Kriel and Marx power South Africa to series lead over All Blacks

South Africa’s standing as the dominant force in world rugby has been questioned at various points throughout this series. Following their helter-skelter third Test victory, which ensures they cannot lose the series, the answer is clear: the Springboks remain the team to beat. Their power is unmatched. New Zealand’s flair brought them close, but South Africa stays firmly at the top.

A late consolation try for New Zealand narrowed the final margin. However, South Africa’s second-half performance, one that left even the All Blacks struggling, reinforced what has been evident: South Africa are the favourites for next year’s World Cup.

A fourth Test is scheduled next week in Baltimore, but it is essentially a commercial addition to the three matches in South Africa. The Springboks lost the first Test but have since won two on home soil. They lead the series 2-1 and are the unofficial winners of the best-of-three contest in South Africa.

New Zealand demonstrated quality for much of the match, which turned on Jesse Kriel’s decisive second-half try, shortly after Will Jordan scored for the All Blacks. From that point, South Africa seized control with the ruthless streak that has delivered them consecutive World Cup titles.

The All Blacks are clearly their closest rivals and will regret losing Ardie Savea to injury late in the first half. This is no excuse, especially as Cheslin Kolbe lasted only 10 minutes before being substituted in another intensely fought Test.

A fast-paced first half opened with New Zealand making their intentions clear. The Springbok maul was halted early, and Jasper Wiese was driven back in the tackle. A dazzling run through the middle by Jordan showed the All Blacks had arrived to compete, and South Africa were further unsettled when Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on.

From the resulting lineout, Savea scored the opening try. Kolbe was also forced off with a head injury. South Africa’s platform came from set-piece dominance, and shortly after Feinberg-Mngomezulu returned, Kurt-Lee Arendse scored on the right following an outside break by Damian de Allende.

The All Blacks struggled at the breakdown, particularly in referee Nika Amashukeli’s view, but they showed throughout the tour their ability to counter-attack effectively. Savea scored their second try after clever footwork from Tupou Vaa’i, highlighting New Zealand’s superior collective skill.

For the third consecutive week, South Africa ended the first half stronger. Savea was forced off in clear discomfort, a major blow to the All Blacks. Manie Libbok came close after a remarkable pickup by Ox Nché, but Ruben Love infringed on his own line and became the second fly-half to receive a yellow card. A dominant Springbok scrum produced a penalty try, leaving the score level at 12-12 at the break.

The second half took time to spark, but Love’s missed penalty shifted the momentum. Jordan began and finished New Zealand’s third try with a precise chip to Leroy Carter, who offloaded to his fellow winger. Almost immediately, Kriel slipped past Carter with ease and ran in South Africa’s response.

Carter’s defending was poor, and Jordan’s overhit kick handed South Africa a scrum. The resulting penalty was kicked to the corner, and a powerful drive was finished by Malcolm Marx.

A Feinberg-Mngomezulu penalty extended South Africa’s lead to 12 points with 10 minutes remaining. Although the All Blacks had finished strongly in the earlier Tests, they could only manage a pushover try by Samisoni Taukei’aho in the final moments.