Good afternoon and welcome to The42‘s live minute-by-minute coverage of Ireland’s second Test against South Africa.

After last weekend’s heroics in Cape Town, Ireland now must look to repeat the trick on the Highveld if they are to claim a historic series win on South African soil.

Kick off in Johannesburg is at 4pm Irish.

TEAM NEWS: Here’s a reminder of the South African team named by Allister Coetzee earlier this week. No Lood de Jager or Pat Lambie — they’re both injured — and so Pieter-Steph du Toit and Elton Jantjies get the nod.

It’s Jantjies’ first Springboks start at out-half.

South Africa

15. Willie le Roux
14. JP Pietersen
13. Lionel Mapoe
12. Damian de Allende
11. Lwazi Mvovo
10. Elton Jantjies
9. Faf de Klerk

1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Adriaan Strauss (capt)
3. Frans Malherbe
4. Eben Etzebeth
5. Pieter-Steph du Toit
6. Francois Louw
7. Siya Kolisi
8. Duane Vermeulen

TEAM NEWS: And here’s how Joe Schmidt’s Ireland will line out. Five changes as Schmidt looks to bring in some fresh legs, including a debut for Quinn Roux. Tadhg Furlong, Rhys Ruddock, Craig Gilroy and Stuart Olding are the other new faces.

Ireland

15. Jared Payne
14. Andrew Trimble
13. Robbie Henshaw
12. Stuart Olding
11. Craig Gilroy
10. Paddy Jackson
9. Conor Murray

1. Jack McGrath
2. Rory Best (capt)
3 Tadhg Furlong
4. Devin Toner
5. Quinn Roux
6. Iain Henderson
7. Rhys Ruddock
8. Jamie Heaslip

Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO

Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO

Twenty minutes to kick off and if you’ve given up on the football and you’re looking for some pre-match reading, here’s Rory Keane’s big match preview from Johannesburg:

• Ireland hoping to show more attacking threat in once-a-decade chance in South Africa

Rory Best leads Ireland down the tunnel and out into the cauldron that is Ellis Park. South Africa, with a serious point to prove, won’t be far behind them.

Mariechan Luiters leads the team and travelling Irish fans in Ireland’s Call — and does a fine job of it. Emotions running high already.

Angus Gardner from Australia is today’s ref. He’s only refereed one Tier 1 international before — Ireland v Italy in the Six Nations earlier this year.

KICK OFF: Paddy Jackson gets us underway in Johannesburg.

1 min – First handling error is Ireland’s as Iain Henderson knocks on. How will Furlong and Roux fare on that tighthead side against Mtawarira?

3 mins – Penalty South Africa. It looks like a good scrum from Ireland with McGrath putting Malherbe under pressure, but it spins around the referee pings Ireland.

Jantjies will try his luck with a long-range penalty…

4 mins — South Africa 3-0 Ireland (Jantjies pen): At this altitude, kicks will fly and fly forever, and Jantjies slots this from near the halfway line.

6 mins – Serious intensity from South Africa in these first few minutes. They are thundering into collisions.

7 mins – Etzebeth takes the lineout cleanly and it gives South Africa a good platform inside the Irish 22. They lose it forward and Jared Payne collects and clears downfield.

8 mins – That Irish turnover came courtesy of a brilliant rip by Paddy Jackson on Kolisi. Once he got his hands on the ball, he was not letting go.

9 mins – Willie Le Roux kicks a second ball straight down Irish throats and if you listen closely enough, you can hear the first boos dotted around Ellis Park.

11 mins — South Africa 3-3 Ireland (Jackson pen) Louw pinged for not rolling away and it gives Paddy Jackson a chance to draw Ireland level. No mistake.

12 mins – South Africa pinged for not rolling away again, a combination of Le Roux and Mvovo on Jared Payne. Gives Ireland a chance to clear their lines from the 22.

14 mins – Penalty advantage Ireland for a South African offside. Paddy Jackson knows that he has the advantage so tries a pretty speculative kick, which doesn’t come off, but he’ll go for the posts now.

15 mins — South Africa 3-6 Ireland (Jackson pen): Jeers ringing in his ears, Jackson slots the penalty. After contributing 16 points in Cape Town last week, he has Ireland’s first six of this afternoon.

Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO

17 mins – Jantjies nudges the ball in behind the Irish defence and it hangs in the air until Le Roux is able to gather. Devin Toner drags him to the ground but as South Africa recycle quickly, Ireland concede the penalty — Murray not rolling away from his tackle on Louw.

Strauss points to the corner.

19 mins – Ireland survive the siege and this time, it’s Robbie Henshaw who gets his hand in on de Allende to strip him of possession. Great defending.

21 mins – Frantic passage of open play as Mvovo spills the ball to Rory Best, and then Conor Murray’s kick is charged down by de Allende.

South Africa making a lot of basic handling errors both in contact and in the open, although Ireland are forcing some of those turnovers themselves.

23 mins – WOAH! That’s a hell of a scrum from Ireland, marching the Boks pack backwards. Very kickable penalty here for Jackson.

24 mins — South Africa 3-9 Ireland (Jackson pen): Ice cool. Really positive start here by Ireland, taking full advantage where they can.

25 mins – Power running by Trimble and then by Gilroy as Ireland bring the ball out towards South African territory. Jackson tries the garryowen, and Payne is straight up to let Le Roux know he’s there as he claims possession.

Themba Hadebe Themba Hadebe

27 mins – Another penalty against South Africa! Their indiscipline is killing them again. JP Pietersen pinged for not releasing in the tackle. Can Jackson make it four from four?

28 mins — South Africa 3-12 Ireland (Jackson pen): If Paddy Jackson is feeling any pressure on the Highveld, he’s certainly not showing it. Nervelessly, he slots another penalty. Ireland starting to get some nice scoreboard pressure here.

30 mins – Oof. Rory Best looks to have won a great turnover but it’s called back for a penalty because Andrew Trimble has a sly little hold on Faf de Klerk’s leg. Needless.

32 mins – Jantjies hits the post with the penalty but as Toner runs it back out, he’s isolated and Francois Louw has perfect body position. Toner doesn’t release and Jantjies will have a second bite at the cherry. Should be straightforward.

33 mins – MISS! That’s a stinker from Jantjies. His kick starts left and stays left.

TRY IRELAND! South Africa 3-19 Ireland (Toner)

Toner scores — or does he?! We’re off to the TMO to check for an Irish knock-on in the build up.

It’s a great piece of ingenuity by Andrew Trimble as he contests a high ball with Mvovo. Just as it’s about to bobble out of play, he scoops the ball backwards through his opponent’s legs to Jared Payne.

Ireland drive on and Toner ekes out the final yards.

Jackson converts and Ireland have the Boks absolutely rattled.

37 mins – Three minutes to go until half time but there’ll be no complaints if Ireland get in 16 points to the good. This has been a direct continuation of last week’s performance in Cape Town.

39 mins – De Klerk comes in from the side and it’s an Irish penalty. How much longer until a Boks yellow card, you have to wonder.

This is well in range for Jackson the way he’s kicking at the moment…

40 mins – Just wide! That’s Jackson’s first miss on the stroke of half-time. Wasn’t an easy one by any means.

HALF TIME: South Africa 3-19 Ireland

South Africa booed off the pitch by the Joburg crowd — and you’d hardly blame them, would you? They’ve been their own worst enemies with indiscipline but full credit to Ireland, they’ve been absolutely ruthless in punishing them.

Back in five.

Here’s that Toner try if you missed it:

Sky Sports Sky Sports

SECOND HALF: We’re back underway. A couple of South African changes — we’ll fill you in ASAP.

41 mins – Ruan Combrinck and Warren Whiteley on for Mvovo and Vermeulen.

42 mins – Superb early pressure from South Africa as De Klerk gets a succession of quick ball off the back of the ruck but Kolisi spills it forward in contact.

Ireland’s tackle count up to 57 at the moment; South Africa’s at 50.

43 mins – Ruddock heads off as a blood sub; Reidy on in his place.

44 mins – South Africa have the numbers but Le Roux’s pass is behind Whiteley and bounces into touch. Le Roux is booed again.

45 mins – South Africa are killing themselves at the breakdown here. Malherbe charges in from the side and Angus Gardner has no hesitation in giving the penalty.

Jackson’s gonna have a go from his own half…

47 mins – Jackson’s penalty has the legs but it’s just wide.

Giving away that penalty was Malherbe’s last act — he’s off and Julian Redelinghuys is on.

50 mins – Great turnover by Ireland as Best holds Kolisi up until reinforcements arrive in the shape of Iain Henderson to force the scrum.

Ruddock is back on the pitch now.

51 mins – That’s another MONSTER SCRUM! Ireland penalty.

51 mins — Substitutions: Nyakane on to replace Mtawarira; Donnacha Ryan on in the Irish second row for Quinn Roux.

52 mins – De Allenede spots the gap and breaks loose on the counter, finding Pietersen on his shoulder. Payne does well to cover across but South Africa are chewing up the yards now.

54 mins – South Africa go to touch inside the 22 and look to build the pressure again. De Klerk’s pass is a bit low but they keep coming forward until Gilroy gets a perfect read on Le Roux’s line and gets a hand in to knock the ball loose.

It’ll be a Bok scrum but that’s far better than the alternative.

57 mins — TRY SOUTH AFRICA! South Africa 10-19 Ireland (Combrinck)

This ain’t over yet, not by a long shot. South Africa finally turn their pressure into points and it’s a try made and executed by local hero Ruan Combrinck.

The Lions man takes a quick lineout to Le Roux which allows him to break free on the counter. He finds Combrinck on his shoulder and he steamrolls straight over Paddy Jackson before touching down in the corner.

Jackson put in a huge hit less than 60 seconds earlier but two in the space of a minute was too much to ask.

Nine-point game.

59 mins – Super stuff from Tadhg Furlong. De Klerk takes all day and all night to wind up a kick and Furlong gets the block in.

As play develops, Ireland win the penalty and after a brief discussion between Jackson and Best, they go the corner.

60 mins — TRY IRELAND! South Africa 10-26 Ireland (Heaslip)

It’s perfect! Ireland set the maul and drive over the line — and it’s Jamie Heaslip who applies the finishing touch. Angus Gardner sees no need to check it with the TMO and Jackson converts.

Ireland lead by 16 now, a three-score lead.

Bealham’s on for Furlong.

64 mins — TRY SOUTH AFRICA! South Africa 15-26 Ireland (Whiteley)

End-to-end stuff now and if Ireland are going to make history in Johannesburg, they’re going to be made to fight for every inch of it.

The Boks subs are causing them all sorts of troubles and it’s brilliant stuff again from Ruan Combrinck to set this up with a big carry down the throat of Jared Payne.

His Lions team-mate Warren Whiteley applies the finishing touch, jinking through a couple of Irish tackles from six or seven yards out.

This second half has been relentless.

67 mins – The Boks secure possession from a lineout and HERE THEY COME AGAIN. Le Roux dinks a lovely little kick through and Henshaw scrambles across just ahead of Pietersen to get it into touch.

South African lineout five yards out…

69 mins – Scrum South Africa — can Ireland hold out?

70 mins — TRY SOUTH AFRICA! South Africa 22-26 Ireland (du Toit)

Uh oh.

De Klerk gets quick ball again and South Africa make Ireland pay. Du Toit ploughs through Paddy Jackson like he isn’t even there and touches down underneath the posts.

Only four in it now and South Africa have Ireland on the ropes. Is this slipping away?

72 mins – Ack. Ireland look to relieve the pressure and maybe force another Bok mistake but they’re pinged for a crossing penalty on the edge of the South African 22.

Any chance we could speed this clock up?

74 mins – Ireland lineout — but Etzebeth steals at the front! Ireland right back onto the back foot.

75 mins – Le Roux, Jantjies and du Toit work the ball through the phases. Ireland look knackered here.

76 mins — TRY SOUTH AFRICA! South Africa 29-26 Ireland (de Allende)

That. Is. Heartbreaking.

Ireland look out on their feet as Conor Murray tries to go low on De Allende but he has too much power and bursts through the tackle, racing clear to touch down.

Converted. South Africa lead by three.

78 mins – South African scrum. If Ireland even get a last chance, it will be a miracle in itself.

79 mins – Clock is still ticking and eventually de Klerk gets the ball from the back of the scrum. Penalty South Africa as Ian Madigan doesn’t roll away. This is kickable.

FULL TIME: South Africa 32-26 Ireland

Jantjies kicks one last penalty, Ellis Park erupts, and Bok Nation breathes a MASSIVE sigh of relief.

That is heartbreaking for Ireland. History was within their grasp and they just couldn’t hold the Springboks at bay.

A massive 29 points for South Africa in that second half — and 22 of them in the last 20 minutes.

A combination of South Africa’s brilliant bench and Irish fatigue combined to ruin a historic series win.

That’s all from us for now but we’ll have lots more reaction from Johannesburg over the course of the evening.

As Jay-Z would say: on to the next one. Which way to Port Elizabeth?