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Ireland have built on last year’s successful November series against the best of the southern hemisphere by recording their biggest-ever victory over a dreadful South Africa side in a 38-3 hammering at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.
The hosts, who beat New Zealand for the first time a year ago, got on top up front in the first half as Johnny Sexton kicked three penalties and winger Andrew Conway touched down for a 14-0 halftime lead.
South Africa looked more like the team beaten 57-0 by New Zealand in September than the one that lost by a point to the world champions last month and late tries from Rhys Ruddock, Rob Herring and Jacob Stockdale completed their wretched evening.
Springboks flanker Francois Louw admitted the loss among South Africa’s worst-ever defeats.
“It’s pretty much up there with the worst. We have not done what we wanted to achieve today,” he told Sky Sports.
“We were chasing the game early on, a bit of ill-discipline put the Irish on the scoreboard and to be fair to them, they took massive advantage of that.
“You don’t want to be chasing games like this. They were good tactically, they definitely kept us on the pump and got the result.
“In these conditions, the ball is going to be a bit slippery, and as an alternative it turned into a kick-chase kind of game.”
Ireland will expect to make it a clean sweep with Tests against Fiji and Argentina ahead, while South Africa will look to start again against France next week before travelling to Italy and Wales.
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