Boks underline never-say-die spirit with another rearguard victory over All Blacks in historic match

It was fitting that the monstrous, workaholic flank Pieter-Steph du Toit had the final say in this match and series by stealing the All Blacks’ lineout ball with the last play of the game.

The Bok great’s piece of brilliance encapsulated their never-say-die attitude and ability to win games from tough positions. Like the previous week, they were never fully in control at a packed DHL Stadium, but they were always within striking distance. That’s all this team needs to win.

Victory ensured a fourth straight win for the Springboks over the All Blacks for the first time since 1949, secured the Freedom Cup for the first time since 2009 and gave the Boks a firm grasp on their first Rugby Championship title since 2019.

The Boks kept the All Blacks tryless while scoring two of their own – from the brilliant captain Siya Kolisi and hooker Malcolm Marx – while All Black flyhalf Damian McKenzie kicked all his team’s points with four penalties.

Bok Flank Pieter-Steph du Toit evades All Black wing Sevu Reece. (Photo: Anton Geyser / Gallo Images)

Warriors 

Du Toit was just one of many magnificent warriors on both sides in a match that was untidy and riddled with errors but stacked with character and commitment. 

Bok centre Damian de Allende was simply brilliant, carrying, cleaning and tackling himself to a standstill.

Kolisi, playing with a broken nose, flew into contact without a care for his own safety and produced a performance that must be embarrassing for any person questioning his world-class credentials.

Wing Cheslin Kolbe produced some amazing moments – darting through the All Blacks pack and taking one otherworldly high ball in the dying moments to keep the pressure on the All Blacks.

On the other side of the ruck, All Black flank Wallace Sititi, No 8 Ardie Savea and hooker Codie Taylor were excellent in a losing cause. Sititi was picked to add muscle to the back row and he took the fight to the Bok pack with some impressive surges and brutal defence. 

All Black coach Scott Robertson may have overseen a losing series, but he might also have found some answers to problem areas. Sititi must be the future for the Kiwis. 

All Blacks captain Scott Barrett wins lineout against the Boks at a packed DHL Stadium. (Photo: Grant Pitcher / Gallo Images)

Comeback kings

Boks trailed 3-9 at halftime but like last week dominated the second half and could have made it more comfortable had they been more accurate and disciplined.

In all the Boks conceded 14 penalties, to the 13 of New Zealand. The previous week the world champions only conceded five. The Boks also had two yellow cards – to No 8 Jasper Wiese for killing the ball in the red zone and fullback Willie le Roux for a deliberate knock-on. That didn’t help the cause.

Inevitably when these two sides are involved, the outcome turned on the finest of margins. 

First it was a stone-cold knock-on by All Blacks captain Scott Barrett when the Boks were on the rack and defending manically in their 22 with only 13 minutes to go.

That relieved the pressure with the home team down to 14 men at the time with Le Roux in the sin bin.

At that stage the Boks led 13-12 and looked for all money that they would at the least lose the lead in that period. But with that mistake they relieved the pressure and went downfield.

Bok hooker Malcolm Marx scores a second-half try against the All Blacks. (Photo: Ashley Vlotman / Gallo Images)

But continuing the theme of the day, moments later hooker Malcolm Marx did not roll away after a tackle and the All Blacks had a penalty from 38 metres in front to take the lead with eight minutes remaining.

McKenzie almost unbelievably missed the kick, his third miss of the day. That error was compounded soon afterwards when prop Tyrel Lomax pole-axed Kolbe as the Bok wing chased a kick. Penalty Boks. Yellow card for Lomax. Game over.

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu stabbed the ball into the corner, lock Ruan Nortje took the lineout by his fingertips and Marx finished by breaking away for the try to finally put some daylight between the sides.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu missed the conversion, ensuring the game remained alive as the clock wound down because the All Blacks still had a chance to win it with a converted try.

That chance never came though, as the Boks closed out the contest as they have done so many times before.

Bok captain Siya Kolisi has a storming game, which included this 49th-minute try. (Photo: Ashley Vlotman / Gallo Images)

Scrappy

There was no faulting the intensity or commitment but the first half, particularly for the Boks was sloppier than a bowl of milky porridge.

The home team lost three lineouts on their own ball in the first half, they knocked the ball-on three times, missed 25 tackles, had a yellow card and conceded seven penalties.

Their problems started almost immediately from kick-off when scrumhalf Grant Williams took too long to clear the ruck. Referee Matt Carley immediately stamped his authority on the game by awarding the All Blacks a scrum. 

It put the Boks on the back foot from the outset, just as they were in Johannesburg a week previously.

Fortunately, the scrum was one area of the Boks game that purred from the start, and they were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty from the first scrum of the game.

They held out a multiphase New Zealand attack and eventually gained some possession when Siya Kolisi’s heavy tackle on wing Mark Tele’a led to a knock-on.

From the scrum the Boks earned a penalty and they were able to clear their lines. But they immediately lost the lineout and in seconds were on the defensive again.

In the 15th minute, as the All Blacks marauded into Bok territory, Wiese was adjudged to have killed the ball with the visitors in a strong position. Carley issued his first yellow card of the game to the unfortunate Bok No 8.

McKenzie used the opportunity to kick the first of his three penalties in the half to give the All Blacks the lead. Which they held until the 49th minute.

Bok coach Rassie Erasmus’ decision to bring Handré Pollard and Willie le Roux didn’t backfire as such, but the pair never really stamped themselves on the game. 

In fairness, the amount of simple errors robbed the match of momentum and with Williams struggling to produce his usual snappy service with the All Blacks dominating the breakdown, everything else became messy.

The All Blacks made their fair share of errors too, as both teams brought such a high level of defensive intensity that mistakes were inevitable.

After halftime though, the Boks took it up another level and when Kolisi crashed over after a sustained four minutes of pressure inside the All Blacks’ 22, the tide had turned.

Despite the outcome remaining in the balance on the scoreboard, it really felt like only one side was in control for the final half hour.

These Boks don’t make it easy sometimes, but they do know how to close. DM

Scorers:

South Africa – Tries: Siya Kolisi, Malcolm Marx. Conversion: Handré Pollard. Penalties: Pollard, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

New Zealand – Penalties: Damian McKenzie (4)