Johannesburg – In a dramatic showdown at Ellis Park on Saturday, the New Zealand All Blacks overcame an early deficit to defeat the South African Springboks 33‑16. The victory halted the Springboks’ 12‑test winning streak that began after their 43‑10 loss to New Zealand in Wellington eleven months earlier.
The first half was tightly contested. South Africa led 13‑12 after a successful scrum penalty conversion by Cheslin Kolbe, but a crucial turnover on the restart allowed New Zealand lock Fabian Holland to charge down Springbok scrum‑half Grant Williams and score a converted try, putting the All Blacks ahead 19‑16.
New Zealand’s new head coach Dave Rennie praised his squad’s resilience, noting that the team “found a way to produce something from nothing” when the match seemed balanced. The All Blacks added two more tries in the final quarter, capitalising on South Africa’s disciplinary lapses.
Discipline proved costly for the Springboks. Within a minute, they received two yellow cards, reducing them to 13 men. Captain Pieter‑Steph du Toit admitted the errors, saying, “We shot ourselves in the foot. Small mistakes count in a game like this.”
All Blacks scrum‑half Cam Roigard highlighted the impact of the replacement front row – George Bower, Asafo Aumua and Fletcher Newell – stating, “We probably owe them a beer; they gave us a lot of energy.” Their fresh push helped stabilise the scrum, which had been shaky in the first half.
Fullback Damian McKenzie made a decisive run from his own half, setting up a try that Roigard narrowly missed, while winger Will Jordan capped the scoring with his second try of the match after a high‑missed pass from captain Ardie Savea was intercepted.
South Africa’s strategy of waiving numerous kickable penalties at altitude backfired, as the Springboks failed to convert those opportunities into points. Their backline struggled to link passes, placing excessive pressure on forwards Jasper Wiese, Malcolm Marx and Paul de Villiers.
English referee Matthew Carley, who has overseen three previous South Africa‑All Blacks matchups, made several contentious calls, including a yellow card for Marco van Staden for cynical play on the try line and a sin‑bin for Cobus Reinach after a deliberate knock‑on.
The series now moves to sea‑level Cape Town for the next test on Saturday, with New Zealand emerging as the unexpected front‑runner in the first full series between the two nations in three decades.
Key Takeaways
- All Blacks win 33‑16, ending Springboks’ 12‑test streak.
- Second‑half surge powered by fresh front‑row players.
- South Africa’s discipline issues cost them dearly.
- Series shifts to Cape Town, with New Zealand holding the advantage.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
