South Africa 24-25 Ireland: ‘Ciaran Frawley redemption at heart of famous win’

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South ******* 24-25 Ireland: ‘Ciaran Frawley redemption at heart of famous win’

Watching the smile break out on Frawley’s face, it was impossible not to recall the great Johnny Sexton, his arms outstretched, stunning the Stade de France into silence with a glorious drop-goal in the 2018 Six Nations.

And while it may have lacked the Grand Slam-clinching mania of Ronan O’Gara against Wales in 2009, it still stands as one of the more unforgettable moments by an Ireland player in the 15 years since.

When Sexton drew the curtain on his Test career after Ireland’s World Cup exit at the hands of the All *******, it left a sizeable ***** in the Irish *******.

Jack Crowley, who served as Sexton’s apprentice at the World Cup, has been entrusted with the number 10 jersey, and while the Munster man enjoyed a steady Six Nations, Frawley has staked his claim for a starting role.

Since making his Leinster debut in 2018, he has been used at full-back and in the centres, with Sexton among those denying the Sydney-born back a run at 10.

Indeed, when Andy Farrell handed the 26-year-old his first Ireland start, it was at 15 against Wales in this year’s Six Nations.

The chances of a future Test career there, however, appear slim given Hugo Keenan’s consistency and the emergence of Jamie Osborne, who was hugely impressive on Saturday.

And while Frawley has not started for Ireland since that Wales game, perhaps his time will come when the All ******* visit Dublin on 8 November.

For now, though, at the end of a draining season of ups and downs for both club and country, Frawley can soak up the acclaim after becoming Ireland’s latest drop-goal hero.

Redemption is often at the heart of sport’s most compelling moments. It was no different here.

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