Lienert-Brown believes high tempo of play will give All Blacks an advantage in the match in Soweto

The Springboks resumed their campaign in the rivalry dubbed 'The Greatest Rugby Rivalry' in an exciting match at the DHL Stadium. They secured a convincing 33–26 victory over the All Blacks, leveling the four-match series at 1–1.

Recovering from a disappointing loss in Ellis Park, South Africa combined early physical intensity with refined tactical ingenuity to take control of the game from the visitors. This set the stage for the third test in Soweto.

This review presents five key moments from the memorable evening in Cape Town, including bold coaching decisions and individual outstanding performances.

Siya Kolisi's return restored attacking dominance

Siya Kolisi's return to the defensive line provided the Springboks with the necessary physical power and authority in the tackle contest in attack that they lacked in Ellis Park. His presence allowed them to neutralize New Zealand's destabilizing tactics, giving the hosts cleaner ball and a much stronger foundation.

The flanker captain demonstrated his impact by scoring the decisive try shortly before halftime, confirming that his leadership qualities and work rate are absolutely indispensable in high-stakes matches.

Rassie Erasmus's genius front-line plan

Rassie Erasmus once again demonstrated a masterful coaching move by starting the game with Deon Fourie, Gerhard Steenkamp, and Thomas du Toit to absorb the initial onslaught from the opposition. Then, in the 35th minute, he made the bold decision to bring Malcolm Marx and Ox Nche on before halftime. This gamble paid immediate dividends as the fresh, world-renowned pair won a penalty scrum inside the All Blacks' 22-meter zone, directly leading to Kolisi's try and decisively changing the momentum before the break.

Cheslin Kolbe's flawless kicking proved decisive

In a classic test match decided by narrow margins, Cheslin Kolbe's metronomic accuracy in goal-kicking became the determining factor. Playing as the primary goal-kicker playmaker, the winger proved to be man of the match, scoring three conversions and four penalties, totaling 18 points. His perfect percentage allowed the Springboks to punish New Zealand's errors and maintain the scoreline, reducing the significance of Handre Pollard's late absence.

Springbok defense was exposed in the wide areas

The experienced combination of centers Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende showed immense strength, each scoring a crucial try in the first half. However, their play was not flawless. These two Springboks players conceded two tackles from Will Jordan, leading to an All Blacks attempt. The visitors enjoyed themselves on the flanks, overcoming the Bok defense's pressure and scoring points.

Slow start doomed resilient All Blacks

For the second week in a row, the pace of the game was dictated by an early start, but this time New Zealand found themselves trailing. A conceded try in the first two minutes forced the visitors into a chasing mode in Cape Town. Although goals in the second half from Leroy Carter and Ardie Savea demonstrated their relentless fighting spirit, the All Blacks ultimately set too high a bar against the determined defense of the Springboks.

Although the touring All Blacks concluded their franchise games with an exciting victory over the Lions, the true triumph lies in the nostalgic, dynamic spectacle that this historic week-long tour brought back to South African rugby fans.

When the final whistle blew between the Lions and the touring All Blacks on Tuesday evening at Ellis Park, it did not cause sadness among the hosts due to the loss at the end of the match. On the contrary, it marked the conclusion of an old element of the tour, as the All Blacks transition to a full international mode.

For local spectators, the entire tour was a breath of fresh air. Usually, when the Springboks and All Blacks meet, one can expect constant physical battles interspersed with moments of explosive precision. However, the matches within the franchise tour offered something entirely different.

Since New Zealand fielded mostly players from its wider squad, these mid-week games became platforms for experimentation. Although the matches against the South African franchises were no less physical than a full international match, the focus was on expansive running rugby.

Four matches—against the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls, and Lions—were condensed into a tight three-week window. With the exception of the game against the Lions, all of them took place before the Springboks met the All Blacks in the first test match. This schedule allowed New Zealand to test sub-programs and combinations they were not yet ready to deploy at the highest level. For dedicated rugby fans, this was a real gift.

Acknowledging that the quality fluctuated, after New Zealand went through a tough initial test against the Stormers with a score of 38-21, the matches against the Sharks and Bulls proved disappointingly one-sided, ending with defeats of 54-0 in Durban and 50-19 in Pretoria.

However, the finale at Ellis Park delivered pure magic. The Lions led 35-17 before New Zealand slowly regained the advantage, ultimately winning 41-35 in the last minute.

Ultimately, the score mattered less than the narrative: the local South African franchise fought evenly with the world's leading rugby nation and almost managed a monumental upset. Even against a rotated team, it was an exciting spectacle and a fitting conclusion to the first such tour in South Africa in 30 years. For three weeks, Mzansi's rugby fans were truly satisfied.

The Springboks intend to utilize the capabilities of Ox Nche in the scrum battle and provide powerful drives to create decisive forward momentum against the All Blacks on Saturday. This match will be the toughest test for the Springboks this season as they face the All Blacks in the first test match of the greatest rugby rivalry at Ellis Park stadium, starting Saturday afternoon at 5:00 PM.

Despite the championship team confidently defeating England, Scotland, and Wales in the home Nations Championship, the confrontation with the New Zealand representatives will be completely different. The Kiwis are likely to match them physically and attempt to surpass them in key areas.

IOL Sport analyzed the main aspects where the Boks might gain an advantage.

Scrums

Ox Nche has returned from injury, and Vilko Lowe is on the other side of the Springboks' scrum. The team is ready for the start of the day's first match. It is not surprising if the Boks try to organize the scrum early in the game to get two props and hooker Malcolm Marx into play. This is a tactic they have used previously to gain early momentum.

This could be an area where the world champions can achieve absolute dominance. With two more reserve props and a hungry reserve tighthead, they are ready to apply pressure when needed.

Lineouts and Rucking Mauls

Marx has a strong desire to score tries using powerful rucking mauls, but his primary task is to ensure accurate ball delivery in the lineout to find jumpers such as Juan Northe, Pieter-Steph du Toit, and Eben Etzebeth. After this, the Boks have demonstrated their ingenuity by using various types of plays after an accurate lineout.

Whether it is organizing a bulky maul, which is much harder to defend under the new rules, creating clever combinations along the sideline, or attacking from the back, smart moves will certainly be made by the Boks in set-piece play.

Aerial Attacks

Accurate kicks will be crucial to demonstrating their superiority in the air. This depends on the shoulders of midfielder Grant Williams, winger Sachi Feinberg-Mongomasezulu, and fullback Damian Willemse. Smart passes will allow their wingers numerous opportunities to chase high balls and contest in the air.

Even winning the ball back after an attack from broken play has been one of the Boks' strengths. Nevertheless, they will have to face winger Will Jordan, who is one of the best players in the world at handling high balls.

Picks and Go

Route number one, as it is often called, could be an excellent backup plan for the Springboks if they want to change their game plan. Among the strong ball carriers are Jasper Wiese, Eben Etzebeth, Marx, and Pieter-Steph du Toit, who are capable of causing chaos in the contact zone and open play.

However, they will have to act strategically when carrying the ball into contact. The All Blacks have excellent players capable of securing the ball, and they are physically ready for this challenge. Therefore, smart ball carrying, without isolation, could be a key moment.