Louw leans into the scrum \u2013 eager to get a shove on before the half-time whistle \u2013 and gives away a free kick. Roigard kicks it out and brings an end to a truly pulsating, breathless 40 minutes.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n 39 min: McKenzie doesn\u2019t make huge ground with the kick so NZ will get the throw on SA\u2019s 10 metre line. They almost free Jordan as the ball goes left then back right. A Roigard kick doesn\u2019t make much ground but NZ keep it alive. Hooker makes an intercept! He can\u2019t find the space to run free so kicks ahead into NZ\u2019s 22. The cover defence is quick but Hooker is quicker. He dives for the loose ball but knocks on. He\u2019s having a great game! Scrum to NZ. SA will want to put in a big shove here.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>PENALTY TRY! South Africa 12-12 New Zealand<\/p>\n SA\u2019s scrum demolishes the NZ pack and the penalty try is awarded. Nche just immense. He powered through Lomax and eight men in black shirts started moving backwards at a serious pace. With the ball being controlled at the back of the steamrolling pack, Roigard caused some illegal mischief and got in an off-the-ball tussle with Reinach.<\/p>\n The penalty try stands but we\u2019ll restart with an All Black penalty on halfway which should give them a chance to set a line-out close to SA\u2019s line.<\/p>\n I think that\u2019s soft. Both scrumhalves were getting in each other\u2019s face. Just that Reinach threw Roigard and it was close to a tip over.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Yellow card! New Zealand (Love, 36)<\/p>\n 36 min: Nche held up a metre short! My word! Reinach did brilliantly to not only tackle Aumua on halfway but then rip the ball free. SA exploded upfield. My god it\u2019s so quick. Wiese ran through a wall and then offloaded for Nche who held on around his laces. He made the pass for Libbok who stepped in and then again and then again. He was a metre short so Sa had to send the big boys. Nortje then Nche came close with carries but the defence held. Love committed an illegal slowing down of the ball and is penalised and yellow carded.<\/p>\n SA choose to scrum five short. Wow. How can you not love this sport?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 35 min: NZ exit through a line-out and a Roigard high box. Then Kriel knocks on around halfway after taking his eyes off a SFM pass to the right. So NZ will get the scrum feed and a huge territorial win. The camera cuts to Rassie who looks like he\u2019s got steam coming out his ears.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 33 min: SA give away a penalty inside NZ\u2019s 22 for the third time this game! SFM raked a grubber to the corner which Barrett ran across and fielded. He was swamped by Hooker who managed to get back to his feet and steal the ball, but he had no help so when Jordan came round to apply pressure over the ball, Hooker was nailed for holding on.<\/p>\n I can\u2019t emphasise enough how intense the breakdown battle has been.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 33 min: Another great exit off their own scrum. NZ win the ball and fire the pass to Jordan on the blind on the right touch. He makes so much ground in no time. But Sa back on the ball with Reinach hoisting a high kick that Hooker gathers at the second attempt. Kolisi picks and drives. Libbok fires a brilliant pass to de Allende who skips around a defender. SA still on the ball inching towards the NZ 22.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 31 min: Savea, who is now the highest scoring forward in Test rugby history, leaves the field clutching his arm. He looks in serious pain. That could be a big loss for the Kiwis who not only lose their skipper but an immense ball carrier.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 30 min: This game is being played at an insane pace. Multiple kicks and counters has SA down the right with Kriel finding PS du Toit. Now they\u2019re with SFM on the NZ 22. Kolisi picks and goes himself but that\u2019s another 22 metrer entry that comes to nothing after Etzebeth leaves the ball behind as he tried to pick up off the floor and charge down an open blindside on the left tram.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>TRY! South Africa 5-12 New Zealand (Savea, 26)<\/p>\n The skipper has a double! Excellent from New Zealand. They fully deserve this lead. They got the ball back after Libbok failed to find touch with his clearing kick. They exploded down the line and it was Carter in space running away from Arendse who caught him, but the NZ winger managed to place the ball and keep it alive close to the left touch. SFM tried to wrestle it back to his side but if anything he made it easier for Savea to pick it up and flop over the line in the corner.<\/p>\n The conversion from Love \u2013 who sparked the counter off Libbok\u2019s poor kick \u2013 goes across the face of the poles.<\/p>\n Savea again! Photograph: Themba Hadebe\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.59 EDT<\/p>\n 25 min: SA survive another impressive NZ set. They are just the masters are finding holes. Love and Barrett and Roigard make all the right passes. Carter and Jordan could side-step a defender in a hpone box.Some slick hands freed up Darry on the charge down the middle into the SA 22. But he was isolated and after consulting the ref, Hooker made the steal.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>TRY! South Africa 5-7 New Zealand (Arendse, 22)<\/p>\n What a try! That is truly magnificent from the Boks. Libbok all over this pulling the strings. NZ gave the ball away off their line-out and SA launched down the right. A fantastic skip pass found an edge which Kriel ran through. Arendse kept it alove. They went down the line to the left and Libbok unfurled another long pass for Hooker. They cam back infield and it was de Allende\u2019s pass to his right which was the telling act as Arendse wriggled through a gap to score.<\/p>\n SFM misses the conversion but that is exactly what the Boks needed.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 19 min: Penalty against South Africa! Obstruction at the line-out. Wiesegot himself in the way and that is a HUGE let-off from the Boks. Now they give another penalty away on the edge of the 22 as they didn\u2019t retreat 10 metres after the quick tap from NZ. After setting the maul inside NZ\u2019s red zone, they have to defend a line-out on halfway.<\/p>\n Long way to go but it\u2019s all going NZ\u2019s way so far.<\/p>\n SFM returns to fullback.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 18 min: Another penalty against NZ. Lomax is nailed for not getting out of an illegal position from the SA maul. Libbok finds good touch to set up a line-out within touching distance of the left corner. Masssive moment a minute befoer SFM returns.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 17 min: Savea gives away a soft penalty at the base of a ruck. But NZ\u2019s defence looks immense so far. Although, that\u2019s a big swing for the Boks. After the scrum penalty inside their own 22, they were awarded a free-kick from the resulting line-out and now they win a line-out on the edge of NZ\u2019s 22.<\/p>\n Sadly Kolbe won\u2019t be returning. How decisive could that be?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 14 min: Oooh, Libbok was playing with fire there. Rather than launch it long he tried to create a contestable and Vaai\u2019i was right there to win it. If he caught it he would have been able to play a simple pass for Lakai. Instead it was spilled so SA get the feed inside their own 22. They need to get upfield and start applying some pressure of their own.<\/p>\n Winning a scrum penalty will help. That was a mighty shove from Louw.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 13 min: Hooker did well to get himself in the mix to claim the restart, but he spilled it forward. So we get another NZ scrum which they win. They then unfurl a cross-kick to Carter on the left who catches and kicks himself. But the bounce takes it long and all the way to the very shallow in-goal area behind the poles. SA safely dot down for a goal-line drop out.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>TRY! South Africa 0-7 New Zealand (Savea, 11)<\/p>\n The skipper is over! With SFM in the sin bin and Kolbe nursing a head injury, SA really needed to keep the ABs out. Instead, after winning the line-out, New Zealand splintered round the corner and Savea was not going to be stopped after he picked up off the deck and cantered through the ruck.<\/p>\n The conversion is good and this is looking concerning for the home side.<\/p>\n New Zealand’s captain Ardie Savea powers over to score. Photograph: Themba Hadebe\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.44 EDT<\/p>\n More bad news for South Africa.<\/p>\n Kolbe has left the field looking dazed. On comes Manie Libbok.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Love nudges the penalty to touch and NZ set up a line-out five out on the right.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Yellow card! South Africa (feinberg-Mngomezulu, 10)<\/p>\n That could have been a penalty try to be honest. Instead the deliberate knock-on is just a yellow card.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 10 min: SA survive a NZ onslaught. They\u2019re looking if SFM committed a deliberate knock-on inside on his left about 10 short of his try line. I think he did. Brilliant attacking play from NZ. Love played a tip on for his centres before Lakai and Jocobson combined to steam up the NZ left. Then it came back and Jordan almost made the try scoring burst through the middle. Then SFM knocked on with Lakai lurkin outside him. I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll see yellow for this.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 7 min: Sensational rugby all round. NZ found an edge down the right with Lakai in the tram. But the ball is spilled and Reinach kicked ahead. Jordan fielded it inside his 22 and then exploded through a gap and past about 6 South Africans. He chipped ahead but Kolbe swept across to clean up. The SA fullback then hoofed a clearance to halfway to calm the situation.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 5 min: We\u2019ll get our first scrum after Hooker spilled a high contestable kick. That was back almost on halfway. NZ tried to run it clear as they don\u2019t fancy kicking into the wind. No advantage though so we\u2019re back for the scrum close to their right touch. NZ feed.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 4 min: Brilliant from Lakai inside NZ\u2019s red zone. SA went over the top from the line-out and Wiese gathered and rampaged upfield. Reinach found Nortje with a short pass but his carry saw him soon isolated. Lakai spotted the opportunity and got low to make the steal. Then NZ exit off a line-out from the penalty and a hoist from Roigard. NZ are kicking into a stiff wind at the minute. They\u2019re still inside their own half.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 3 min: Just a penalty. The shot from the AB centre started around the ball and went up to SFM\u2019s head. He dusts himself off and finds touch inside NZ\u2019s 22.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Correction, it was Tupaea on SFM.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 3 min: SA try to maul off the line-out but it doesn;t make much ground. De Allende is nailed and the Boks are pushed back to halfway so Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (SFM) goes high. But too deep. McKenzie takes the mark and Kolbe then runs back his opposite number\u2019s kick. There\u2019s a high shot from Jordan on SFM. Maybe head on head. Could be trouble.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 1 min: Kolbe fields the kick-off over his shoulder, he spins, boots with his weaker left foot and finds touch over halfway. What a player. <\/p>\n NZ win the line-out and fire it from the right touch all the way to Carter on the left but the ball is chucked out.<\/p>\n NZ had great success getting around the Boks rush defence in the past two games.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Kick-off!<\/p>\n Here we go!<\/p>\n This should be good.<\/p>\n Ruben Love \u2013 who has been really good this tour \u2013 gets us going.<\/p>\n Oh, Nika Amushukeli from Geoergia is the referee today.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Anthems done.<\/p>\n A great rendition of Nkosi Sikelel\u2019 iAfrika. But does every second person in the stands need to film themselves singing it? Am I just old? A hater? Just live in the moment guys!<\/p>\n Anyway, that was stirring. I wish I was there.<\/p>\n Oh, Rassie is wearing a tie again! Serious business, this.<\/p>\n Haka up next and then we\u2019ll kick-off.<\/p>\n New Zealand’s players perform the Haka. Photograph: Themba Hadebe\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.19 EDT<\/p>\n South Africa\u2019s loose-forward trio of Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese will start together for a record 18th time.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n This is the second match being played today.<\/p>\n The women teams of both nations have completed their tussle.<\/p>\n The Black Ferns beat the Springbok Women 52-20 in the first women\u2019s Test between the sides on South African soil.<\/p>\n The scoreline eventually reflected New Zealand\u2019s class, but South Africa were competitive for long periods and trailed only 24-13 at half-time. It was another valuable test for a team still building, played in front of a major crowd and on a memorable day for women\u2019s rugby.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Here\u2019s Siys Kolisi on the significance of playing this match in Soweto:<\/p>\n double quotation markSo many things that happened in Soweto helped shape the South Africa we have today. So many heroes have come from there and a lot of the football history of this country is from Soweto, so we know how special that is. We\u2019re \u2060not going to act like it\u2019s not a special ground in a significant area. All of that gives us more to play for. We are also thankful for the people who came from there and fought for people like me to be sitting here today.<\/p>\n They fought for the freedom we have now and never got to experience it, and giving our best tomorrow is part of us saying thank you. Hopefully we can do that with a win and change the history between the two teams here.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n South Africa have never beaten New Zealand at FNB Stadium. The All Blacks won there 29-22 in 2010 and 32-16 in 2012.<\/p>\n Just on the stadium. It\u2019s truly magnificent. It might look like little more than a large bowl, but the place is electric.<\/p>\n I hope the New Zealand supporters visiting Soweto for the first time took it all in. I especially hope they sank a few cold Zamaleks in a Shabeen before and also chowed some shisanyama with their fingers.<\/p>\n If you know, you know.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The aerial battle remains central.<\/p>\n The Boks will keep testing New Zealand\u2019s back three. Damian McKenzie, Will Jordan and Leroy Carter must either win those contests or give South Africa poor-field-position penalties and possession.<\/p>\n The Boks bossed the skies last week thanks alrgely to Ethan Hooker. But Damian Willemse\u2019s absence will be felt I feel. Can the smaller Cheslin Kolbe at fullback replicate that dominance in the air?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n How about some reading:<\/p>\n That flyover last week was close, wasn\u2019t it? There\u2019ll be no tomfoolery this time:<\/p>\n There\u2019s a Jonah Lomu documentary that\u2019s pretty good. Check it out:<\/p>\n Rassie Erasmus is either rugby union\u2019s Lucifer or the sport\u2019s saviour. Likely something between those two extremes. Either way, he\u2019s hard to ignore.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>New Zealand team<\/p>\n There are three changes to the All Blacks team that lost in Cape Town last week, all of them among the forwards.<\/p>\n Asafo Aumua replaces the experienced Codie Taylor at hooker, with Samisoni Taukei\u2019aho coming onto the bench. Sam Darry starts at lock, pushing Fabian Holland among the replacements, while Peter Lakai comes into the back row at No 6. The rampaging Wallace Sititi provides loose-forward cover.<\/p>\n The backline is unchanged, with Damian McKenzie again at fullback and Ruben Love at fly-half. Tupou Vaa\u2019i \u2013 my pick for best All Black on tour \u2013 will win his 50th cap in his third jumper in three Tests, this time starting at 4.<\/p>\n New Zealand: 15 Damian McKenzie; 14 Will Jordan, 13 Quinn Tupaea, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Leroy Carter; 10 Ruben Love, 9 Cam Roigard; 1 George Bower, 2 Asafo Aumua, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 4 Tupou Vaa\u2019i, 5 Sam Darry, 6 Peter Lakai, 7 Luke Jacobson, 8 Ardie Savea (captain).<\/p>\n Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei\u2019aho, 17 Xavier Numia, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Fabian Holland, 20 Wallace Sititi, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Josh Moorby.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>South Africa team<\/p>\n It\u2019s pretty much the same team that did the business in Cape Town last week with only the injured Damian Willemse missing.<\/p>\n The fullback took a knock late in the first half which means Cheslin Kolbe \u2013 player of the match in the second Test \u2013 shifts to fullback.<\/p>\n Kurt-Lee Arendse returns to slot in on the wing.<\/p>\n As far as we know, the starting front row will consist of Malcolm Marx, Ox Nche and Wilco Louw, but who knows. Maybe Rassie Erasmus will pull a late switch like he did in Cape Town.<\/p>\n 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; 1 Ox Nche, 2 Malcolm Marx, 3 Wilco Louw, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Ruan Nortje, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Jasper Wiese.<\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n
![\"Daniel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Daniel_Gallan.png\")
Daniel Gallan<\/p>\n