A consolation score for New Zealand at the death makes the margin of victory closer than it was. A second-half masterclass from the Boks, the kind that leaves even opponents as worthy as the All Blacks floundering, confirms what has been apparent for some time \u2013 South Africa remain the red-hot favourites for next year\u2019s World Cup.<\/p>\n
There is a fourth Test next week in Baltimore but the reality is it is a money-spinning appendage to the three matches in South Africa. The Springboks lost the first but have roared back on home soil. They take a 2-1 lead in the series and are unofficial winners of the best-of-three contest in South Africa.<\/p>\n
The All Blacks showed their class for much of this contest, which ultimately hinged on Jesse Kriel\u2019s decisive second-half score, just after Will Jordan had struck for New Zealand. From that moment on, South Africa smelled blood and capitalised with the ruthless streak that has crowned them consecutive World Cup winners.<\/p>\n
The All Blacks are evidently their closest challengers and will rue losing Ardie Savea to injury late in the first half. It is no excuse, however, not least because Cheslin Kolbe lasted all of 10 minutes before going off in another Test match of remarkable intensity.<\/p>\n
![\"South](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/AMDSERN754NRINQG4G7XU365WQ.jpg\")
South Africa’s centre Jesse Kriel runs in a try during the third Test in Johannesburg. Photograph: Gianluigi Guercia\/AFP via Getty Images <\/p>\n
A breathless first half began with a statement of intent by the All Blacks. First the Springboks\u2019 maul was stopped in its tracks, then South Africa\u2019s bulldozing number eight Jasper Wiese was knocked back in the tackle. A mesmerising run up the middle by Jordan demonstrated the All Blacks had come to play too and the Springboks were rattled when Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was sent to the sinbin for a deliberate knock-on.<\/p>\n
From the resulting lineout move, Savea had space to pounce for the opening try and to compound matters for South Africa, Kolbe had been taken off with a head injury. South Africa\u2019s foothold came from the set-piece superiority, however, and shortly after Feinberg-Mngomezulu\u2019s return, Kurt-Lee Arendse was over on the right after an outside break by Damian de Allende.<\/p>\n
The All Blacks were at this point struggling at the breakdown, certainly in the eyes of the referee Nika Amashukeli, but have showcased throughout this tour an ability to strike on the counter like no other side in the world game. Again Savea was the beneficiary on their second try which owed much to some nifty footwork from Tupou Vaa\u2019i but perhaps more than that, New Zealand\u2019s collective superior skill level.<\/p>\n
For the third week in a row South Africa finished the first half the stronger and the All Blacks were dealt an almighty blow when Savea was taken off in clear discomfort. Manie Libbok proceeded to go close after an astonishing pickup by Ox Nch\u00e9 but Ruben Love had infringed on his own line and became the second outhalf to be shown a yellow card. A dominant Springboks scrum yielded a penalty try and parity at 12-12 at the break.<\/p>\n
The second half took a while to ignite but Love\u2019s missed penalty lit the touch paper. Jordan started and finished the All Blacks\u2019 third try with a fine chip through to Leroy Carter, who popped the ball up off the floor to his fellow winger. Almost immediately, however, the Boks were back ahead when Kriel slipped past Carter far too easily and sped to the line.<\/p>\n
![\"New](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/4AMKVEMU74DO4BVLYX6IJ5HLDE.jpg\")
New Zealand wing Will Jordan celebrates after scoring a try against South Africa. Photograph: Phill Magakoe\/AFP via Getty Images <\/p>\n
It was sloppy by Carter and the same can be said of Jordan, whose overhit kick led to a Springboks scrum. The inevitable penalty was kicked to the corner and a ferocious rumble by South Africa was finished off by the irrepressible Malcolm Marx.<\/p>\n
A Feinberg-Mngomezulu penalty pushed South Africa\u2019s lead to 12 with 10 minutes to play and though the All Blacks had finished the stronger in both previous Tests, they could only muster a pushover score by Samisoni Taukei\u2019aho with the clock well into the red. \u2013 Guardian<\/p>\n
SOUTH AFRICA: <\/b>Cheslin Kolbe; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse \u200cKriel, Damian de Allende, Ethan Hooker; Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cobus Reinach; Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx, Wilco Louw; Eben Etzebeth, Ruan \u200bNortje; Siya Kolisi (capt), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jasper Wiese.<\/p>\n
Replacements:<\/b> Manie Libbok for Kolbe (9 mins); Morne van den Berg for Reinach (42); Thomas du Toit for Louw (50); Gerhard Steenekamp for Nche, Lood de Jager for Etzebeth, Deon \u200bFourie for Kolisi (all 56); Cameron Hanekom for Wiese (61); Andre Esterhuizen for Marx (67).<\/p>\n
Yellow card:<\/b> Feinberg-Mngomezulu (9 mins).<\/p>\n
NEW ZEALAND:<\/b> Damian McKenzie; Will Jordan, Quinn Tupaea, Jordie Barrett, Leroy Carter; Ruben Love, Cam Roigard; George Bower, Asafo Aumua, Tyrel Lomax; Tupou Vaa\u2019i, Sam Darry; Peter Lakai, Luke Jacobson, Ardie Savea (capt).<\/p>\n
Replacements: <\/b>Wallace Sititi <\/b>for Savea (30 mins); Anton Lienert-Brown for Tupaea (42); Xavier Numia for Bower, Fletcher Newell for Lomax (both 45); Fabian Holland for Darry, Samisoni Taukei\u2019aho for Aumua (both 61); Kyle Preston for Roigard (66); Josh Moorby for Carter (67).<\/p>\n
Yellow card:<\/b> Love (10 mins).<\/p>\n
Referee: <\/b>Nika Amashukeli (Geo).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Third Test: South Africa 29 New Zealand 24 (SA lead four-match series 2-1) There have been moments throughout…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":674770,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[3],"tags":[34133,9,10,18,13,14,6,19,17,11,12,15,16,5,4389,7,8],"class_list":["post-674769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-all-blacks","tag-breaking-news","tag-breakingnews","tag-eire","tag-featured-news","tag-featurednews","tag-headlines","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-latest-news","tag-latestnews","tag-main-news","tag-mainnews","tag-news","tag-springboks","tag-top-stories","tag-topstories"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/117221800034029482","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/674769","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=674769"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/674769\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/674770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=674769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=674769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=674769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}