Caelan Doris delights in Irish composure against Springboks

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 sh**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.

"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 ballcarrier in the opening half, and in the