South Africa could scarcely have won last year's World Cup in more dramatic fashion, coming out on top by just one point in each of their three games in the knockout phase.
The most dramatic of all was their epic quarter-final triumph over hosts France.
In a breathless game at the Stade de France, the Springboks ultimately won out 29-28 thanks to four tries and a penalty from the boot of Handre Pollard.
It was touted by many at the time as one of the greatest World Cup games of all time, and South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus has now revealed that an Irishman was responsible for the epic clash's most memorable moment.
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Irishman Paddy Sullivan was crucial source of iconic South Africa World Cup charge-down
The most iconic moment of South Africa's win over France - and perhaps the World Cup as a whole - was Cheslin Kolbe's heroic charge-down of Thomas Ramos' conversion attempt after Peato Mauvaka had gone over for France's second try.
Cheslin Kolbe decided the fate of the match 🔥 #RWC2023 | #FRAvRSA | @Springboks | @CheslinKolbe pic.twitter.com/zODg3Z1uqx
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) October 16, 2023
The prevention of the extra two points was ultimately the winning of the game for the Boks, and the source of much heartbreak for the hosts.
South Africa are releasing a captivating documentary series on their run to World Cup glory. In the latest snippet released to social media, head coach Rassie Erasmus revealed that Irish performance analyst Paddy Sullivan was the man whose research had made the block possible:
We consulted a guy called Paddy who works with Montpellier, he's an Irishman, he speaks French. He knows the stadiums, the training fields, everything.
He did tremendous analysis for us. If we possibly played the French, he's there in France for the last eight years.
The detail Paddy brought to us was...Ramos has got this one thing that he does before he kicks. He timed it, and Cheslin knows him pretty well.
Sullivan had worked at Montpellier for the previous three seasons as a performance analyst, after earlier stints at both Munster and Pau.
Kolbe himself also spoke on how Sullivan's analysis allowed him to perfectly judge the charge-down.
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"For me all it was waiting for his one foot to step back and that was for me to take off"
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The South African wing said that they had figured out to the second how long Ramos took to take a conversion, and what signs to look out for that the Frenchman was beginning his run-up.
Until late in his charge, however, Kolbe did not think he would get a chance to get his hands to the ball:
I knew how many seconds it would take for him from looking the last time at the post to the ball, and then approaching his run-up.
For me, all it was waiting for was one foot to step back. That was for me to take off.
I wasn't going for the charge down, it was literally adding to the pressure and being in the eyeline where he would be able to see someone charging and putting pressure. It wasn't me knowing I was going to get to the ball at all.
But I obviously took off as fast and as quick as possible. The closer I got to the ball, I saw that I could actually get to him.
In that moment, feeling the ball hit my arms, I know magic does happen. I'm fortunate I was in that position to do something special for my country.
Evidently, the work done by Paddy Sullivan on the Springboks team during the World Cup impressed Rassie Erasmus and his staff. In recent months, SA Rugby announced that the Kerryman had taken up a permanent position on the coaching staff, alongside fellow Munster native Jerry Flannery.
Speaking on Paddy Sullivan's appointment, Erasmus said:
We’ve reviewed what it takes to be at the cutting edge of the game and we’ve repurposed the management structure to put as much resource as we can into the technical side of the game.
The players will continue to get the necessary off-field support, but we wanted to make sure that we had the right roles filled to make sure that the main thing stays the main thing.
Sullivan and Flannery will come up against their native country this summer. Andy Farrell's Ireland travel to South Africa for a two-match test series this summer, with games in Pretoria and Durban.
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