Kolbe's boot levels Greatest Rivalry series as Boks avoid 'Blou Maandag'

South Africa responded to the bruising Ellis Park defeat with a hard-fought 33-26 victory over the All Blacks at DHL Stadium, levelling the series at 1-1 with two Tests remaining.

While New Zealand crossed for four tries to the Springboks' three, Cheslin Kolbe's accuracy off the tee proved the difference. The winger contributed 18 points, landing three conversions and four penalties in a performance that underlined his growing value as a goal-kicking option.

Kolbe, who will shift to fullback for the third Test, admitted the atmosphere in camp had been subdued following the Ellis Park loss. "We could feel the atmosphere, not negativity but less energy, throughout the week because of the loss last week," Kolbe said. "As they always say, when we lose, it's 'n Blou Maandag'. We felt that, but we just wanted to rectify it."

The 32-year-old expects a fired-up New Zealand side when the series resumes at FNB Stadium. "When you lose, the team is always going to come back with a point to prove," Kolbe said. "New Zealand are a quality team; they attack well and they cut us open a few times. We definitely need to look at where we can improve and get better as a team."

Former Springbok captain Victor Matfield hailed Eben Etzebeth as "probably the best Springbok of all time" after the veteran lock produced a towering performance in response to recent scrutiny over his form.