And here’s All Blacks skipper Patrick Tuipulotu
“Thank you to the Lions. It was a pretty tough game, they really brought it to us. I’m happy we got there in the end but they made us really work hard.
“Obviously it is a different squad to the Test squad. We’ve got some young guys who have only had one or two games, and for those guys it is a new experience playing here in South Africa. We’ll take the learnings. To play four club sides here in South Africa has been really good for us. We got pushed to our limits and the Lions can be very proud of their efforts.
“That’s the great thing about this tour. You don’t have to wait long until another game. Our Test side did an awesome job and that energy flowed through. We’ll rest, recuperate and get ready for South Africa Test two.”
Harry Latham-Coyle25 August 2026 19:55
Lions captain Francke Horn reacts to the performance
“What an unbelievable opportunity tonight. Congrats to them on a good win; from our team, everybody played for one another. There was so much good stuff to take out of that going into the URC season.
“We wanted to test ourselves and see where we are. We showed where we are, and where we want to go. I’ve never heard Ellis Park like this since I’ve been with the Lions. Hopefully we’ll see them all year when the URC starts. We appreciate the crowd being there for us and hopefully there is more to come.”
Harry Latham-Coyle25 August 2026 19:53
Well, it’s five from five for the All Blacks so far in South Africa and a clean sweep in the tour matches, but that was a heck of a contest at Ellis Park. The Lions gave as good as they got, and can count themselves unfortunate not to emerge with a famous win.
New Zealand had just enough…but there weren’t many men in black who put their hand up for Test selection.
Harry Latham-Coyle25 August 2026 19:49
FULL TIME! Lions 35-41 New Zealand
(Reuters)
Harry Latham-Coyle25 August 2026 19:47
TRY! Lions 35-41 NEW ZEALAND (Emoni Narawa, 80 minutes)
A sparkling finish from Emoni Narawa but give the credit to the forward pack! Another truly statement scrum from the replacement All Blacks eight leaves the Lions firmly on the back foot. There is advantage coming but Narawa doesn’t want it, stepping four defenders and then powering through three more to the line.
Richie Mo’unga’s conversion is wide, and the final kick.
Harry Latham-Coyle25 August 2026 19:46
Lions 35-36 New Zealand, 77 minutes
The All Blacks forwards assert themselves again, making hard yards in tight exchanges.
Wide, now, in search of space. Richie Mo’unga looks for Rieko Ioane with a rainbow pass…were there Lions hands in the way? Yes, but it’s a knock-on only. All Blacks scrum.
Harry Latham-Coyle25 August 2026 19:44
Lions 35-36 New Zealand, 75 minutes
Blimey! That’s some scrum shove from the All Blacks, Ofa Tu’ungafasi absolutely marmalising RF Schoeman and putting him on the Gautrain back across Johannesburg. It’s rare you see a South African scrum go backwards like that.
Harry Latham-Coyle25 August 2026 19:41
Lions 35-36 New Zealand, 74 minutes
JC Pretorius forces a knock-on from Jamie Hannah after the lock retreats to claim a chipped box kick. Lions scrum just inside their own half.
Harry Latham-Coyle25 August 2026 19:39
Lions 35-36 New Zealand, 73 minutes
That might have sealed it…but the pass goes awry! Richie Mo’unga cuts the Lions to ribbons like a Roman gladiator, but Peter Lakai and Beauden Barrett can’t connect on a switch move as the pair look to build on the back of the fly half’s break. The All Blacks have scored six tries but it’s still felt pretty clunky.
Harry Latham-Coyle25 August 2026 19:38
Lions 35-36 New Zealand, 71 minutes
We mentioned that JC Pretorius is quite the sight in space but that’s a blind alley, rather, Kyle Preston and the massive Ofa Tu’ungafasi halting him and hauling him all the way to touch.
Still just one point in it, though.
(Reuters)
Harry Latham-Coyle25 August 2026 19:37