Ireland shrug off injury setbacks to dig in for tense win over South Africa

Mack Hansen scored a scintillating try as Ireland shrugged off a host of injury setbacks to cement their status as rugby’s top-ranked nation by holding on for a tense 19-16 win over world champions South Africa.

Connacht wing Hansen lit up a pulsating Dublin Test match by gleefully diving over early in the second half to cap a spellbinding Irish move from right to left.

The eye-catching score added to a bulldozing effort from Josh van der Flier as Andy Farrell’s in-form hosts laid down a marker ahead of next year’s World Cup pool-stage meeting with the Springboks.

Scores from replacement Franco Mostert and Kurt-Lee Arendse brought the tourists to within touching distance late on but the hosts, aided by nine points from captain Johnny Sexton, dug in to begin their autumn campaign with a bang.

Victory, however, came at a cost as centre Stuart McCloskey, centurion Conor Murray and prop Tadhg Furlong were each forced off due to first-half injuries.

South Africa suffered their heaviest defeat to Ireland when the sides last met – a humiliating 38-3 thrashing on this ground in 2017.

The Springboks returned as holders of the Webb Ellis Cup and seeking to avenge that embarrassment against hosts who shot to the top of the global rankings on the back of a stunning summer series win in New Zealand.

Murray was afforded a standing ovation by the capacity crowd as he led out his country on the occasion of his 100th cap amid the excitement of booming pyrotechnics.

The much-hyped contest took time to ignite, with Sexton and rival fly-half Damian Willemse exchanging early penalties during a frantic opening which quickly developed into a more attritional affair.

South Africa enjoyed the better territory, while the Irish defended doggedly