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Soweto thriller swings
South Africa beat New Zealand 29-24 in the third Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry at Soweto’s FNB Stadium on Saturday to move 2-1 ahead in the four-match series.
“South Africa finish strongly to take 2-1 series lead against All Blacks”
The Springboks’ Malcolm Marx scored 15 minutes from the end after a rolling maul, and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu added a penalty as South Africa pushed the lead to 26-17 before the All Blacks’ late try.
New Zealand’s Will Jordan had earlier chased after his own kick ahead and crossed for a 17-12 lead in the 55th minute, but Jesse Kriel then barged through Leroy Carter to score and swing momentum back to the hosts.
Ardie Savea scored two tries for the All Blacks before leaving the field with a shoulder injury after having taken Marx’s head to the shoulder at a breakdown, and he was replaced by Wallace Sititi.
The match ended with South Africa holding on as Samisoni Taukei’aho scored a late consolation try for New Zealand, but it was not enough to change the result.
Voices after the result
South Africa captain Siya Kolisi framed the win around national remembrance, calling on his team to honour those who died in nearby Soweto during the fight against apartheid.
Kolisi also said, "We're so proud of the win today," adding that the All Blacks "pushed us to the limit" and that South Africa finished "a lot better than we did the last two weeks."
New Zealand coach Dave Rennie had criticised South Africa’s scrum technique in the series, and the BBC described the hosts as taking full advantage after that set-piece pressure.
Rennie confirmed after the game that Savea would not travel to the USA, with the All Blacks heading to Baltimore next weekend without their captain and two-try scorer.
The BBC reported that the All Blacks were forced off their rhythm after Savea’s shoulder injury in the first half, and that South Africa landed a knockout blow through Marx’s maul try and Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s penalty.
What’s at stake next
With the series now at 2-1, the teams will meet in a fourth and final Test in Baltimore, USA next weekend, with New Zealand looking to salvage something after the 29-24 loss.
“series concludes with fourth and final Test in Baltimore, USA”
Sky Sports said the series concludes with the fourth and final Test in Baltimore, USA on Saturday, and that nothing less than victory will do for the All Blacks if they are to salvage something.
The Independent set the fourth Test for 12 September in Baltimore, and it also described the schedule as the next step in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.
The All Blacks’ injury situation shaped the immediate outlook, with Savea’s shoulder injury leaving him unable to travel and the All Blacks also sweating over the availability of centre Quinn Tupaea after a knee injury.
In the aftermath, the BBC described the sense of an unofficial series being on the line, and it noted that New Zealand’s best hope now is a drawn series after South Africa edged ahead for the first time into the final quarter.