The Springboks have taken a 2-1 lead in the Castle Double Malt Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series, beating the All Blacks 29-24 at FNB Stadium in front of a crowd of 85,967 — ending more than a decade without a win at the venue against New Zealand.
Tries from Kurt-Lee Arendse and a penalty try gave the Boks a 12-12 halftime share before Jesse Kriel and Malcolm Marx crossed in the second half to seal the result. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu landed three conversions. Arendse's score was his 26th in 34 appearances.
The match was played at a ferocious pace from the outset. The Boks dominated early field position before a yellow card to Feinberg-Mngomezulu — for a failed intercept attempt ten metres from his own line — and a head injury assessment to Cheslin Kolbe, who did not return and was replaced by Manie Libbok, shifted momentum. From the resulting lineout, All Blacks captain Ardie Savea scored his second try in successive matches, picking up and dotting down from five metres.
The Boks responded immediately, with Damian de Allende creating Arendse's corner finish after beating the tackle of Leroy Carter. Carter answered back, breaking down the left to set up Savea's second — his fourth of the series — making it 12-5 to New Zealand.
Libbok's long-range break from his own half came within centimetres of producing a try before All Blacks flyhalf Ruben Love was yellow-carded for a professional foul in a goalline sequence. With Daan Human's tighthead unit forcing the scrum backwards into the in-goal, referee Nika Amashukeli awarded a penalty try to level matters at 12-12 at the break.
Jordie Barrett missed a 45-metre penalty attempt — the All Blacks' first shot at goal in the series — in the 55th minute before the Boks broke the deadlock through Kriel and then Marx to put the match beyond reach. Samisoni Taukei'aho scored for the All Blacks after the final hooter but the result was never in doubt by that point.