South Africa surged back into what many call rugby's premier rivalry when captain Siya Kolisi, back in the side, celebrated his return with a try in a pulsating 33-26 win over the All Blacks in Cape Town, evening the four‑match series at one apiece. The match was a showcase of attacking flair, with both teams combining for seven tries. For the Springboks, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende and Kolisi himself crossed the line, while New Zealand answered through Cam Roigard, Damian McKenzie and Leroy Carter. Yet it was the precision of Cheslin Kolbe, who contributed 18 points from kicks, that ultimately tipped the balance.
The All Blacks' skipper, Ardie Savea, added a late fourth try – his 33rd in Test rugby – giving New Zealand a total of four tries to South Africa's three. Despite the extra score, the visitors could not overcome Kolbe's flawless goal‑kicking, which kept the hosts ahead for the crucial phases of the game. Savea had warned before kickoff that the New Zealand side would face a "wounded beast," but the Springboks answered instantly.
Kriel darted over inside the opening two minutes, only for Roigard to equalise midway through the frenetic first quarter. Kolbe then slotted his first penalty, and de Allende's try shortly after the 20‑minute mark restored South African dominance.
McKenzie's successful conversion kept the All Blacks within striking distance, but Kolisi's half‑time try, scored just before the break, sent Cape Town fans into raptures and left the scoreboard at 24‑14 in favour of the hosts. The second half saw Kolbe extend the lead with two quick penalties, pushing the margin beyond two converted tries. Although Carter managed an unconverted try that briefly rekindled New Zealand hopes, Kolbe's fourth penalty cemented the result, sealing a hard‑earned victory for the Springboks. "We know last week we let it slip," Kolbe, who was named player of the match, reflected.
"We could feel the mood from the South African fans. We just wanted to do the jersey proud, our families proud. You need to take every point given to you. That's Test match rugby.
We stuck to the plan to take the points on offer." Savea acknowledged his side's slow start. "We kind of let the Springboks get ahead in the first two minutes and we were chasing the game," the New Zealand captain admitted.
"We stuck in there but we came up short. It's a tough pill to swallow. We lost the battle tonight but we haven't lost the war. We'll get back on the horse this week and go again." The All Blacks captain also paid tribute to milestones achieved on the field: Pieter‑Steph du Toit earned his 100th cap, while Ox Nche celebrated his 50th appearance for New Zealand.
Kolisi, who missed the opening test, spoke about the team's mindset. "It's been a massive week. Last week we didn't take our opportunities but this week we did. Coach Rassie always reminds us that this is not just about us, it's about all of South Africa.
We knew the mood was down last week. Next week is going to be big.
Some of us are playing for the first time in Soweto. It's hard playing them once. Playing them four times in a row is incredibly difficult." A loss would have handed South Africa consecutive home defeats for the first time since 2015, but Erasmus' side instead left Cape Town buoyed and headed to Johannesburg with renewed momentum.
Preparation for the match had been anything but smooth. Erasmus made five alterations to his original lineup after Handre Pollard and Kurt‑Lee Arendse withdrew on Friday. This prompted the recall of Sacha Feinberg‑Mngomezulu at fly‑half, just a week after he had been dropped, while Kolbe was promoted to the starting wing.
An hour before kickoff, further changes saw Deon Fourie, Gerhard Steenekamp and Thomas du Toit promoted to the front row, pushing Malcolm Marx, Ox Nche and Wilco Louw onto the bench without public explanation. On a brighter note, Kolisi reclaimed the captaincy after missing the first test, and Du Toit celebrated his 100th cap – a testament to his longevity and influence.
New Zealand also tweaked their squad, introducing Leroy Carter for Josh Moorby on the wing, and adding George Bower and Tupou Vaa'i to the pack in place of injured forwards Ethan de Groot and Josh Lord. Ruben Love retained the fly‑half jersey, while veteran Beauden Barrett was omitted from the 23. The All Blacks' five‑try, 33‑16 win in Johannesburg had propelled them to the top of the world rankings, giving Dave Rennie's side an early edge in the first full‑series encounter between the two nations in three decades. South Africa's response in Cape Town, however, demonstrated why the Springboks have a formidable home record, having lost only one series on South African soil in the past thirty years.
The tour, billed as Rugby's Greatest Rivalry, marks New Zealand's first full visit to South Africa since 1996. The All Blacks arrived unbeaten, having beaten the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls before a narrow mid‑week victory over the Lions in Johannesburg. The series now shifts to the FNB Stadium for the third test on September 5, before concluding with a historic first meeting on American soil at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium on September 12.
All matches will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, with kick‑off times listed for the UK and Ireland.