{"id":753845,"date":"2026-08-29T19:28:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T19:28:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/753845\/"},"modified":"2026-08-29T19:28:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T19:28:18","slug":"south-africa-v-new-zealand-live-latest-updates-as-springboks-level-the-series-with-second-test-victory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/753845\/","title":{"rendered":"South Africa v New Zealand LIVE: Latest updates as Springboks level the series with second Test victory"},"content":{"rendered":"

South Africa inflict first loss of year on New Zealand to level series<\/p>\n

South Africa<\/a> dealt New Zealand<\/a> their first defeat of the year to level their four-Test series as they ran out 33-26 victors in Cape Town.<\/p>\n

The Springboks<\/a>, over the whitewash in just the second minute, scored all three of their tries in the first half to build a pressure-inducing 24-14 lead by half-time.<\/p>\n

Cheslin Kolbe<\/a> converted them all plus four penalties to keep his side in control on the scoreboard. Kolbe was named the player of the match, having made all 11 of his shots at the posts in the series.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/p>\n

Chris Wilson29 August 2026 19:49<\/p>\n

<\/a>The deeper significance behind South Africa and New Zealand\u2019s Rugby\u2019s Greatest Rivalry series<\/p>\n

While four Tests between the southern hemisphere heavyweights whet the appetite, this is as much a venture born out of mutual commercial benefit as any great demand for more meetings between the pair. Indeed, there is a degree of rankling resentment at the manner in which the two unions have broken away from the Rugby Championship, a competition that has found new life in recent years. But these encounters, titled \u201cRugby\u2019s Greatest Rivalry\u201d,<\/a> carry all the hallmarks of that term \u2013 genuine history, genuine hostility, genuine best-of-the-best feel.<\/p>\n

There will be touring teams of old that may scoff at the schedule facing the All Blacks, but this is a gruelling itinerary for modern times.<\/a> New Zealand will criss-cross the Rainbow Nation with four games against the United Rugby Championship (URC) franchises interspersed among four fully-fledged Tests, with half of each played at altitude. They will not need reminding of the strength and depth of South African rugby, or the hunger of those on the fringes to force their way into Springboks contention.<\/p>\n

Still, though, it feels as if these All Blacks have plenty to prove. There were encouraging early signs at the start of the Rennie regime in July\u2019s Nations Championship fixtures,<\/a> but New Zealand are clearly playing catch-up after two ultimately wasted years under Scott Robertson.<\/p>\n

\"\"(Getty)<\/p>\n

Harry Latham-Coyle29 August 2026 20:15<\/p>\n

<\/a>Rennie’s comments on four-Test series<\/p>\n

\u201cWith eight matches in six weeks, including a four-Test series against the Springboks, this would have to be the toughest tour in rugby,\u201d All Blacks coach Dave Rennie said on the series ahead f the first game. <\/p>\n

\u201cEvery player will be required to play their part across this tour, whether it\u2019s preparing to play or helping their mates prepare.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will be an intense seven weeks of touring but an excellent opportunity for us to pit ourselves against the current benchmark team in world rugby, and to build connections with each other in a way that only a tour of this scale can do,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Chris Wilson29 August 2026 19:25<\/p>\n

<\/a>The deeper significance behind South Africa and New Zealand\u2019s Rugby\u2019s Greatest Rivalry series<\/p>\n

They are known as \u201cThe Incomparables\u201d, a nickname to daunt a group of successors to whom they will find themselves inevitably compared. When Dave Rennie<\/a> unveiled his New Zealand<\/a> squad for the tour of South Africa, present were a selection of the 1996 All Blacks<\/a> who, 30 years ago, conquered the reigning world champion Springboks<\/a> in their own backyard and launched rugby union\u2019s professional age. Three decades on, the echoes of that series still sound; again, this much-anticipated meeting of men\u2019s rugby\u2019s two ruling powers carries with it a significance beyond simply the sport at its centre.<\/p>\n

Harry Latham-Coyle29 August 2026 19:05<\/p>\n

<\/a>Rugby\u2019s Greatest Rivalry schedule & results<\/p>\n

Rugby\u2019s Greatest Rivalry schedule (all times BST)<\/p>\n

29 August: South Africa 33-26 New Zealand<\/p>\n

5 September: South Africa vs New Zealand (4.10pm, Johannesburg) THIRD TEST<\/p>\n

12 September: South Africa vs New Zealand (10pm, Baltimore) FOURTH TEST<\/p>\n

\"\"(Getty)<\/p>\n

Chris Wilson29 August 2026 18:53<\/p>\n

<\/a>In pics: South Africa level the series\"\"(Reuters)\"\"(Reuters)\"\"(Getty)<\/p>\n

Chris Wilson29 August 2026 18:43<\/p>\n

<\/a>Next up <\/p>\n

The series continues next week in Johannesburg, with the two sides facing off on Saturday, 5 September. Kick-off in that one is at 4pm BST. <\/p>\n

The series ends a week after that on 12 September as the two sides face off in Baltimore, in the USA. That game begins at 10pm BST, and the series will be settled there one way or another. <\/p>\n

Chris Wilson29 August 2026 18:36<\/p>\n

<\/a>Kolisi: ‘It’s been a tough week’<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s been great, it’s been a tough week. The All Blacks played really well last week and again this week,\u201d said Sprongboks captain Siya Kolisi at full-time. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew what we needed to do. I want to credit the coaches, the plans that they make. Last week we didn’t take our opportunities but we did this week.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to thank everyone who came out to support. We wouldn’t be here without you,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n

\"\"(Getty)<\/p>\n

Chris Wilson29 August 2026 18:30<\/p>\n

<\/a>Savea: ‘We were chasing the game’<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s unfortunate. We kind of let the Springboks get ahead in the first two minutes and we were chasing the game after that.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I’m proud of the boys, we stuck in there and fought but we came up short. It’s a bitter pill to swallow but we need to go again next week.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur inaccuracy and discipline, they punished us today. We’ve got to sort that out. We’ve lost the battle tonight but we haven’t lost the war – we’ll go again,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n

\"\"(Reuters)<\/p>\n

Chris Wilson29 August 2026 18:23<\/p>\n

<\/a>Kolbe: ‘We want to do the jersey proud’<\/p>\n

South Africa’s Cheslin Kolbe was named player of the match, and here\u2019s what he had to say at full-time: <\/p>\n

\u201cWe could feel the mood in the week this week from South Africa fans. When we get the opportunity to wear this jersey, we want to do you guys proud, we want to do the jersey proud.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for being behind us and sticking with us, we’ll just keep going from here and continue to learn.”<\/p>\n

On his own performance, he added: \u201cThat’s Test rugby, you need to take every point that’s given to you. Last week we didn’t capitalise on that and it’s credit to the boys for sticking to the plan today and taking the points on offer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chris Wilson29 August 2026 18:18<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"South Africa inflict first loss of year on New Zealand to level series South Africa dealt New Zealand…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":753846,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[21322,182119,6494,11237,620,6487,5903,248780,23451,4247,217,101,56,54,55,123298,215542],"class_list":["post-753845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-rugby","tag-cape-town","tag-celebration","tag-color-image","tag-horizontal","tag-new-zealand","tag-photography","tag-rugby","tag-rugby-sport","tag-rugby-union","tag-south-africa","tag-sport","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-western-cape-province","tag-winning"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753845","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=753845"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753845\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/753846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=753845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=753845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=753845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}