Key events
Match report
Full-time: South Africa 33-26 New Zealand
Yellow card! South Africa, de Jager, 80+1
TRY! South Africa 33-26 New Zealand (Savea, 77)
Penalty! South Africa 33-19 New Zealand (Kolbe, 72)
TRY! South Africa 30-21 New Zealand (Carter, 66)
Penalty! South Africa 30-14 New Zealand (Kolbe, 52)
Penalty! South Africa 27-14 New Zealand (Kolbe, 49)
Second half
Half-time: South Africa 24-New Zealand 14
TRY! South Africa 24-14 New Zealand (Kolisi, 38)
TRY! South Africa 17-14 New Zealand (McKenzie, 31)
TRY! South Africa 17-7 New Zealand (de Allende, 23)
Penalty! South Africa 10-7 New Zealand (Kolbe, 19)
TRY! South Africa 7-7 New Zealand (Roigard, 16)
TRY! South Africa 7-0 New Zealand (Kriel, 2)
Kick-off!
Late changes to South Africa team
New Zealand team
South Africa team
Preamble
Match report
The Boks are back, says Gerard in his report.
And with the series level at 1-1 heading into the third Test, I’ll make my way outta here.
Catch you next week.
Siya Kolisi up next, who is speaking over a massive roar from the crowd:
It’s been a massive week. I’m grateful for the coaching staff we have, for the plans they’ve made. We knew what we needed to do. Last week we didn’t take our opportunities but this week we did.
Coach Rassie always reminds us that this is not just about us. It’s about all of South Africa. We knew that the mood was down this past week.
Next week is going to be big. Some of us are playing for the first time in Soweto. It’s hard playing them once. Playing them four times in a row is incredibly difficult.
Now it’s Ardie Savea’s time on the mic:
It’s unfortunate. We kind of let the Springboks get ahead in the first two minutes and we were chasing the game. We stuck in there but we came up short. It’s a tough pill to swallow.
They’ve got threats around the ball and the breakdown so we have to sort that out.
I want to give a shout out to [Pieter-Steph du Toit] and [Ox Nche] for their milestones.
We lost the battle tonight but we haven’t lost the war. We’ll get back on the horse this week and go again.
Player of the match is Cheslin Kolbe.
Not only for his goal kicking but his all round play.
As reader Guy Hornsby says, “Incredible hands from Kolbe! Is there anything Cheslin Kolbe can’t do, Daniel? I bet he could cook a perfect T-Bone then fix your shelves before he tidied up and left.”
Let’s hear from Kolbe now who starts by thanking his God, the city of Cape Town and the South African fans.
We know last week we let it slip. We could feel the mood from the SA fans. We just wanted to do the jersey proud, our families proud. We just want to continue to learn.
You need to take every point given to you. That’s Test match rugby. We stuck to the plan to take the points on offer.
Two massive games coming up. It’s never easy against the All Blacks. We need to keep our feet on the ground and come back better next week.
Full-time: South Africa 33-26 New Zealand
The series is squared! South Africa withstand the fight back and get the win!
80+2 min: The hooter sounds. NZ have’t got over halfway yet. Well now they have with Savea but it’s very tight. Jordan makes great metres but Hanekom makes the tackle and the steal!
Yellow card! South Africa, de Jager, 80+1
South Africa have to defend this last play with a man short. No complaints there. Lood hit Love high. Love then rakes a touch finder to halfway. 50 metres. No time left on the clock. Seven behind on the score. Are you betting against New Zealand?
80 min: Penalty against de Jager who went high and hit a ball carrier with his head. Gardner is checking this. If it’s a yellow that could make things very nervy for SA.
79 min: The ball is out after the restart. Carter and Kolbe shove each other but it’s all silliness. Gardner tells them to get on with it as NZ get the line-out. They need to go 75 metres.
TRY! South Africa 33-26 New Zealand (Savea, 77)
THEY’RE NOT DONE YET! Their ability to score tries is just unreal. Off the scrum they strike down the right where Jordon attracts the attention of three defenders about a metre short of the corner. They recycle and keep it in the hands. Savea soon has it and crashes his way through Marx – no easy task – and gets it down.
Love’s conversion makes it a seven point game. A draw would be an incredible result for the All Blacks. SA need to keep things tight.
75 min: Etzebeth disrupts NZ’s line-out again but its spilled forward as Esterhuizen went to gather the scraps. NZ can’t do anything with the advantage so they get a scrum to the left of the poles just inside SA’s 22. Equation is simple. Score here or lose the match.
74 min: Esterhuizen gives away a penalty for straying offside on his 22. Love tries to find a teammate with a cross-field kick but there’s no one there. Instead NZ will have the line-out about seven short in the left corner. They have to score here.
73 min: Penalty for New Zealand. Hanekom got his timing wrong on halfway to give away an offside call. The touch finder is good. NZ with the line-out just short of SA’s 22 on the left.
Penalty! South Africa 33-19 New Zealand (Kolbe, 72)
Is that the game? The lead is 14 but if there’s any team that can score two converted tries in eight minutes it’s the All Blacks.
71 min: Marx wins another steal. My word, he is a cheat code. NZ looked promising after making some good ground off the scrum (their first phase strike play is something to behold). But when the move slowed, Marx was there to rip it away from McKenzie on the floor. This is in range and Kolbe lines it up from bang in front about 30 short.
69 min: Boks show a bit of something on the ball as SFM flings a great pass to Hooker on the left wing. Hooker then lines up Jordon and beats his man before making more ground. SFM keeps it alive but the ball is spilled soon after. NZ with the scrum feed just beyond their 22.
Tupaea has been replaced by Lienert-Brown.
68 min: Changes to the Bok pack. Hanekom on for Wiese. De Jager on for Nortje.
The crowd looks nervous as Marx finds PS du Toit at the line-out on halfway.
TRY! South Africa 30-21 New Zealand (Carter, 66)
THIS AINT OVER! You really can’t discount this side. EVER! After van den Berg’s kick was caught by Jordon, they exploded from right to left. Holland involved heavily. It makes its way to Carter who pins his ears back and screams down the tram. He had about 20 metres to finish but chewed that up in no time, brushing off the cover tackle from Libbok.
But the conversion from out to the left is missed so the gap is 11.
65 min: South Africa’s defence is winning this game. NZ with all the ball, lots of little snipes and steps abd flick-ons, but little ground made. Love, inside his own half, has no choice but to kick for touch. But Etzebeth at the front of the line brings it down and SA can clear again off van den berg’s boot.
63 min: What a time to steal a line-out! Etzebeth rises, not for the first time in his own 22, and steals the ball. That is brave from the Boks. Van den Berg launches a great clearing kick short of halfway. NZ cough up another opportunity.
62 min: Off the scrum and about 15 phases later, NZ get a penalty as Nche is caught offside on his 22. Better from the ABs. Barrett at first reeciever is pulling strings. Love shows some outstanding footwork to wriggle past a few tacklers. But after that initial break from Love, the move spluttered and the SA line held on the 22. Still, NZ have the penalty which they kick to the corner.
59 min: Another knock-on on halfway. This time Nche as he went in to make a tackle. The ABs are fizzing but not really going anywhere. One off runners are getting swamped by a rush defence that has found an extra gear. Every time it seems as if NZ have found an opening, it’s quickly closed by a man in green. Another scrum on halfway. NZ not going anywhere as the game has become stodgy. This will suit the Boks.
58 min: Barrett, with a bloody nose, drills a long kick that Kolbe catches outside his 22. The return kick lands in Barrett’s breadbasket. Nche makes the tackle and Etzebeth knocks on as he reaches with both hands attempting to intercept a floater to the left wing.
NZ with the scrum feed again.
57 min: Chaos! A NZ hand reaches out and knocks on – that was Jacobson and he might see yellow as he went with one hand far away from his body. But the ball bounces and Libbok catches it and almost sheepishly runs away through a hole. He flings a pass out to Hooker and suddenly the Boks are digging for the ball about 10 short of the NZ line. But Gardner gets a call for an earlier knock on.
Except it’s not from Jacobson. Reinach spilled it at the back of a ruck. He’s hooked for van den Berg who will play against NZ for the first time in his career.
All that to say NZ have a scrum feed a metre inside their own half almost in the middle of the park.
55 min: Poor from Reinach who inexoplicably kicked away possession off the line-out. That box was too long and Love caught it and called the mark. Then his return kick had some juice on it and it all ends with NZ winning a loit of territory though SA have the line-out back in their own patch.
Esterhuizen from midfield runs hard. This time the box kick is won back by SA. Etzebeth chasing there. The big man is then hot by Carter but SA hang onto it.
54 min: After Aumua’s charge, Roigard sniped and almost went through inside SA’s half. NZ keep the ball alive. Good hands. Aumua again – wow he’s everywhere. Bower with a run.
But Kolbe makes an intercept on the right wing! He’s away but runs out of room before he kicks ahead. It stays in play and he runs after it but Carter cleans up running back. The clearing kick doesn’t go fart and the Boks have a line-out between halfway andf NZ’s 22.
Penalty! South Africa 30-14 New Zealand (Kolbe, 52)
Kolbe can’t miss! No seriously. He’s not missed a kick all series. Another superb swing of his right boot opens the lead a little more.
50 min: Marx comes up with a great steal within range of NZ’s sticks! What a player he is. A high kick put the ball back in NZ’s patch and was knocked back by a black hand. But Marx was on it, gobbling up the intercept. But SA couldn’t keep the ball after Etzebeth ran hard off a short pass from Reinach. Jordan tried to counter. Aumua made ground but then Marx stooped low to make the steal.
Penalty! South Africa 27-14 New Zealand (Kolbe, 49)
Kolbe can’t miss. This started to the right of the poles and was drawn back in from about 40 metres away. Great hoof and the lead is now 13.
48 min: Another penalty for the Boks. It started with SA winning their line-out and then Esterhuizen running hard from his usual position of midfield. A kick saw possession change possession but a jumper was taken out. PS du Toit, now captain, points to the sticks.
46 min: Stupid from Jacobson. NZ had tghe ball but then the flanker comes rushing in and goes in at the side, taking out a Bok away from the ruck to give away a penalty and an easy exit for SA>
45 min: This scrum is taking an age. NZ put in a second shove and the whole things collapses. They move a little further infield to get some purcahse on fresh grass.
Another collapse! We still haven’t had the scrum.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the set piece but when this sort of thing happens I sympathise with those who want to de-power the scrum.
Finally Gardner gives NZ a free-kick against Nche so the ABs have an opportunity with ball in hand on SA’s 22.
44 min: Gardner is giving a proper lecture to both sets of front rows. Like a school teacher he says “no more games”. Stern stuff.
44 min: Taylor spills the ball in contact on SA’s 22. This was South Africa’s problem last week. SA will have to polish off their exit game with a scrum about 15 in from their right touch.
43 min: Kolisi is replaced by Esterhuizen, usually a centre but a pretty handy flanker.
He carries off the line-out and Reinach makes room for himself before finding touch with a clearing kick.
41 min: Willemse, who hobbled off at halftime, has been replaced by Libbok. Does this mean SFM moves to 15? Libbok’s first act is to mop up a loose ball in the backfield and find touch on halfway.
NZ win the line-out before Kolisi nails Savea. But NZ keep it where Carter on the left wing kicks ahead and finds touch inside SA’s 22. The Boks will have to find a clean exit off the line-out.
Second half
SA win another restart as Love gets us going again.
A few thoughts.
SA much more clinical. Their and handling and sharpness at the breakdown is much improved from last week.
NZ are just so clinical. From two line-outs on halfway they scored. Give them a sniff and they’ll cut you to shreds.
Hooker quietly having a great game on the left wing for SA. He’s taken three high catches. SA also dominating restarts.
NZ’s long kick tactic is winning them territory, but the Boks’ exit game is sharp. Willemse have a solid game at fullback and Kolbe a constant menace.
Really good from the Boks direct runners, especially the midfield pair.
I need to eat humble pie after writing off Kolisi.
Half-time: South Africa 24-New Zealand 14
The half comes to an end with a thumping hit from Marx that dislodges the ball.
New Zealand were building. Double digit phases on that play that looked like ending in something when Jordan wriggled through several tacklers and then Bower found Parker in space with a tip-on. The Bosk scrambled before Marx – who has been immense in this brief cameo – nailed a monster hit (not sure on who tbh).
Gardner calls time and an pulsating half is over.
TRY! South Africa 24-14 New Zealand (Kolisi, 38)
Welcome back skipper! Brutal from the Boks. The scrum was not dominant but the ball was clean. Reinach found PS du Toit who came within five. Then with another advantage they kept the ball moving until Kolisi hit a flat pass from Reinach, had to swivel to gather it as it was played slightly behind him, then twisted his body to crash over and dot down.
Kolbe reestablishes the 10 point lead with the nudge.
36 min: Gardner blows a scrum penalty against NZ. SA choose to go again.
This has a very short blind down the right. About 10 to the right touch and five short of the NZ line.
36 min: Penalty for SA right on NZ’s line after some stunning skills from SFM and Kolbe! That really was so good. Hooker won a high kick and SFM looked up and raked – almost like a football goalkeeper – a superb kick to the corner. Kolbe was onto it and kept it alive with some nifty footwork. Jordan cleaned up but held on under pressure so it’s a Bok penalty which will be a scrum.
Fourie is replaced by Marx just in time. Nche is on as well. They are going to try and shove the All Blacks over their own line here.
New Zealand are winning the kick battle. They have the wind but their approach – to go long where SA are going high and short – is paying dividends.
33 min: SA on the ball just inside NZ’s half. They’re keeping it tight before SFM goes to the air. It goes laterally but Kolbe wins the tap back that Kriel has to retreat to gather. SA still with it on halfway. Now Reinach hoists a high kick. It doesn’t go far but the kick from McKenzie does and now Willemse is back inside his 22. The return kick barely gets to halfway.
New Zealand rugby in a nutshell. They are like apex predators. You just can’t take your eyes off them. They really can score from anywhere and they take advantage of any sloppiness.
TRY! South Africa 17-14 New Zealand (McKenzie, 31)
In a blink the All Blacks respond! They are just so dangerous. From nothing. The Kolbe skewed kick allowed the ABs to line-out on halfway and after a Savea step and some slick passing, McKenzie is running over in the far corner with a dive. Coast to coast, just so clinical. The conversion narrows the gap to three.
30 min: Big territorial win for NZ as they get parity at the scrum inside their 22. Then Love launches a huge kick whoch Kolbe has ti field over his shoulder. The return kick is skewed so the ABs have the line-out on halfway.
27 min: The Boks are flying! Another offside penalty against NZ allows the Boks to give the ball air. They go from right to left where Kriel makes ground in the tram. He’s back inside for PS du Toit who gets over a tackler. They keep it alive with the forwards and now they’re five short. Kolisi is nailed and the ball is spilled but SFM cleans up. NZ push them back to the 22. Willemse tries to offload for PS du Toit. The ball is loose again but this time Kolbe cleans up. NZ wrap him up and the ref calls a maul. But his knee was on the floor. Is that play on? yes says Garnder so it’ll be a NZ scrum inside their 22. Good scramble defence from the Kiwis
25 min: The bounce of the ball is with the home side. SA steal the ball around halfway and then Reinach dinks a kick to the corner. It lands and takes a wicked bounce just short of the 22. Taylor can’t connect cleanly with the lifted Parker but NZ exit with a kick long to Kolbe who steps a man and then counters.
24 min: SA get out of jail! SFM’s clearing kick after Willemse won the restart is charged down by Barrett. The NZ midfielder runs after it but the bounce of the ball takes it beyond him before he can reach it.
SA will get a drop-out from their own line.
Last week the charge down was scored. Is that the luck the Boks need this week?