Sun, 29 Nov 2009 7:48p.m.
The Irish supporters were out in force for the match against the Springboks
By Penny Ydgren
The end of year tour has been far less successful for the world champion Springboks.
They will return home with just one win after they were beaten by Ireland 15-10 in their final game.
It has been a tough tour for the Springboks, but they were determined to finish on a good note.
But they struggled in the pea soup at Croke Park and only lead by four at half time.
A lack of discipline in the second half allowed Ireland to sneak ahead.
While it was a far from impressive display from both sides, it was Ireland who emerged from the thick fog, victors, 15-10.
The perfect end to a perfect season, winning a record 11 games in a row while the world champion South Africans return home with just one win from their northern tour
There was no doubting the Welsh had fire in their bellies going into their final game of the year.
But Australia raced to put a blanket on it scoring three tries in 25 minutes.
Wales lost three players to injury in the first half and relied on the boot to stay close, trailing 23-12 at half time.
Matt Giteau made up for last week’s nightmare against Scotland with a Player of the Match performance; his perfectly timed pass gave Australia their fourth try.
Australia finished off the tour with a 33 to 12 win; their biggest in Cardiff since 1991.
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