With Springbok captain Siya Kolisi calling on his team to honor those who died in nearby Soweto during the fight against apartheid, and national pride hurt by New Zealand coach Dave Rennie’s criticism of their scrum technique, Soccer City braced themselves for a fast start from the hosts. However, New Zealand intelligence initially put out the fire and fury within the cauldron. After a brave ball from Peter Lakai stopped South Africa’s momentum, Will Jordan stepped away to change the game. 22. South African flyhalf Feinberg-Mngomezulu received a yellow card for knocking down an Ardie Savea charge and, from the resulting penalty, the All Blacks rolled behind a short-range lineout, clearing space for Savea to sweep past a short-handed marginal defense and score. confidence, as well as the score. New Zealand had ducked and lunged to minimize the effect of South Africa’s set-piece supremacy. Hooker Asafo Aumua’s quick strikes had moved the ball away from a rapidly retreating scrum, while trick plays and the introduction of Lakai as a jumping option prevented South Africa from successfully competing at the lineout. Arendse scored in the 21st minute after a series of penalty infringements by the visiting team. New Zealand went ahead 12-5 soon after with the agility and speed of second rows Sam Darry and Tupou Vaa’i buying territory and Savea available to stand up and slide after Arendse’s tackle on Carter. However, it is impossible to keep South Africa’s scrum power out of the game. However, Rennie had accused South Africa’s front row of ‘walking’ with their rivals in their second Test win in Cape Town last weekend. Marx, Wilco Louw and Ox Nche took route one, forcing their way through the All Blacks’ front row to force a penalty try and ensure parity at half-time. As he awaited another test in the United States, the feeling that an unofficial series was on the line was tangible. New Zealand had won on South African soil only once before, when the 1996 Incomparables returned with a 2-1 victory. Flyhalf Ruben Love missed a long-range shot on goal after the break. with the stakes suffocatingly high. Jordan’s attempt, from Carter’s shot from the ground, briefly opened up the scoring in the 55th minute, but South Africa took the lead for the first time two minutes later when Kriel shrugged off a soft challenge and ran in. The hosts took a 19-17 lead into the final quarter and, with the All Blacks lacking Savea’s leadership after their captain was forced off with a shoulder injury in the first half, the Boks landed a knockout blow in familiar fashion. Pressure from the scrum forced New Zealand replacement Fletcher Newell to his knees, the Springboks kicked the resulting penalty to 22 meters and a monstrous sledgehammer boomed down the field and forward with Marx crashing down. Feinberg-Mngomezulu added the extras for a 26-17 lead and scored a penalty in the 70th minute to increase the lead to 12 points. through his celebratory songbook, dusting off his Cranberries-inspired ode to head coach Rassie Erasmus. Taukei’aho’s try was too little, too late to change the tone of the contest, but the rest of the rugby world will be encouraged by how hard his team has pressed the Springboks in their three meetings. South Africa: Kolbe; Arendse, Kriel, De Allende, Hooker; Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Reinach; Nche, Marx, Louw, Etzebeth, Nortje, Kolisi, PS du Toit, WieseReplacements: Fourie, Steenekamp, T du Toit, De Jager, Esterhuizen, Hanekom, Van den Berg, LibbokNew Zealand: McKenzie; Jordan, Tupaea, J. Barrett, Carter; Love, Roigard Bower, Aumua, Lomax, Vaa’I, Darry, Lakai, Jacobson, SaveaReplacements: Taukei’aho, Numia, Newell, Holland, Sititi, Preston, Lienert-Brown, Moorby
