The Springboks secured the home series against the All Blacks 2-1 with a 29-24 victory at FNB Stadium on Saturday night, ending New Zealand's hopes of a series win in South Africa for the first time since Sean Fitzpatrick's 1996 squad.
Played in front of 85,500 spectators, the win was built on a dominant performance from the 50th to 78th minutes after a first half in which the Boks were second best for long stretches. The All Blacks led 7-0, extended that to 12-5, and were the first to score after the break to go 17-12 up before South Africa seized control through superior set-piece work and defensive intensity.
Two tries in that decisive 28-minute window turned the match. A scrum penalty try — awarded after Ruben Love was penalised for a professional foul and the All Blacks scrum subsequently collapsed — levelled matters, before Malcolm Marx finished a maul that drove New Zealand back 30 metres. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted and landed a long-range penalty to put the Boks 29-17 clear with ten minutes remaining. The All Blacks scored a consolation try after the hooter to make it 29-24.
Ethan Hooker, starting at left wing, was named Player of the Match for a display that troubled the Boks defence throughout and posed constant attacking threats. Ardie Savea had given New Zealand a platform in the opening half, scoring both of their first-half tries and carrying with real authority, but his evening ended in the 32nd minute through injury — a loss that coincided with a momentum shift in South Africa's favour.
The Boks' tries came from Kurt-Lee Arendse, the scrum penalty try, Jesse Kriel and Marx, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu converting twice and adding the decisive penalty. Cheslin Kolbe's early injury departure had disrupted the home backline in the first half, and the Boks looked disjointed compared to New Zealand's fluid back play and composed kicking game. Individually, Damian de Allende, Jasper Wiese, Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi and Cobus Reinach stood out in the first half.
The result is a marked reversal from the pattern of the first two Tests, in which South Africa lost the final 30 minutes of both matches by a combined 33-3. The finishers proved decisive this time, with Manie Libbok's run after a Wiese linebreak setting up the passage that led to the scrum penalty try.
Kolisi, in winning the series, set a new record of 55 Test wins as Springbok captain. The fourth and final Test remains to be played.