Captain Siya Kolisi returned to South Africa’s starting team
World champions South Africa delivered a powerful first-half performance as they edged past New Zealand and levelled ‘Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’ series at 1-1 with two Tests to play.
The All Blacks travelled to Cape Town knowing a win would write them into the history books as the first New Zealand team to win back-to-back Tests in South Africa since the ‘Incomparables’ of 1996.
But South Africa dominated the basics and showed a more clinical edge this week, even though the lively All Blacks again outscored them on the try count by four to three.
New Zealand’s fightback ultimately came too late, captain Ardie Savea barging over on 77 minutes to get the game within a score, but on the All Blacks’ final attack Boks replacement Cameron Hanekom won a superb turnover that settled the nervy closing stages.
As he did last week, Springboks wing Cheslin Kolbe took on the kicking duties over fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, notching up 18 points in a player-of-the-match performance.
The first series in 30 years between these two mighty rugby nations is shaping into an epic, with the third Test back at altitude in Soweto, Johannesburg on Saturday.
