Springboks topple All Blacks in Cape Town and hand them their first defeat of 2026
South Africa struck back at New Zealand in one of the most eagerly anticipated rugby clashes of the year and, with a 33:26 victory in Cape Town, levelled the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series at 1:1. The second Test was played on 29 August 2026 in front of 56,589 spectators at DHL Stadium, and the Springboks built their result primarily through a powerful first half, which they finished with a 24:14 lead. Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende and captain Siya Kolisi scored tries for the home side, while Cheslin Kolbe added 18 points with flawless kicking. New Zealand scored four tries, one more than South Africa, but that was not enough to complete a comeback. For the All Blacks, it was their first defeat of 2026 and their first setback on the major tour of South Africa and the United States of America.
The victory carried additional significance because of the way South Africa responded to the 16:33 defeat in the first Test, played seven days earlier at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. According to SA Rugby's official report, the Springboks took the lead in Cape Town in the opening minutes and never surrendered it at any point during the match. New Zealand Rugby stated in its analysis that the visitors had 57 percent possession and made more breaks through the defensive line, but South Africa compensated for having less ball with aggressive defence, pressure in contact and more efficient conversion of opportunities into points. It was precisely that difference in execution, which had been missing in the first match of the series, that proved decisive in the closing stages, when the All Blacks once again came to within just seven points.
Jesse Kriel opened the match with a try, Springboks immediately imposed the tempo
South Africa did not wait for the match to develop. After the very first attacking sequence, the hosts moved deep into New Zealand's 22 through a lineout and maul, and after spreading the ball Jesse Kriel found space and broke through the defence for the first try of the match. Kolbe added the conversion and the Springboks sent a very early message that their approach would be considerably more direct and energetic than a week earlier in Johannesburg. The All Blacks found their response midway through the first quarter. After a well-executed move from a lineout and moving the ball towards the outside channels, Will Jordan beat two defenders and found Cam Roigard, who finished the move with a try.
Kolbe then punished a New Zealand infringement with an accurate kick for three points, and South Africa very quickly returned to the opposition 22. Damian de Allende used his physical advantage in contact and scored the Springboks' second try, allowing the hosts to create a more significant gap again. New Zealand did not retreat. Ardie Savea and Cam Roigard were involved in a move that created space for Damian McKenzie, and the quick All Blacks back finished the attack with the visitors' second try and brought the match back into the balance.
The most important moment of the first half for South Africa came shortly before the break. The Springboks again increased the pressure after a series of penalties and a good lineout position, and captain Siya Kolisi finished the move with a try for 24:14. According to New Zealand Rugby's report, that score marked the turning point because New Zealand, despite scoring two tries and enjoying periods of high-quality attacking play, went into half-time with a double-digit deficit. For Kolisi, the moment also carried additional symbolism: he returned to the starting line-up and, as captain, led the team's response after the convincing defeat in the first Test.
Kolbe's accuracy turned pressure into a crucial advantage
In the second half South Africa did not score a single try, but they did not need one. Kolbe kicked penalties in the 48th and 50th minutes and extended the lead to 30:14, forcing New Zealand to chase two converted tries. His performance from the tee was flawless: he converted all three South African tries and kicked all four penalties. In total, he scored 18 of his team's 33 points and was named player of the match after the contest. The winger's accuracy was particularly important because the All Blacks finished ahead of the hosts in the number of tries, four to three.
New Zealand Rugby's statistics further demonstrate how unusual the match was. The All Blacks had more ball, with 154 carries compared with South Africa's 104 and as many as 246 passes compared with the hosts' 93. The Springboks therefore had to perform significantly more defensive work and, according to the official statistics, made 188 tackle attempts, while New Zealand had 122. South Africa did not completely dominate the scrum as might have been expected after the problems from the first match; the All Blacks' official report states that New Zealand retained 100 percent of their own scrum ball. The difference was created more through defensive pressure, disruption of New Zealand's rhythm and the hosts' ability to turn won penalties immediately into points.
South Africa's use of the bench also played an important role. Malcolm Marx came on before half-time, while fresh players brought additional energy in contact and at the breakdown. Eben Etzebeth had an important role in disrupting New Zealand's lineout, including a crucial steal in the second half when the All Blacks threatened another try after a long attacking sequence. Such details were not as visible on the scoreboard as Kolbe's kicks, but they slowed the visitors at moments when they were trying to regain full momentum.
All Blacks fought back in the closing stages but could not complete the comeback
New Zealand still did not give up even after the deficit grew to 16 points. In the 65th minute Leroy Carter finished an attack after the ball was moved wide and reduced the gap, and the All Blacks again began using the speed and continuity that had brought them victories throughout the year. South Africa responded with another Kolbe penalty and restored the advantage to 33:19, but the final minutes became another test of the Springboks' defensive endurance. Ardie Savea scored New Zealand's fourth try four minutes before the end, and Ruben Love's conversion reduced the score to 33:26.
The tension increased further when replacement South African lock Lood de Jager received a yellow card in the final minute for head contact with Leroy Carter. New Zealand received one final opportunity to attack and potentially score an equalising try, but the home defence held under pressure. According to the All Blacks' official report, André Esterhuizen won the crucial ball in the final play after Will Jordan was tackled, ending New Zealand's hopes of a draw. The scoreboard remained at 33:26, and the series was brought back into balance after two Tests.
For the visitors, the defeat was particularly frustrating because they once again demonstrated an ability to create opportunities and finished the match with more tries scored. The problem was that they gave South Africa too many opportunities to kick at goal, while at the same time losing clean lineout ball in several important attacks. Dave Rennie and his coaching staff have enough positive indicators in the attacking statistics ahead of the third Test, but also a clear list of areas that need improvement. South Africa, on the other hand, can be satisfied with the result, but not completely comfortable after a finish in which the opposition once again nearly erased a large deficit.
New Zealand's first defeat after a run of victories in 2026
The result in Cape Town ended an exceptionally successful start to the year for the All Blacks. According to New Zealand Rugby data, New Zealand defeated France 34:32 in Christchurch, Italy 47:17 in Wellington and Ireland 40:21 at Eden Park in the opening block of the Nations Championship. The team then beat the Stormers 38:21, Sharks 54:0 and Bulls 50:19 as part of the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour, before defeating the Springboks 33:16 in the first Test. Between the first and second Tests, the All Blacks also beat the Lions 41:35 at Ellis Park. South Africa's victory in Cape Town therefore ended a run during which New Zealand had not lost either a Test or a tour match in 2026.
At the same time, the defeat does not change the fact that New Zealand once again showed in Cape Town why it remains one of the principal benchmarks of world rugby. Four tries against the reigning world champions, including a late comeback under enormous pressure, confirmed the team's attacking potential. Rassie Erasmus did not attempt after the match to portray the victory as proof that all problems had been solved. According to SA Rugby, the South African head coach stressed that his team would have to improve further ahead of the third Test and particularly highlighted the quality and breadth of New Zealand's attack.
Erasmus also explained one of the tactically more interesting decisions made before kick-off. South Africa changed the arrangement of its front-row players shortly before the match, and the coach linked the decision to an assessment that the pitch, due to drier conditions, would require a somewhat lighter and more mobile starting combination. The adjustment did not lead to complete Springbok dominance in the scrum, but it demonstrated how tactically detailed the contest between the two national teams has become. In a series in which both sides have already convincingly felt the consequences of mistakes once, the timing of changes and the quality of the bench can be just as important as the starting line-ups.
A special evening for Pieter-Steph du Toit
The match in Cape Town also had an important individual dimension for Pieter-Steph du Toit. SA Rugby confirmed that the two-time world champion made his 100th appearance for the Springboks, and after Siya Kolisi left the field in the second half he also assumed the captaincy. Du Toit began his international career more than a decade ago and achieved his milestone appearance in a city with which he has a strong playing connection. His 100th Test further underlined the experience of the South African team in a contest that demanded composure in the final minutes.
Such individual milestones are often part of the broader historical story of this rivalry. According to New Zealand Rugby data published before the start of the series, South Africa and New Zealand had played 110 Tests before the match at Ellis Park, and their rivalry began as far back as 1921. The All Blacks had 63 victories in those first 110 matches, the Springboks 43, while four contests ended in draws. Together, the two national teams have won seven of the ten World Cups held since 1987, including two finals against each other. South Africa defeated New Zealand in the 1995 final and then again in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final in Paris by 12:11.
The series returns to Johannesburg, finale scheduled in Baltimore
Rugby's Greatest Rivalry 2026 was conceived as a return to the format of major international tours. The All Blacks travelled to South Africa with an expanded squad and, in addition to four Tests against the Springboks, played matches against the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls and Lions. It is New Zealand's first major tour of South Africa of this kind since 1996, when the All Blacks won a Test series on South African soil for the first time in history. The new format is expected to continue in 2030, when South Africa are scheduled to reciprocate with a tour of New Zealand.
The third Test of the current series will be played on 5 September 2026 at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, and after the 1:1 score its importance has increased sharply. The winner will have an opportunity to take control of the series ahead of the final match, while another level result would leave everything open until the fourth Test. The final match is scheduled for 12 September at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, home of the NFL team Baltimore Ravens. According to New Zealand Rugby's official schedule, it will be the first Test between the Springboks and All Blacks on United States soil.
The series has therefore gained exactly the kind of uncertainty the organisers wanted when they revived the major-tour format. New Zealand convincingly won the first Test in Johannesburg, South Africa responded in Cape Town, and both matches showed how quickly the balance of power can change. The Springboks were more accurate in the second contest when it came to turning pressure into points, while the All Blacks showed even in defeat that they can punish any drop in concentration late in the match. The next encounter at FNB Stadium will therefore not merely be another chapter in one of the oldest rivalries in international rugby, but also a match that could determine the direction of the entire four-part series.
Sources:
- SA Rugby - official report and reactions following South Africa's 33:26 victory in Cape Town, including statements by Rassie Erasmus and Pieter-Steph du Toit's 100th appearance (link)
- SA Rugby - official confirmation of the result, half-time score and attendance for the second Test in Cape Town (link)
- New Zealand Rugby / All Blacks - official match report, statistics, sequence of key events and scorers (link)
- New Zealand Rugby / All Blacks - historical data on the Springboks-All Blacks rivalry and the format of the four-part 2026 series (link)
- New Zealand Rugby / All Blacks - official Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour schedule and results of New Zealand's matches in South Africa (link)
- NBC Sports - confirmation that Cheslin Kolbe was named player of the match and that New Zealand suffered its first defeat of 2026 (link)