Malcolm Marx delivered the defining moment at FNB Stadium on Saturday night, powering over from a rolling maul and striking the ground three times with his left fist as the Springboks secured a 29-24 victory over the All Blacks.

The hooker's converted try stretched the lead to 26-17 and ultimately gave South Africa a 2-1 advantage in the four-match series. The Springboks had trailed with almost an hour gone before Jesse Kriel outmuscled Leroy Carter to put them back in front, then the forwards mauled 20 metres for Marx to deliver the coup de grâce.

Power game proves decisive

The victory was built on the set-piece dominance that has become the hallmark of Rassie Erasmus's side. Cameron Hanekom, who came off the bench with 19 minutes remaining, was part of the rolling maul that set up Marx's try. Erasmus singled out the Bulls eighthman for a crucial turnover that proved pivotal in the closing stages.

"I feel like our set piece we did well," Hanekom said. "We knew what we wanted to work on and what we pride ourselves in — our scrums, our mauls, our lineouts — there are a lot of other factors, but ja, we pride ourselves on those elements, and I felt like we ticked those boxes."

Ethan Hooker was named Man of the Match after an exhausting 80-minute shift on the left wing, repeatedly carrying into heavy traffic and producing several crucial defensive interventions. The 23-year-old admitted the individual accolade was the furthest thing from his mind after the final whistle.

"It was the last thing on my mind because I was so exhausted after 80 minutes and so happy that we won," Hooker said. "We knew the third game was always going to be the make-or-break for either team. We just said we're going to throw everything at this game."

Forward focus on Baltimore

Despite taking the series lead, both Hooker and Hanekom insisted the job remains unfinished. The fourth Test moves to Baltimore, though the Soweto triumph has already added another chapter to South Africa's story under Erasmus.

The back-to-back nature of the series has tested both squads to their limits. "Normally you have the privilege of facing them twice a year, and that's quite a lot," Hooker said. "But now we've got them four times back to back. It's tough mentally. It's tough physically."

For Hanekom, who has only five caps but is fast becoming a fixture in Erasmus's plans ahead of the 2027 World Cup, the Soweto atmosphere provided a fitting stage for his latest contribution. "Seeing the crowd, singing the national anthem with all the Springbok supporters, it's very special," he said. "It was a good way to finish our last game at home for the year."

The Springboks now carry momentum into the final Test, having demonstrated once again their capacity to rise when the stakes are highest.