South Africa Levels Series Against All Blacks With 33-26 Win in Cape Town

South Africa dominated much of Saturday's Second Test against New Zealand in Cape Town, winning 33-26 to level the three-match series at 1-1. The Springboks built their victory on a foundation of maul-based rugby and clinical kicking, holding off a late All Blacks rally that threatened to snatch the match in the closing minutes. South Africa scored three tries through Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, and Siya Kolisi, per BBC Sport. Cheslin Kolbe converted all three and added four penalty goals, accounting for 18 points and earning player-of-the-match honors. Savea's 77th-minute try brought the All Blacks within a single score, setting up a tense finale. South Africa dominated the basics and showed more clinical edge than New Zealand despite being outscored on tries, per BBC Sport's reporting. Cameron Hanekom won a turnover on the All Blacks' final attack to settle the closing stages. New Zealand had travelled knowing a win would make them the first New Zealand team to win back-to-back Tests in South Africa since the Incomparables of 1996, per BBC Sport's reporting. Erasmus orchestrated a series of bold squad adjustments. Five changes separated the matchday squad announced Monday from the starting fifteen, per BBC Sport's reporting. Fly-half Handre Pollard was fit and then injured and withdrawn in the week. Cheslin Kolbe was injured and then fit and eventually named on the wing, taking on kicking duties over fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. Hours before kick-off, Erasmus switched his entire front row, with the starting trio dropping to the bench and vice versa, per BBC Sport's reporting. Referee Angus Gardner was a late call-up in place of Nika Amashukeli, per BBC Sport. Kolisi returned to South Africa's starting team and led the side to victory. Dave Rennie, New Zealand's head coach, had warned in the week his side would need to go deeper to cope with the inevitable Springbok backlash, per BBC Sport's reporting. Nearly 40-year-old Deon Fourie appeared in the squad, standing as the oldest Springbok in history, per BBC Sport's reporting. The Third Test will be played next Saturday at altitude in Soweto, Johannesburg. This is the first series between South Africa and New Zealand in 30 years, per BBC Sport's reporting.