South Africa v New Zealand LIVE: Result and reaction from Rugby Championship as Springboks win Freedom Cup
South Africa 18-12 New Zealand: Sifa Kolisi and Malcolm Marx scored to secure the win for the Springboks
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Your support makes all the difference.South Africa defeated New Zealand 18-12 in the Rugby Championship to increase their lead at the top of the table and make it four wins in a row against their old rivals.
Much like in the match in Johannesburg, New Zealand started as the smarter side, taking the points on offer and opening up a six point lead from the boot of Damian McKenzie. Handre Pollard cut that down to three with a penalty kick of his own but a third penalty for the All Blacks’ fly-half sent them into the break on top.
That only spurred the Springboks on though. They came out quickly from the restart, overpowering the New Zealand defence and sending captain Siya Kolisi over the line for the first try of the game. A penalty each made the score 13-12 and the game was set up for a tense finale.
However, a stupide shoulder barge from Tyrel Lomax saw him sin binned with 10 minutes to go and New Zealand, now down to 14 players, couldn’t keep Malcolm Marx at bay with the substitute scoring to secure the Freedom Cup for the hosts.
Relive the score updates and reaction from the Rugby Championship match below:
Veteran prop James Slipper to equal Wallabies cap record in Argentina clash: ‘He’s like a fine wine’
Some news from today’s other Rugby Championship match...
A proud moment awaits for Australia prop James Slipper who will get the opportunity to equal the nation’s record for most Test caps after being picked to play in the Rugby Championship clash with Argentina on Saturday.
Slipper is named among the replacements after missing last weekend’s 20-19 victory over the Pumas due to the birth of his second child, and replaces Isaac Kailea, who is ruled out having sustained a concussion.
The veteran prop now receives the opportunity to get his 139th cap, which will put him alongside former captain George Gregan. Slipper made his debut against England in 2010 and is surprised he’s made it this far with the Wallabies.
Veteran prop James Slipper to equal Wallabies cap record in Argentina clash
Slipper’s 139th Test cap will put him alongside former captain George Gregan
Siya Kolisi passed fit as South Africa recall Handre Pollard and Willie le Roux for second New Zealand meeting
South Africa have made seven changes to their starting line-up for the Rugby Championship test against New Zealand in Cape Town on Saturday, including a return at fly half for Handre Pollard and Willie le Roux coming into the team at full-back.
Coach Rassie Erasmus has been able to call on captain Siya Kolisi at flank after he was cleared to play following a facial injury in the 31-27 victory over the All Blacks in Johannesburg last weekend.
“Siya had two options, because it is a nose fracture. He could either have it set back now and be out for three weeks, or have it done in two weeks, which is what he has chosen,” coach Rassie Erasmus told reporters.
Siya Kolisi passed fit as South Africa recall Handre Pollard and Willie le Roux
The Springboks skipper had been a doubt for the clash in Cape Town due to a facial injury
All Blacks bench Beauden Barrett for second Springboks clash
New Zealand have dropped full-back Beauden Barrett and scrumhalf TJ Perenara to the bench in four changes to their starting line-up to face South Africa in the Rugby Championship on Saturday as Ethan Blackadder and Caleb Clarke miss out through injury.
Coach Scott Robertson moved the experienced Barrett and Perenara to the roles of “finishers” after the All Blacks let a 10-point lead slip in the final 12 minutes of Saturday’s 31-27 defeat by the Springboks in Johannesburg.
”It was a tough conversation, but both are great team men, they have been around a long time,” Robertson told reporters. “The All Black jersey is important to all of us. If they have to come on and finish the job they will”.
All Blacks bench Beauden Barrett for second Springboks clash
New Zealand lost a thriller in Johannnesburg last weekend and will look to bounce back in Cape Town
Last week’s result means that South Africa have three wins from three, after their mini-tour Down Under and a win in Johannesburg. A win today would likely secure the Championship for them.
The full results so far are below, with attached reports.
Saturday, 10 August
Saturday, 17 August
New Zealand 42-10 Argentina
Saturday, 31 August
Argentina 19-20 Australia
Rugby Championship 2024 schedule: Fixtures for South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina
Here are the remaining fixtures in this year’s Rugby Championship, including Argentina v Australia tonight from 8pm BST.
Saturday 7 September
South Africa vs New Zealand, 4pm (Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town)
Argentina vs Australia, 8pm (Estadio Brigadier General Estanislao Lopez, Santa Fe)
Saturday 21 September
Australia vs New Zealand, 6.45am (Accor Stadium, Sydney)
Argentina vs South Africa, 10pm (Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades, Santiago del Estero)
Saturday 28 September
New Zealand vs Australia, 8.05am (Sky Stadium, Wellington)
South Africa vs Argentina, 4pm (Mbombela Stadium, Mbombela)
South Africa apologise for interrupting All Blacks’ Haka before Rugby Championship clash
South Africa have formally apologised to New Zealand after the All Blacks’ Haka was interrupted by music, fireworks and a plane flyover in Johannesburg.
The end of the visitors’ traditional pre-match Maori challenge was overshadowed at Ellis Park ahead of the Springboks’ narrow Rugby Championship win.
New Zealand perform one of two versions of the war dance before every Test, after the national anthems have been sung. Where opposition players could previously confront the All Blacks players, World Rugby rules now ensure that space is left between the two sides.
SA Rugby insisted that there had been an honest error by a sound engineer and they had not intended to interfere with an “iconic moment”.
South Africa apologise for interrupting All Blacks’ Haka with plane flyover
Music and fireworks also sounded during New Zealand’s traditional pre-match Maori challenge
South Africa spring late shock on New Zealand to claim memorable victory in Johannesburg
Here’s the match report from last week...
South Africa scored two late tries to come back from a 10-point deficit and edge New Zealand 31-27 in a bruising Rugby Championship clash at Ellis Park on Saturday that came close to matching the intensity of last year’s World Cup final.
The All Blacks outscored their hosts by four tries to three but the boot of new Springbok flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu proved the difference as he contributed 16 points in the first meeting between the teams since October’s Paris clash which South Africa won 12-11.
Bongi Mbonambi, Kwagga Smith and Grant Williams scored the home tries while Feinberg-Mngomezulu was successful with four penalties and two conversions.
South Africa spring late shock on New Zealand to claim memorable victory
The Springboks came from behind to score two late tries and defeat the All Blacks 31-27 in the Rugby Championship
Springboks and All Blacks collide again as rugby’s tectonic plates shift on and off the pitch
South of the Equator, the tectonic plates of rugby are shifting. Secure back-to-back wins against New Zealand this weekend and South Africawill all but make certain of a rare Rugby Championship crown, knocking the All Blacks of a throne they have occupied for most of the last two decades.
As any Springboks fan will tell you when discussing even a tenuously tangential topic, South Africa now have four World Cup wins to New Zealand’s three, but their record in this competition has been curiously poor. Since the transformative arrival of Rassie Erasmus, they have won the Rugby Championship just once; in the last two decades, that tally of titles grows only to three.
A fourth crown would be significant but it is how South Africa have evolved since their triumph in Paris last October that is more impressive. If there was a criticism of Siya Kolisi’s side on their runs to glory in Japan and France, it was of a gameplan built around simple, super strengths: forward might, kicking accuracy, suffocating defence.
Springboks and All Blacks collide again as tectonic plates shift on and off the pitch
The Springboks look set to secure the Rugby Championship as the two fierce foes renew their rivalry in Cape Town this weekend, but it may be off the pitch where the more significant battles are about to be fought
Is South Africa vs New Zealand on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Rugby Championship fixture
When is it?
South Africa vs New Zealand is due to kick off at 4pm BST on Saturday 7 September at Cape Town Stadium.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Mix, with coverage starting at 3.50pm BST. Subscribers can also stream the match via Sky Go.
All Blacks starting XV
New Zealand XV: 1 Tamaiti Williams, 2 Codie Taylor, 3 Tyrel Lomax; 4 Scott Barrett (capt.), 5 Tupou Vaa’i; 6 Wallace Sititi, 7 Sam Cane, 8 Ardie Savea; 9 Cortez Ratima, 10 Damian McKenzie; 11 Mark Tele’a, 12 Jordie Barrett, 13 Rieko Ioane, 14 Sevu Reece; 15 Will Jordan.
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Sam Darry, 20 Luke Jacobson; 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Beauden Barrett.
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