Springboks vs All blacks on 5th September 2026. The FNB Stadium slowly filled with every Springbok supporters shirt imaginable on Saturday as Soweto’s Calabash stadium played host to the third leg of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series between the Boks and the All Blacks. It took our Uber around 20 minutes to get to the Stadium and another 25 minutes before we even got close enough for a drop off… JHB as always, had come out in our numbers for the final test match between two rugby giants! With close to 90,000 fans packed into Africa’s largest stadium.
The FNB Stadium slowly filled with every Springbok supporters shirt imaginable on Saturday as Soweto’s Calabash played host to the third leg of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series between the Boks and the All Blacks. It took our Uber around 20 minutes to get to the Stadium and another 25 minutes before we even got close enough for a drop off… JHB as always, had come out in our numbers for the final test match between two rugby giants! With close to 90,000 fans packed into Africa’s largest stadium we couldn’t wait to scream our national anthem at the tops our lungs.
90,000 Fans Pack FNB Stadium for Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry
As the sun dipped over the Soweto skyline, fans began filing in for the pregame festivities. It was marvellous to walk around and look at the incredible stadium design with its double-tier bowl design and vast, column-free roof structure. After a near-fight broke out in the toilet queue, we loaded up on Chip and Dip, a four-cup beer holder filled with Castle and a Steers Rib burger for yours truly and made our way to our seats. Every seat in the stadium had exceptional sight lines and the acoustics were incredible.
A Little Pre-Match Bokkebets Diplomacy
We watched some of the player warm-up while bantering with a New Zealand couple about the All Blacks’ close call against the Lions the week before. I told them “Ruben Love’s radar wasn’t quite finding its target — turns out Love doesn’t always go the distance, especially not through the uprights”… No one laughed and that was the last the New Zealanders looked in our direction for the rest of the evening.
Siya Kolisi Leads the Springboks Into a Roaring FNB Stadium
Ardie Savea led the All Blacks out to a chorus of boos and whistles that rattled around the Calabash — the perfect reminder of just how personal this rivalry still is. They were followed by the Impi walk out—bare-chested, decked out in traditional regalia with spear and shield in hand. I swear Sibusiso Kotelo must have used an entire bottle of baby oil to get shiny. By the time Sibusiso had planted his spear and stared down the tunnel, 90,000 people are already roaring — the Boks haven’t even arrived yet, and the atmosphere’s already at fever pitch. It was a special moment for Siya Kholisi as he lead the Springboks on the field for the 74th time as Capitan. The South African anthem rolled through the stadium in five languages, tens of thousands of voices, before the crowd fell into a hush for the haunting strains of God Defend New Zealand — a rare moment of shared reverence before eighty minutes of pure combat.
The Haka Meets 90,000 Springbok Supporters
Quinn Tupaea led a strangely subdued Haka, his voice carrying less fire than usual as the Springbok faithful refused to give New Zealand the stage. The ritual still unfolded with all its usual intensity up close, but from the stands it felt swallowed whole by 90,000 fans screams and boos, determined not to let the All Blacks own the moment, even for thirty seconds.
First Half: The All Blacks Strike First
Ruben Love’s boot found the sky to get things underway, and inside seconds it was clear this wasn’t going to be a slow burn —New Zealand came flying out of the blocks.
Ardie Savea Punishes the Springboks Early
Hooker Asafo Aumua, drafted into the starting side in place of the long-serving Codie Taylor, broke hard from a lineout, and as he was pulled down, Captain Ardie Savea swooped in on the loose ball to dive over for the game’s opening try inside the first 10 minutes. Ruben Love easily slotted the conversion, taking the All Blacks led to 7-0. Cheslin Kolbe suffered a broken jaw after he took a heavy hit from New Zealand loose forward Luke Jacobson who ran over him in a tackle. South Africa managed to hit back through Kurt-Lee Arendse, who finished off a slick move started by Damian de Allende. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s conversion attempt to drifted wide, leaving the Bokke narrowly behind at 7-5. However, Savea wasn’t done just yet — five minutes later after a fantastic run down the wing from Carter, he managed to score again!
New Zealand’s Wide Attack Causes Problems Again
New Zealand have been outstanding all test series at getting the ball out to the wide channels, it has been a key part of their success.
The All Blacks stretched their lead back out to seven points as the stadium held its breath. At the 30 minute mark Capitan Ardie Savea was forced to leave the field, escorted by the medics after being cleared out of the ruck by our loose forward Jasper Wiese.
The Boks Fight Back Before Half-Time
At South Africa 5- 12 New Zealand, The Boks needed an answer… The Boks managed to amount serious pressure on the All Blacks after a fantastic breakaway from Jasper Wiese. Manie Libbok was stopped half a meter from the New Zealand try line after a desperate diving tackle from Damian McKenzie saved the Springbok break away.
Penalty Try Levels It at 12–12
South Africa continued to mount pressure driving at the All Black defence. Eventually the referee Nika Amashukeli,had no choice but to awarding a penalty try levelling the scores right on the stroke of half-time. The half ended locked at 12-12 — everything still to play for.
Second Half: The All Blacks Strike Again
The second half told a different story entirely. South Africa’s set piece, which had rumbled all night, began to bully the All Blacks pack.
Will Jordan’s Grubber Opens the Bok Defence
At 55 minute in, New Zealand were let off the hook when Will Jordan kicked a beautiful grubber through the Bok line, chased down by Leroy Carter. The ball bounced perfectly into his path, and he carried it half the length of the pitch before being brought down — but not before offloading back to a chasing Jordan, who dotted down for the try. Ruben missed the kick putting the scores at 12-17 to The All Blacks.
The Springbok Pack Takes Control at FNB Stadium
This would prove to be New Zealand’s last word for the best part of twenty minutes. The Springboks’ power finally translated onto the scoreboard after Jesse Kriel brushed off a tackle attempt to burst through unopposed and score, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s boot this time finding the mark to put South Africa ahead for the first time all night.
The Bok Scrum Turns the Screw
The Springboks’ scrum and driving maul took over from there, forcing a huge scrum penalty deep in New Zealand’s half that set up a rolling lineout drive. Malcolm Marx emerged at the back of it to crash over under the posts, and with Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s boot doing the rest, the Boks had turned a five-point deficit into a twelve-point cushion with a quarter of the game still to play.
Final Quarter: The Springboks See It Home
From there it was about seeing the job through. New Zealand threw everything at a tiring Springbok defence in the closing stages The All Blacks did find one more score, Samisoni Taukei’aho crashing over after the final hooter had already sounded, but it did little more than flatter the final margin.
Full Time: South Africa 29–24 New Zealand
The scoreboard read Springboks 29, All Blacks 24 — a result that ended more than a decade of Springbok frustration against the All Blacks specifically at this ground, and handed South Africa a 2-1 lead in the series with one Test remaining.
Bokkebets Verdict: The Boks’ Most Complete Performance of the Year?
For the Boks, this was arguably their most complete performance of the year — patient in defence, ruthless with the set piece, and clinical when it mattered in the final quarter. For the All Blacks, there will be regret at not converting a dominant opening quarter into more than a share of the spoils, and a nervous wait on Savea’s fitness ahead of the trip to the United States. But if this series has proven anything, it’s that nothing is settled until the final whistle — and the two sides now carry their unfinished business across the Atlantic, with the fourth and deciding Test set for Baltimore on 12 September. Fancy backing the Boks to seal the series in Baltimore? Check the latest odds and promotions on Bokkebets.
How much are flights to Baltimore…?
