robbie

McGrath. Phil Orr, John trell Gerrie McLoughlin Fe S" Slattery (captain). b3 s Foley. Jerrv O'Driscoll, and Willie Dug»^ n South Africa: Gysie Sar Gerne Germishuvs, Gerber. Errol Tobias, Krantz, Naas Botha, Divan%>? fontein Richard Prentis, Wilfe Kahts, Martiens !e Roux (OkkU Oosthuizen), Rob Louw; Look Moolman. Kevin deffi Theuns Stofberg. and Wrawi Claassen (captain). > “ Hnd