Springboks break Soweto curse with hard-fought win over All Blacks
MATCH REPORT: The Springboks produced an incredible second-half performance to secure a hard-fought 29-24 win over New Zealand at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
It was an incredibly tough encounter, with the scores locked at 12-12 at half-time.
However, the Springboks eventually pulled away in the second half, scoring two tries and adding a Sacha Feinberg-Mgomezulu penalty to seal the victory.
The result means the Springboks are heading to Baltimore with a 2-1 lead and are in a fine position for a series win.
For All Blacks it is now all about securing a victory for draw in the fourth and final Test in the USA on September 12,.
*To recap all the action CLICK HERE!!!
This was the third time the two teams played at FNB Stadium in Soweto.
The first meeting came in 2010, when the All Blacks recorded a 29-22 victory, spoiling John Smit’s 100th Test milestone.
Then, in 2012, in front of a crowd of 80,753 spectators, the All Blacks recorded a 32-16 victory. It was another significant milestone for New Zealand captain Richie McCaw, who celebrated his 100th Test victory.
And finally, the Springboks have broken their Soweto curse.
Siya Kolisi also the Springbok captain with the most Test wins.
There will be concerns in both camps as Springboks face a nervy wait on the injury news of Cheslin Kolbe and All Blacks on their captain Ardie Savea.
The All Blacks made a flying start, but the Springboks showed plenty of fight to claw their way back into the contest as the two sides went into half-time locked at 12-12.
New Zealand conceded an early penalty after a high tackle, allowing the Springboks to retain possession from the line-out and launch an attack.
The Boks looked dangerous, but Peter Lakai produced a crucial intervention at the breakdown to halt their momentum.
The All Blacks then worked their way into the Springboks’ 22 after some incredible individual brilliance from Will Jordan. Cheslin Kolbe covered well, however, kicking the ball into touch to relieve the pressure.
New Zealand continued to pile on the pressure, with a series of offloads putting the Springboks’ defence under increasing strain.
The hosts suffered a massive setback in the 10th minute. First, they were reduced to 14 players after Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-down, before Kolbe was also forced from the field for an HIA and did not return.
With a man advantage, the All Blacks secured possession from a line-out before Savea picked up a loose ball to score the opening try.
Ruben Love added the conversion as New Zealand moved into a 7-0 lead after 12 minutes.
However, the All Blacks’ indiscipline began to creep in as they conceded a series of penalties, allowing the Springboks to build pressure.
South Africa eventually broke through when Damian de Allende beat Leroy Carter before finding Kurt-Lee Arendse, who finished the move by crossing for the try.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu missed the conversion, leaving the Boks two points adrift.
Savea then grabbed his second try of the match after once again pouncing on a loose ball following a carry from Carter.
But that proved to be the captain’s final contribution.
Savea left the field in the 30th minute with what appeared to be a shoulder injury and was replaced by Wallace Sititi.
There was another nervy moment for the Springboks when captain Siya Kolisi required medical attention, although he managed to continue.
With four minutes remaining in the half, the Boks had all the momentum.
The All Blacks were reduced to 14 players when Love was shown a yellow card, and the Springboks immediately turned the pressure into points.
A powerful scrum inside the New Zealand 22 resulted in a penalty try, bringing the scores level at 12-12 after 37 minutes.
Cobus Reinach was subsequently penalised for his tackle on Cam Roigard. With one minute remaining, there was another scrum inside the All Blacks’ 22, but the Kiwis’ defence held firm.
The two sides headed into the break locked at 12-12, setting up a fascinating second half.
The wind really picked up in the second half.
With Love sidelined, Damian McKenzie took over the kicking duties. The All Blacks were inside the Boks’ 22, but a knock-on by Jordan ended their attack.
The All Blacks had a chance to take the lead, but Love’s penalty attempt fell short.
They finally got their reward when Carter linked up with Jordan, who dived over in the corner to put New Zealand back in front. But the Boks hit back immediately.
Jesse Kriel went one-on-one against Carter before the centre powered over for the try.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu slotted the conversion for his first points of the series, handing the Boks a 19-17 lead in the 58th minute.
The Boks had all the momentum and won a crucial penalty inside the New Zealand 22 in the 64th minute. From there, they opted for the line-out, and an incredible driving maul saw Malcolm Marx power over the line.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu added the conversion as the Springboks extended their lead to 26-17 after 67 minutes.
He then added a penalty to put the Boks 29-17 ahead.
Samisoni Taukei’aho eventually got the All Blacks on the scoreboard again, but it proved to be too little, too late for New Zealand.
The Springboks held on to claim a memorable victory and, in the process, finally broke their Soweto curse.
Player of the match: There were plenty of standout performances from the Springboks, with Ethan Hooker impressing out wide with strong runs. His also worked hard, winning the aerial battle on a few occasions. Manie Libbok also deserves a mention for his influential performance off the bench, dictating the game and helping the Boks take control in the second half. However, our nod goes to Malcolm Marx. The veteran hooker was outstanding on both sides of the ball. He was a constant threat with ball in hand, scored a crucial try and made several key turnovers at the breakdown. Marx was at the heart of the Springboks’ hard-fought victory and fully deserved the Player of the Match accolade.
The scorers:
For South Africa
Tries: Arendse, Penalty try, Kriel, Marx
Cons: Feinberg-Mgomezulu 2
Pens: Feinberg-Mgomezulu
For New Zealand:
Tries: Savea 2, Jordan, Taukei’aho
Con: Love
Yellow cards: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Springboks, 12 – deliberate knock down), Ruben Love (All Black, 36 – offside).
Teams
South Africa: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker,10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Andre Esterhuizen, 21 Cameron Hanekom, 22 Morne van den Berg, 23 Manie Libbok.
New Zealand: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Quinn Tupea, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Leroy Carter, 10 Ruben Love, 9 Cam Roigard, 8 Ardie Savea (captain), 7 Luke Jacobson, 6 Peter Lakai,5 Sam Darry, 4 Tupuo Vaa’i, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Asafo Aumua, 1 George Bower.
Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Xavier Numia, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Fabian Holland, 20 Wallace Sititi, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Josh Moorby.
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Christophe Ridley (England)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)
