FULL-TIME, SOUTH AFRICA 18-12!!!!! An astounding performance again from the Boks, especially in the last 15 minutes when it looked like the All Blacks were coming back hard, but the Boks kept their head while the visitors kept making mistakes and poor errors… but WHAT A WIN against such a powerful side as the All Blacks! A massive night for South Africa and the Springboks who have won four from four in the Rugby Championship. The Springboks truly are the CHAMPIONS!!!!
FULL-TIME, SOUTH AFRICA 18-12!!!!! The Boks have won four in a row against the All Blacks for the first time since 1949!!!!!
THEY LOSE THE LINEOUT, the ball coming out to the Boks, who kick it into touch and…
The hooter goes but New Zealand have the lineout… HUUUUGE pressure on the World Cup final losers here.
New Zealand win a scrum in side their 10m… they run the ball… penalty advantage but they can't move forward in the face of the huge Bok defence.
Boks win the ball back and press forward, right under the poles… KOLBE tries a drop-kick, but his effort slides wide. Clever thinking.
GREAT BREAK down the right from Mngomezulu, who charges forward from the halfway line to close to the New Zealand 10m… he drops a grubber forward for two team-mates storming alongside him… but the angle was tight and it's a New Zealand lineout.
MISSSSSSED! Mngomezulu slides his conversion from the touchline well wide to the right. That would have been the match.
TRY, SPRINGBOKS, MARX! 18-12; The Boks maul edged to the touchline… and then Marx broke down the blindside and threw himself over the line right by the corner flag - a brilliant, intelligent try from a great Springbok champion.
YELLOW CARD, NEW ZEALAND, LOMAX. A very poor decision has seen him to the bin and New Zealand will end the match with 14 men.
The Boks kick over the top from the base of the scrum and Kolbe to run onto… but LOMAX has imploded the match by shoulder-charging Kolbe to the ground, a stupid, stupid mistake as there were All Black defenders there.
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRRRRRRORS!!!! SWEET CAROLINE, blares the stadium speaks as McKenzie has BLOWN the match! In front of poles, 35m out he pulls his kick and the Boks retain the lead.
New Zealand win the Bok lineout, run the line right then left… and Marx is penalised and the All Blacks have a kick inside the Bok 10m line and in front of poles. Not what the Boks would want now.
New Zealand win a penalty inside their half… kick for the line instead of poles… win the lineout… but are penalised and the Boks have a scrum inn front of their 22! Huge relief for Bok fans and Rassie (who is also a Bok fan).
HORROR SHOW! Mngomezulu hits his kick well but it's dragged quite wide and that's a wasted opportunity.
… the All Blacks gain the ball, press forward and THEY LOOSE THE BALL FORWARD… the Boks gather and run back at the All Blacks, first the forwards and then the backs… and finally the ref blows for a knock-on and a penalty for the Boks on the centre spot.
IT'S HIT THE UPRIGHT! McKenzie's kick from 10m in from touch near the 10m line strikes the upright and bounces down, the Boks gather and look to keep possession…
YELLOW CARD, SOUTH AFRICA, LE ROUX. Very harsh decision as Willie le Roux looked to intercept a pass, can't hold onto it and it's a penalty.
New Zealand pressing hard and putting the Boks under a lot of pressure.
PENALTY, NEW ZELAND, MCKENZIE! 13-12; No problem from 10m to the left of the poles and 14m from the line.
All Blacks storm forward, within sight of the 5m line and the Boks are blown for an infringement.
SUBSTITUTION, SOUTH AFRICA. Kwagga Smith comes on in place of Siya Kolisi, who has had a superb game.
SUBSTITUTION, SOUTH AFRICA. Pollard is replaced by Mngomezulu, Wiese makes way for Louw, and Malherbe passes the baton on to Koch.
PENALTY, SOUTH AFRICA, MNGOMEZULU! 13-9; Mngomezulu nails it from in front of poles from the 10m. Great introduction to the match.
SUBSTITUTION, SOUTH AFRICA. Am is on for Moodie, while Marx replaces Mbonambi.
All Blacks run hard at the Boks, look to press down the left but they can't control it and the Boks have a penalty, Pollard kicks it into touch.
CONVERSION, SOUTH AFRICA, POLLARD! 10-9; No problem for Polly from 10m right of the posts… and the Bok pressure pays off as the home side ARE IN THE LEAD!
TRY, SOUTH AFRICA, KOLISI! 8-9; SIYA KOLISI joins the line and breaks through a gap and dives over for a try that threatens to tear the Cape Town Stadium a new roof! What pressure from the Boks and WHAT A TRY from the skipper!
All Blacks battling to hold the Boks and they concede another penalty, Pollard again kicks into touch… HELLO, Kolbe is across to throw in from touch, Boks keep the ball and run right…
Replay looked a lot like it was over the line, although our All Black counterparts don't agree. The Boks still have the penalty advantage… it's kicked into touch for a 5m lineout again…
Boks get the penalty, Pollard boots it into touch the lineout on the 5m. Boks press forward and over the line… ref rules that it wasn't touched down but the ref asks for TMO.
Boks get the penalty, Pollard boots it into touch the lineout on the 5m.
Great start from the Boks who are running hard at the All Blacks, pressing them down the left and through the centre with great running and hands.
KICK-OFF! We're underway with the second half.
HALF-TIME, SOUTH AFRICA 3-9 NEW ZEALAND. A powerful, brutal first 40 minutes. New Zealand looking to have the advantage, but 40 minutes is a long time in a Bok vs All Black clash. Second half to follow shortly.
PENALTY NEW ZEALAND, MCKENZIE! 3-9; Smashed over from right in front of poles. And that's the half-time whistle.
New Zealand drive across the field powerfully, pressing the 5m… the hooter goes and the Boks are blown for an infringement right in front of poles.
New Zealand press up to the Boks 10m driving hard but the home defence it tight… and eventually Pollard pounces on a loose ball and holds onto it until he's dragged out of play by a pair of All Blacks inside the Bok 22m.
Bok pack is pushed back, the Boks run to the left but are brought to ground and New Zealand have the penalty on their 10m, and it's kicked to touch.
Great running by the New Zealand forwards as they drive to the Bok 10m, but they are pressed back, the All Blacks running their backline… but McKenzie and Ioane get into a state of confusion and the pass goes to ground and the Boks win a scrum on their 10m.
Magnificent break down the blindside by Wiese, but he's pulled down by the New Zealand defence on their 10m and they win a penalty, which they kick to the Bok 10m for a lineout.
Barrett leaps up through the Springboks trying to claim a high ball but he knocks on and the Boks will feed the scrum on their own 10m line
PENALTY, SOUTH AFRICA, POLLARD! 3-6; Nails it, no problem, to ratchet up his 737th Test point.
Boks get the ball and drive forward, first Moodie to the 10m, then spread it left to Etzebeth who also reaches the 10m before New Zealand are penalised for infringing in the loose. Pollard will kick for poles from the 10m almost in front…
PENALTY, NEW ZELAND, MCKENZIE! 0-6; Nailed from the 10m line after the Boks penalised for not rolling away.
Good counter upfield from New Zealand, but the Boks break it down on their own 10m and win a scrum.
Springboks now have a man advantage as Wiese is called back from the sin bin.
The Boks run the line, press into the All Black defence… but they are blown for holding on the ground just five metres out, and the All Blacks clear for a lineout.
YELLOW CARD, SOUTH AFRICA, WIESE. Carded for breaking down the New Zealand attack just short of the five metre line.
Great play by the Boks, backline and forward taking turns to run at the All Blacks… they press to the 5m, a kick into the goal line area, Moodie races to grab it but New Zealand clear… but the Boks have the penalty advantage and Pollard knocks it into the corner for a lineout.
New Zealand clear the danger from the scrum but the Boks run back at them, Pollard with a clever grubber that wins the Boks a lineout near the 10m line.
Boks keep for the line then run the lineout, Kolbe with a phenomenal runu through the middle and into the New Zealand 22… brought down eight metres from the line! New Zealand will scrum.
YELLOW CARD, NEW ZEALAND, REECE! In the bing for jumping up against Willie le Roux without challenging for the ball, the Springbok being knocked down but fortunately not injured.
PENALTY, NEW ZEALAND, McKENZIE! 0-3; slotted from almost in front of the poles… no problem.
PENALTY, NEW ZEALAND! 0-3; slotted from almost in front of the poles… no problem.
Taylor with a magnificent break through into the Bok 22, but he's brought down heavily short of the line.
Boks run the ball and POLLARD tries to smash through the All Black backline but he seems to be lifted and dumped.
New Zealand with the first strong drive forward into the Springbok half, but there's knock-on and the Boks will take the scrum.
KICK-OFF! We're underway with the first half - it's the Bokke vs the All Blacks!
KICK-OFF! We're underway with the first half - it's the Bokke vs the All Blacks!
Right, with the paperwork and announcements out the way, sit back, relax and get ready for the Haka and kick-off of another massive rugby clash. ENJOY!
Our referee is Matthew Carley of England, and he will be assisted down the lines by Andrew Brace of Ireland and Jordan Way of Australia. Manning the TMO monitor is England's Ian Tempest.
New Zealand: 15 Will Jordan, 14 Sevu Reece, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Mark Te’lea, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 Cortez Ratima, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Wallace Sititi, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Scott Barrett (captain), 3 Tyral Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Tamaiti Williams. Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Sam Darry, 20 Luke Jacobson, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Anton Leinert-Brown, 23 Beauden Barrett.
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche. Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Kwagga Smith, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Jaden Hendrikse, 22 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23 Lukhanyo Am.
New Zealand beat England 24-17, hammered Fiji 47-5, but then suffered a 30-38 defeat at home to Argentina. They got their revenge the following week, beating Argentina 42-10, only to be pipped 31-27 last week by South Africa.
New Zealand have won three of their last five Tests, losing two. Och-aye… but those two losses have come in their last three Tests, so they might be feeling a trifle under the weather (nothing that a good Haka can't sort out though, no doubt).
South Africa have won four of their last five Tests, including the last four on the bounce. They were pipped 24-25 by Ireland, then demolished Portugal 64-21, smashed Australia 33-7 and 30-12, and last week swiped New Zealand's nose to the left with a 31-27 win.
That World Cup win put South Africa into the lead at four World Cup wins, with New Zealand in second place on three wins. The two countries have, between them, won each of the last five Rugby World Cups… so it's safe to say they are the best two teams in the world.
One of those five matches was also a high-profile match, if I remember correctly. What was it now? Oh yes… it was last year's Rugby World Cup final, which South Africa won 12-11.
In the last five meetings between the two giants of rugby, the Boks have won three of those matches, while the All Blacks have won two. The matches have been tight, with an average score in those five matches sitting at 23-20 in favour of the Springboks.
The Boks have brought back two World Cup-winning stars in fullback Willie le Roux and flyhalf Handre Pollard as they brace themselves for an All Black backlash. Lock Eben Etzebeth is also back in the side and he picks up his 126th Test cap.
The All Blacks have made changes to their lineup for the game on Saturday, starting Will Jordan at fullback and Mark Tele'a and Sevu Reece on the wings as a new back three.
South Africa are on fire in the Rugby Championship, having won three games in a row. First up were back-to-back away wins over Australia, followed by a monumental 31-27 victory over New Zealand at Ellis Park last week, when the Boks came from behind to snatch a sensational win.
Good afternoon, and welcome to our live coverage of one of sport's greatest clashes… it's South Africa against New Zealand… it's the Rugby Championship as the sun shines down on a breezy Cape Town Stadium!