Limerick coach celebrates South Africa's Freedom Cup series win over All-Blacks

LIMERICK rugby coach Jerry Flannery is celebrating the Springboks' first Freedom Cup success in 15 years following their 18-12 win over the All-Blacks at a sold-out DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday.

Back-to-back world champions South Africa beat the All-Blacks for a second consecutive time in the 2024 Castle Lager Rugby Championship, edging their fierce rivals by 18-12 to claim the Freedom Cup for the first time since 2009.

Former Munster Rugby and Ireland hooker Flannery is defence coach with the Springboks and the Limerick man has made an impressive impact with the side. South Africa held New Zealand tryless in Saturday's victory in Cape Town.

Flannery departed his coaching role with English Premiership side, Harlequins, last February to take up a coaching role with the South African national team.

Former Shannon hooker Flannery who joined 'Quins in 2020 has been a key part of the coaching team that won the Gallagher Premiership title in 2021.

The dynamic front-rower played 93 times for Munster, completed five seasons on Munster's coaching ticket. Flannery won Heineken Cup medals with Munster in 2006 and 2008.

Forty five-year-old Flannery retired from playing in 2012 after an impressive career with Connacht and Munster, including winning 41 caps for his national side between 2005 and 2011.

After hanging up his playing boots, Flannery turned his hand to coaching, first as a strength and conditioning coach with Premier League football team Arsenal from 2013-14 before being recruited as Munster’s scrum coach by the late Anthony Foley in 2014, going on to become the Irish province’s forwards coach in 2017 before leaving his former club in 2020.

Former Munster Rugby head coach Rassie Erasmus has returned to the role of South Africa's head coach, following the departure of Jacques Nienaber to Leinster.