Jesse Kriel celebrates after scoring the opening try in the second minute as the Springboks beat the All Blacks 33-26 at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday 29 August 2026 to level Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series at 1-1. Image:
The Springboks levelled Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series at 1-1 after beating the All Blacks 33-26 at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday 29 August 2026. The Springboks All Blacks second test result avenged last week’s 33-16 loss at Ellis Park. Furthermore, the Boks led 24-14 at half-time after tries from Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende and captain Siya Kolisi. As a result, the series now heads to FNB Stadium in Johannesburg for the third test with everything still to play for.
The Springboks came out with purpose from the first whistle. Jesse Kriel opened the scoring in the second minute. He took a pass from Cobus Reinach and finished clinically in the corner. The All Blacks hit back when Will Jordan left both Bok centres grasping at air. Jordan released Cam Roigard, who raced under the posts untouched in the 15th minute. South Africa responded immediately. Damian de Allende powered over for the Boks’ second try. New Zealand responded again through Ardie Savea driving through the middle with Damian McKenzie scoring. Furthermore, Kolisi added the third try before half-time to give South Africa a 24-14 lead. As a result, the first half was a breathless end-to-end contest between two of the greatest rugby nations on earth.
Cheslin Kolbe extended the lead to 27-14 with a penalty in the 48th minute. Another Kolbe penalty pushed the gap to 30-14 in the 50th minute. South Africa looked in complete control at that point. The All Blacks appeared to have run out of answers. Eben Etzebeth produced a crucial lineout steal in the 64th minute to shut down a dangerous New Zealand attack. South Africa made changes at the 56th minute. Morne van den Berg came on for Reinach. Wilco Louw replaced Thomas du Toit. Furthermore, with 25 minutes left the Boks led by 16 points and most people inside DHL Stadium believed the match was won. As a result, what happened next caught almost everyone off guard.
The All Blacks launched a furious late comeback. Leroy Carter scored a try to cut the deficit. Ardie Savea then added another to make it 33-26 with minutes remaining. Suddenly what had looked like a comfortable South African win became a nail-biting finish. The All Blacks had the momentum and the crowd was on edge. Furthermore, the drama reached its peak in the 79th minute when Lood de Jager received a yellow card for head contact on Carter. South Africa would have to defend their line with 14 men in the closing moments. New Zealand had the ball and an opportunity to level the match. As a result, the closing seconds tested the nerves of every South African watching.
South Africa held on. They defended their line with 14 men and kept New Zealand out as the clock ran down. The final whistle brought an explosion of relief and joy at DHL Stadium. The win was particularly meaningful for Pieter-Steph du Toit, who played his 100th test for the Springboks. Du Toit broke a long-standing Bok tradition of losing when celebrating a century of caps. Furthermore, captain Siya Kolisi played a complete match, scoring a crucial try and leading his team through the dramatic closing stages. He spoke with pride after the match. “The boys showed character. That is what we are about,” Kolisi said. As a result, the Springboks showed the mental strength that has defined them under Rassie Erasmus’s coaching across the past several years.
The individual performances across the park were outstanding. Cheslin Kolbe was immaculate with boot and ball throughout. Eben Etzebeth was dominant at the lineout and in the tight exchanges. Jesse Kriel was electric in the early stages and set the tone for the Bok attack. De Allende was a handful every time he touched the ball. Furthermore, the Springbok forwards laid a solid platform that allowed the backline to express themselves. The set piece was competitive and the breakdown work was hard and accurate throughout. As a result, this was a performance that showed the full range of what the Springboks can produce when they play with confidence and intensity from the first whistle.
For New Zealand it was a tale of two halves. The All Blacks were poor in the first half and allowed South Africa to build a lead that looked match-winning. Their second half was far better. Will Jordan was again outstanding and showed why he is one of the most dangerous wingers in world rugby. Ardie Savea led from the front and gave everything for his team even in defeat. Furthermore, the late comeback showed the All Blacks have the character and ability to fight until the very end regardless of the scoreline. As a result, the series is perfectly poised going into the third test and both teams know that neither has yet played their best rugby of the tour.
The series now stands at 1-1 with two tests remaining. The third test moves to FNB Stadium in Soweto on 5 September 2026. The fourth and final test takes place in Baltimore in the United States on 12 September 2026. A series win for either team would be one of the great achievements in the history of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry. Furthermore, the Springboks will be buoyed by the Cape Town result but know they must fix the defensive gaps that let New Zealand back into the match. As a result, Rassie Erasmus and his coaching team face important selection and tactical decisions before the Soweto test which promises to be one of the great sporting occasions South Africa has seen in years.
Also read: All Blacks Stun Springboks 33-16 at Ellis Park in First Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Series
Editors Note All match statistics and results are based on confirmed reports from DHL Stadium in Cape Town on 29 August 2026.