The Springboks recorded their first-ever victory over the All Blacks at Ellis Park, winning 29-24 to take a 2-1 lead in the four-match series and position themselves for a first series triumph over New Zealand in 50 years.
For the better part of the opening hour, the All Blacks held the upper hand, but the match turned decisively in the final quarter. Jesse Kriel's hand-off of Leroy Carter to score South Africa's third try was the pivotal moment, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu's conversion putting the Boks ahead for the first time. Malcolm Marx then buried New Zealand with a try from a rolling maul — pounding the turf with his fist three times in what was an unmistakable reference to Sean Fitzpatrick's identical gesture after clinching the 1996 series at Loftus Versfeld. A Feinberg-Mngomezulu penalty extended the lead to 12 points, enough to withstand a late try from replacement hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho.
Ardie Savea had been the dominant force in the first half, scoring twice, his second an opportunistic effort after Feinberg-Mngomezulu scooped a ball loose from a ruck. The flyhalf, who spent most of the match at fullback after Cheslin Kolbe departed early with a broken jaw, was yellow-carded for an intentional knock-on, and it was during that absence that Savea crossed for New Zealand's first try. Savea's afternoon ended after 30 minutes when he left the field with a shoulder injury that rules him out of the fourth Test.
South Africa's opening try came through Kurt-Lee Arendse, set up by a decisive run from Damian de Allende. New Zealand had tightened their lineout after the Cape Town defeat, but their scrum became notably vulnerable as the match progressed, and Cam Roigard was largely kept in check throughout. The All Blacks outcarried the Boks 129 to 95, but South Africa made 150 tackles to New Zealand's 106, with Pieter-Steph du Toit and Siya Kolisi prominent in defence.
Of the 12 previous series between these nations, this is only the second time the team that lost the opening match has gone on to lead a series — the other being the Springboks in New Zealand in 1937. New Zealand can still level at 2-2 with a win in Baltimore next weekend.