Ireland will be left with a few "what if?" questions from the first test of their series in South Africa, as they look ahead to Saturday's second test in Durban.
Andy Farrell's side were perhaps not at their best, though the result was respectable despite this. Ultimately it finished a one-score game.
In truth, South Africa were deserved winners, but it was a night on which nothing went right for the Irish in Pretoria. Craig Casey and Dan Sheehan suffered tour-ending injuries, while multiple tight TMO calls went against the visitors on a night to forget.
One of the most contentious of those decisions was that which saw James Lowe's second-half try ruled out by TMO for an infringement at the ruck. Nigel Owens is among those who have since come out to say that the officials got the call wrong.
South Africa legend Schalk Burger has now admitted that the Boks were "lucky," even suggesting the call may have swung the other way had the game taken place in Dublin rather than South Africa.
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Schalk Burger thinks contentious James Lowe TMO call may have swung differently in Dublin
With South Africa five points ahead in the second half, James Lowe thought he had gotten Ireland level before the TMO pulled referee Luke Pearce back for an alleged infringement by Ronan Kelleher at the breakdown.
NO TRY! ❌
James Lowe thought he got Ireland back into the game, a TMO check has ruled that out 👀 pic.twitter.com/RJx2v8Ju7d— Sky Sports Rugby Union (@SkySportsRugby) July 6, 2024
It was a marginal call which has divided pundits in the days since the game.
2007 World Cup winner Schalk Burger dissected the game on this week's Boks Office podcast for RugbyPass, and admitted that the Boks had been lucky.
The former South Africa flanker was asked about a previous remark that the call would have gone differently in Dublin and hinted that he still believed as much.
Yeah, in Dublin...look, the first one, Ronan Kelleher - it's wrong.
He had a chance to look it back, he goes off his feet - [but] is there a neck roll? Is Bundee Aki on his feet in the first instance?
I don't think the officials, Luke Pearce, were the most clear at the breakdown or the scrum, it wasn't the best officiated. Then there are these areas in our game where, if you go and look at every ruck, probably every ruck has an infringement.
It's about where does it fit within the game? That's what makes it tricky.
Look, he was off his feet and he played the ball, he's hooked it back when he's off his feet, he's got to regain his feet before he could take part in it.
But, yeah, I think we got lucky with a few of the calls.
Despite an underwhelming performance, Ireland may be buoyed by the fact that the margins were so fine in Pretoria last Saturday, as they prepare to face South Africa once more this weekend.
The Irish side take on the Boks in Durban, with kick-off at 4pm on Sky Sports.
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