South Africa broke New Zealand’s 15-year stranglehold on the Freedom Cup as they powered home to an 18-12 win in Saturday’s Rugby Championship Test at Cape Town Stadium.
For the second weekend in a row, the Springboks used their Bomb Squad to outfox the All Blacks, who at one stage looked to be in full control of the game.
It was a morsige game at times with both teams making countless errors on attack.
South Africa looked flat, especially up front, with their cleaners slow to the breakdown and the defensive line very passive at stages as the Kiwis took them head-on.
And it paid off when Jasper Wiese was sin-binned for an early tackle in the red zone, which allowed flyhalf Damian McKenzie to put the All Blacks ahead with a penalty after 15 minutes.
The pivot increased the visitors’ lead with a second shot at goal after Bok Bo.9 Grant Williams was penalised for a breakdown infringement, before the Boks got into the game with Handré Pollard landing his side’s first points after a Kiwi tackler didn’t release the ball (6-3).
A frantic start to the game and Jasper Wiese is sin-binned in the 15th minute with the All Blacks on the attack 🟨#Springboks #ForeverGreenForeverGold #RSAvNZL pic.twitter.com/XefZgsXXZt
— Springboks (@Springboks) September 7, 2024
But Bok-se-kind continued to turn the ball over to New Zealand, with Pollard in particular being guilty of handing over possession.
New Zealand hit the sheds the happier of the two sides as McKenzie’s third successful shot put them 9-3 up after lock Ruan Nortje was penalised at a breakdown.
Something had to give and it was when hooker Malcolm Marx subbed in for Bongi Mbonambi that the momentum shifted. The Boks then scored the first try of the match through captain Siya Kolisi from close quarters to take the lead for the first time (10-9) in the 49th minute.
Highlights: Relive the action from yet another humdinger between the #Springboks and the All Blacks in Cape Town - watch here: https://t.co/K1b0JSXfFt 🎥#ForeverGreenForeverGold #RSAvNZL
— Springboks (@Springboks) September 7, 2024
Thank you Cape Town, you showed up in your numbers and the boys felt it 🧬![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦
— Springboks (@Springboks) September 8, 2024
We appreciate all of you 🫂#Springboks#ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/XihxF7TVxH
Marx’s fellow replacement Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, on for a struggling Pollard, was then called upon to stretch their lead with a penalty conversion (13-9) in the 54th minute.
The All Blacks had their opportunities to kill off the game after McKenzie slotted a fourth penalty, but the pivot missed an easy three with less than 10 to play that would have handed them the lead.
Willie le Roux’s sending off for a questionable knock-on after attempting to intercept the ball, also gave the Kiwis an advantage.
The visitors then also found themselves a man down after prop Tyrel Lomax se skouerloop on Cheslin Kolbe.
South Africa then delivered the doodskoot as Marx broke free from a maul to score in the left corner six minutes from time for a history (18-12) win that sees the Boks klap the All Blacks four times in a row for the first time in the games professional era.
