Ireland will not dwell on South Africa frustrations – Ronan Kelleher

Hooker Ronan Kelleher insists Ireland are not dwelling on the frustrations of their first Test defeat to South Africa as he prepares to start Saturday’s series finale in Durban.

The back-to-back Six Nations champions thought they had drawn level during a tight opening encounter against the Springboks in Pretoria through a breakaway try from James Lowe.

But the second-half score was ruled out on review due to Kelleher, who was on in place of the injured Dan Sheehan, playing the ball while on the ground at the turnover.

With Sheehan now unavailable because of his knee issue, understudy Kelleher is expected to take on the number two jersey and feels confident about salvaging a drawn series following last weekend’s 27-20 loss to the world champions.

“It’s tough in the heat of the moment really,” he told reporters, referring to his role in the disallowed try.

“I kind of went in trying to pump the ball backwards and obviously it is those fine, fine margins in Test matches that decide things and unfortunately we came at the wrong side of it.

“But we’re not dwelling on that. We are looking to control what we can control, I suppose, and to leave all that aside. We have to just get better ourselves throughout the whole game.

A post shared by Irish Rugby (@irishrugby)

“We’re very confident. It was more about the little, fine details that we’re gonna have to try and fix to try to change the outcome of some of the moments from the previous game.”

Head coach Andy Farrell will be forced into at least two changes to his starting XV, with Craig Casey’s concussion meaning veteran scrum-half Conor Murray is likely to join Kelleher in being recalled.

The disappointment of Lowe’s effort being chalked off was compounded by the same player