South Africa ended eight years of hurt at the hands of Ireland when it won their No.1 v No.2 showdown 27-20 in Pretoria on Sunday morning (AEST).
South Africa lost the only three previous matchups since 2016, including its only defeat at the Rugby World Cup last year, and the record niggled the Springboks, who have tagged this two-test series "Unfinished Business".
"The goal was achieved but it was far from a perfect performance," coach Rassie Erasmus said.
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"Ireland are a team we've had zero success against since (we took over in) 2018 … they’ve really had our number.
"I wouldn’t say it's a monkey off our back. Any day they can step up and beat you and be No.1."
The world champion Springboks deserved to underline their top-dog status, but their second most capped team in history was squeezed of every drip of experience. They had luck and got the rub of TMO Ben Whitehouse.
With the game on a knife edge, Whitehouse found reason not to give a try to Ireland's James Lowe, and confirm a try for South Africa's Cheslin Kolbe when he couldn't see if Lowe stepped into touch beforehand.
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Kolbe's seven-pointer made it 20-8, but in a frantic last six minutes Ireland had a try attempt held up, scored a minute later through Conor Murray, and closed to within five again.
But then South Africa's five-meter scrum obliterated Ireland's and referee Luke Pearce awarded a penalty try.
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That secured victory in the 78th minute of South Africa's first game of the year despite Ryan Baird's late try from a Lowe offload for the Six Nations champions.
"We haven't beaten them since 2016, so it was special for our confidence," Boks captain Siya Kolisi said.
"But the job is not done yet. We want to win the series and we know they are going to come back harder.
"Even in the game today it looked like we were going to pull away but they kept coming back, so we know it is going to be another proper test in Durban."
Ireland, trying to win in South Africa for only the second time in 118 years, has another chance in Durban next weekend, and can square a series for the first time.
South Africa scored the first points inside four minutes remarkably easily. They spread the ball wide, Kolisi gave Kurt-Lee Arendse an overlap and the wing burned off the cover to the tryline. Handre Pollard converted.
Ireland tried to match it straight away from a tapped penalty but Joe McCarthy knocked on. They still left the 22 with a Jack Crowley penalty.
Pollard nailed consecutive penalties for 13-3 but Ireland finished the half on top. Spreading the ball, hooker Dan Sheehan's backflip found Lowe, who stood in Kolbe's touchline tackle to offload to fullback Jamie Osborne to dive over in his test debut for 13-8. Osborne, despite being out of position, excelled.
"First half, I thought we were off," Ireland coach Andy Farrell said.
"I thought it was courageous the way we defended and got ourselves back into the game. We stayed in the fight and could've, would've, should've … with some decisions that, rightly or wrong, didn't go our way."
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South Africa started with a XV of world champions but sent in the 'Bomb Squad' in the 58th minute, replacing the tight five and Kolisi, and got a noticeable lift in energy.
But Ireland appeared to score next when Jesse Kriel was turned over and Lowe got the ball. He slipped Malcolm Marx and fended off Pollard to scream in. The try was ruled out when Ronan Kelleher was deemed to have hooked the ball with his leg in the Kriel ruck.
Ireland got a break when Pollard, a 77 per cent Test goalkicker, missed a third straight penalty attempt, but scrumhalf Craig Casey was taken off on a stretcher after he was concussed in a RG Snyman tackle.
Lowe tried to keep a South Africa penalty kick from going out 35 meters from his tryline, but his fling inside was reached first by Kolbe, who hacked the ball on and won the race to it in goal. The try stood when TV angles couldn't show Lowe stepped in touch before releasing the ball.
Ireland upped the desperation, and Arendse was forced to the sin-bin. No.8 Caelan Doris was held up between the posts but, moments later, replacement front-rowers Finlay Bealham and Kelleher worked Murray clear to dive between the posts. Ireland was back within five with four minutes to go.
But South Africa's scrum got the decisive penalty try and Kelleher's yellow card ensured both teams finished with 14 men.
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