Editorial illustration generated for Umma Media. It is not a photograph of the match.
Springboks beat All Blacks 29–24 to take series lead
South Africa overturned New Zealand’s fast start at FNB Stadium to win a fiercely contested third Test and move 2–1 ahead in the four-match series.
The Springboks defeated the All Blacks 29–24 in Soweto on Saturday, 5 September, taking the lead in the historic four-Test “Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry” series with one match remaining.
The final score and result were confirmed by Reuters, the Associated Press and New Zealand Rugby’s official match record.
Forward pressure turns the match
New Zealand’s speed and handling caused South Africa problems early on, but the hosts increasingly imposed themselves through their forwards after the break. Both teams scored four tries.
Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel and Malcolm Marx crossed for South Africa, which also received a penalty try. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu added a penalty and two conversions.
All Blacks captain Ardie Savea scored twice before leaving the field with a shoulder injury. Will Jordan and Samisoni Taukei’aho added New Zealand’s other tries.
Reuters reported that nearly 88,000 spectators attended the match at FNB Stadium. South Africa’s victory followed its 33–26 win in Cape Town, after New Zealand had taken the opening Test 33–16 at Ellis Park.
Series moves to Baltimore
The teams now travel to the United States for the fourth and final Test in Baltimore on Saturday, 12 September. South Africa leads 2–1, but the series remains open because New Zealand can still level it.
The All Blacks confirmed that Savea will miss the final Test because of his shoulder injury. Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus nevertheless cautioned that the teams remain closely matched after another tight encounter.
The result also gave Siya Kolisi a record 55th Test victory as Springbok captain, according to Sky Sports.
Reporting and verification: Reuters, Associated Press, New Zealand Rugby and Sky Sports linked to the principal reports.
