THE EVER-IMPRESSIVE BÉIBHINN Parsons bagged a hat-trick as Ireland produced a superb final quarter to secure a second consecutive victory over South Africa in the WXV Global Series.
Three points adrift on the hour mark, Scott Bemand’s charges proceeded to amass 24 unanswered points (including two tries apiece from Parsons and Aoife Dalton) to ultimately get the better of their stubborn opponents in Cape Town.
With last week’s 40-27 win already to their name, Saturday’s result also means Ireland have earned their first women’s series win in South Africa.
Despite only showing two changes to the team – Niamh Gallagher and Aoibheann Reilly were drafted into the starting line-up – Ireland found themselves behind with just two minutes on the clock.
After a massive rolling maul had brought South Africa to within inches of the Irish whitewash, scrum-half Unam Tose seized upon a loose ball to cross over for an unconverted try.
Niamh Gallagher is tackled by Alichia Arries and Maceala Samboya. SteveHaagSports / Darren Stewart/INPHO
SteveHaagSports / Darren Stewart/INPHO / Darren Stewart/INPHO
Ireland had initially struggled to settle into the action, before eventually getting up and running in the 14th minute of the opening period. Having forced their opponents on the back-foot with 21 attacking phases, captain Erin King dotted down at the right of the posts for a try that was supplemented by a Dannah O’Brien conversion.
Parsons, Ireland’s record try-scorer, was becoming more prominent as the play progressed, and after bursting through a defensive gap in typically athletic style, she side-stepped the challenge of fullback Byrhandré Dolf before touching down for her 27th international try.
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Another routine O’Brien conversion helped Ireland to open up a nine-point cushion and with South African winger Alichia Arries still in the sin-bin for a high tackle on the Ireland out-half, the visitors were hoping to push on for additional scores.
Yet South Africa held firm until they were restored to their full complement, and it took a superb defensive steal from Irish loosehead Linda Djougang to stop the hosts scoring off a line-out maul just past the half-hour mark.
South Africa’s persistence eventually paid off on 37 minutes, however, with skipper Sizophila Solontsi diving over in the left corner to cut Ireland’s lead to 14-10.
Aoibheann Reilly watches on from the sideline after receiving a yellow card. SteveHaagSports / Darren Stewart/INPHO
SteveHaagSports / Darren Stewart/INPHO / Darren Stewart/INPHO
Ireland lost scrum-half Reilly to the sin-bin for her heavy tackle on Solontsi as she was in the act of scoring, and began the second half with just 14 players, but their defence coped admirably in her absence.
Yet a South African side who are currently ninth in the world rankings (a record high) were hopeful of gaining a positive result from their final test game of 2026 and managed to regain the lead when lock Vainah Ubisi powered past the whitewash under a slew of Irish bodies on 58 minutes.
Jakkie Cilliers’ first successful conversion of the day moved South Africa into a 17-14 advantage and increased the pressure on Ireland. Yet the Irish were also looking to sign off on 2026 in style and, following some neat approach work from replacement full-back Stacey Flood, Parsons once again found room to jink her way over for a second try.
A missed conversion from O’Brien kept the game delicately poised, but there was a huge momentum swing when Cilliers was yellow carded just shy of the 70-minute mark for a high challenge on Robyn O’Connor as she sprinted up the left wing.
This immediately offered incentive to Ireland, and Dalton spotted a significant gap through the heart of the South African defence to score an outstanding solo try.
Béibhinn Parsons celebrates a try with her teammates. SteveHaagSports / Darren Stewart/INPHO
SteveHaagSports / Darren Stewart/INPHO / Darren Stewart/INPHO
O’Brien added the extras to create further daylight between the teams, and the outcome was placed beyond doubt in the 74th minute as Parsons completed her hat-trick with another ruthless finish on the right wing.
There was enough time left on the clock for Ireland to claim their sixth try of the game, and their 12th over the course of this two-game series, with Dalton dotting down in the left corner after Parsons and Flood had made good inroads close to the South African line.
South Africa scorers:
Tries: Unam Tose, Sizophila Solontsi, Vainah Ubisi
Conversions: Jakkie Cilliers [1/3]
Ireland scorers:
Tries: Beibhinn Parsons 3, Aoife Dalton 2, Erin King
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Parsons shows her clinical best as Ireland fend off stubborn South Africa
South Africa 17
Ireland 38
THE EVER-IMPRESSIVE BÉIBHINN Parsons bagged a hat-trick as Ireland produced a superb final quarter to secure a second consecutive victory over South Africa in the WXV Global Series.
Three points adrift on the hour mark, Scott Bemand’s charges proceeded to amass 24 unanswered points (including two tries apiece from Parsons and Aoife Dalton) to ultimately get the better of their stubborn opponents in Cape Town.
With last week’s 40-27 win already to their name, Saturday’s result also means Ireland have earned their first women’s series win in South Africa.
Despite only showing two changes to the team – Niamh Gallagher and Aoibheann Reilly were drafted into the starting line-up – Ireland found themselves behind with just two minutes on the clock.
After a massive rolling maul had brought South Africa to within inches of the Irish whitewash, scrum-half Unam Tose seized upon a loose ball to cross over for an unconverted try.
Ireland had initially struggled to settle into the action, before eventually getting up and running in the 14th minute of the opening period. Having forced their opponents on the back-foot with 21 attacking phases, captain Erin King dotted down at the right of the posts for a try that was supplemented by a Dannah O’Brien conversion.
Parsons, Ireland’s record try-scorer, was becoming more prominent as the play progressed, and after bursting through a defensive gap in typically athletic style, she side-stepped the challenge of fullback Byrhandré Dolf before touching down for her 27th international try.
Another routine O’Brien conversion helped Ireland to open up a nine-point cushion and with South African winger Alichia Arries still in the sin-bin for a high tackle on the Ireland out-half, the visitors were hoping to push on for additional scores.
Yet South Africa held firm until they were restored to their full complement, and it took a superb defensive steal from Irish loosehead Linda Djougang to stop the hosts scoring off a line-out maul just past the half-hour mark.
South Africa’s persistence eventually paid off on 37 minutes, however, with skipper Sizophila Solontsi diving over in the left corner to cut Ireland’s lead to 14-10.
Ireland lost scrum-half Reilly to the sin-bin for her heavy tackle on Solontsi as she was in the act of scoring, and began the second half with just 14 players, but their defence coped admirably in her absence.
Yet a South African side who are currently ninth in the world rankings (a record high) were hopeful of gaining a positive result from their final test game of 2026 and managed to regain the lead when lock Vainah Ubisi powered past the whitewash under a slew of Irish bodies on 58 minutes.
Jakkie Cilliers’ first successful conversion of the day moved South Africa into a 17-14 advantage and increased the pressure on Ireland. Yet the Irish were also looking to sign off on 2026 in style and, following some neat approach work from replacement full-back Stacey Flood, Parsons once again found room to jink her way over for a second try.
A missed conversion from O’Brien kept the game delicately poised, but there was a huge momentum swing when Cilliers was yellow carded just shy of the 70-minute mark for a high challenge on Robyn O’Connor as she sprinted up the left wing.
This immediately offered incentive to Ireland, and Dalton spotted a significant gap through the heart of the South African defence to score an outstanding solo try.
O’Brien added the extras to create further daylight between the teams, and the outcome was placed beyond doubt in the 74th minute as Parsons completed her hat-trick with another ruthless finish on the right wing.
There was enough time left on the clock for Ireland to claim their sixth try of the game, and their 12th over the course of this two-game series, with Dalton dotting down in the left corner after Parsons and Flood had made good inroads close to the South African line.
South Africa scorers:
Ireland scorers:
SOUTH AFRICA: Byrhandré Dolf; Jakkie Cilliers, Maceala Samboya, Shiniqwa Lamprecht, Alichia Arries (Maria Tshiremba ’75); Mary Zulu, Unam Tose (Insaaf Levy ‘70); Yonela Ngxingolo (Thandile Mazwi ’59), Lindelwa Gwala (Anushka Groenewald ’59), Xoliswa Khuzwayo (Anuschka Ekron ’66); Vainah Ubisi (Nomsa Mokwai ’62), Danelle Lochner (Aphiwe Ngwevu ’59); Sizophila Solontsi, Catha Jacobs, Aseza Hele (Lerato Makua ’59).
IRELAND: Niamh Gallagher (Stacey Flood ’48); Béibhinn Parsons, Anna McGann (Eve Higgins ’62), Aoife Dalton, Robyn O’Connor; Dannah O’Brien, Aoibheann Reilly (Emily Lane ’48); Linda Djougang (Sophie Barrett ’80), Neve Jones (Beth Buttimer ’80), Eilís Cahill (Niamh O’Dowd ’48); Jane Clohessy (Grace Moore ’62), Dorothy Wall; Fiona Tuite-O’Sullivan, Erin King, Brittany Hogan (Jemima Adams Verling ’80).
Referee: Jess Ling (Australia).
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