South Africa 29-24 New Zealand: rugby union third Test – live

Key events

Now Siya Kolisi, who has 55 Test wins, more than any other Springboks captain.

He’s beaming, almost laughing as he answers the questions from SuperSport:

Thank you South Africa. Wow. We wanted to say thank you for supporting us all the year. The first couple of minutes were really tough. Thank you for inspiring us each and every day. A great game on the whole, they pushed us all the way.

The first 25 minutes the lungs were pumping hard. We did so well to make sure we didn’t concede more points. We were much better than the last two weeks.

Every time we play in South Africa we’re reminded that we play for the people of South Africa. We represent every person here. We feel privilege, not pressure. We’re grateful.

Luke Jacobson is standing in for Ardie Savea:

I thought we started really well. But the Springboks came out in the second half and played their game. We allowed them to.

It’s been awesome to play over here. It’s a country that really loves rugby. The footy itself has been among the best in the world. You feel it each week.

Ethan Hooker is a superb pick for player of the match.

Here’s what he has to say:

I’m absolutely loving it. When New Zealand come to the party you have to bring your best.

It was one of those games I was fortunate that the ball came my way. If I feel like I feel after the game I know I’ve done my job.

New Zealand love to shift the ball. We have to stay disciplined, keep fighting, put in those dominant tackles.

Full-time! South Africa 29-24

South Africa take the home-leg of the series 2-1!

An unreal game. A game worthy of the title of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry. It had everything. If you’re a fan of this sport – even if you’re not – this game had something for you.

Four tries each, South Africa’s second half display will be spoken about for years to come.

TRY! South Africa 29-24 New Zealand (Taukei'aho, 80+)

They get their consolation. It adds some respectability to the score, but it’s academic. Pick and go from close range, they kept it alive and showed patience. In the end the pressure told and they were over. The conversion from McKenzie is good.

80 min: Sititi makes a break that brings the ABs to SAs 22, but the defence holds. Both teams still giving this everything. Moorby is hauled down by van den Berg who was running back to his own line. The hooter goes as NZ get the advantage. Libbok makes an intercept off a long pass to the left, but that is that. NZ will play this penalty right in front of the poles but it won’t be enough.

78 min: Libbok hoists a high kick that Arendse taps back and SFM grabs if his hands are covered in super glue. There’s a spill soon after so NZ will get the scrum feed. But it’s game over. In a minute Kolisi will become the most successful Springbok captain in terms of Tests won. What a second half performance from the Boks.

77 min: Now NZ win a penalty after Libbok went to the line alone and Lienert-Brown managed to make the steal. But the clearing penalty does not find touch so SA can run it back. NZ letting this slip away. Maybe it already has. SA building slowing beyond halfway befire SFM kicks in behind the ABs back three. It’s long and will be a goal-line drop-out, but that is a great result for SA.

75 min: SA eke out a penaly at the maul so have a free hit! De Allende catches and releases and feeds Kriel through space. SFM tries to go alone to the corner and runs out of room. Advatnage over but NZ have to clear from the line-out in their own corner. They do well but they’re on the ball in their 22. No longer! The ball is stolen. SA on it on NZ’s 22.

73 min: Penalty South Africa! Newell is off-side! Huge defence from the Boks. McKenzie stepped PS du Toit in a tight space but the wave of bottle green was just immense. And NZ, knowing they need to get a move on, lose their head after a big hit from Hanekom shifted momentum. Libbok once again finds touch down town (he’s had a great game as well).

73 min: NZ get a penalty after the restart. They tap and go but SFM bursts into a huge tackle on Barrett, nailing him to the ground, But there was a knock-on from his swinging arm. So even though Hooker hacked upfield and then wrapped up Lienert-Brown, we come back for the NZ scrum on SA’s 22. The whole series could hinge on this.

Penalty! South Africa 29-17 New Zealand (Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 71)

It’s not quite two converted tries, but that is a 12 point lead! But if there’s any team that can still win it from here it’s the All Blacks.

70 min: NZ’s front row get a let-off as SA can’t sort themselves out and a free-kick is awarded. Marx is off for Esterhuizen so Fourie moves to hooker. NZ try and move things fast but the ball is behind Moorby who spills, but it goes backwards. Now a penalty against NZ at the breakdown! The entry was from the side from Holland. This is bang in front and PS du Toit, the skipper with Kolisi off the park, asks SFM to take this beyond two converted tries.

68 min: NZ need to strike now and they’ll get a chance to do so from a scrum around halfway all the way to their right. A high kick from van den Berg is almost won back by the chasing Hooker – he’s been so good at that all day – but there’s a SA hand that knocks on.

TRY! South Africa 26-17 New Zealand (Marx, 66)

YOU’LL NEVER SEE A BETTER MAUL IN YOUR LIFE!

Malcom Marx powers over to score. Photograph: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters

65 min: Newell is nailed at the scrum and SA win the penalty! Rather than take the points – and it would be a really tricky kick on the right – Libbok nudges it out of touch to set up a line-out inside NZ’s 22.

63 min: Other changes for SA: Etzebeth, Nche and Kolisi off for Fourie, Steenekamp, de Jager.

At the scrum, NZ hold firm and the ball is flung down the right in a flash. But the long kick off Jordan takes a wicked bounce and dribbles all the way over the shallow in-goal area (this is a football stadium most of the time). That means we go back for a SA scrum between the 10 and 22 metres lines in NZ’s half. I’m sure I’ve said this already, but this could be a big moment.

62 min: Gwijo songs are ringing around Soweto. What a vibe! This is what it means to South Africa. They’re on the ball after the line-out. Hanekom – on for Wiese – carries. But there’s a knock-on from Kriel in contact so NZ get a scrum back in their own patch close to their left touch.

61 min: Van den Berg rakes a lovely touch finder from the restart. NZ win the line-out and retain the ball from a Roigard box. They’re looking dangerous on the ball but a mighty tackle from PS du Toit halts momentum and Marx – that breakdown menace – times his intervention to perfection and gets his body over the ball to steal the penalty. Huge play from the Boks.

TRY! South Africa 19-17 New Zealand (Kriel, 57)

SA hit back immediately! Wow! They win the restart, go down the short side on the left and go through the hands on the right. SFM fired a bullet to Libbok who did likewise to Kriel. Carter rushed up to make the hit but melted like sugar in the rain. Kriel couldn’t beleive his luck as he looked up and saw the line from 22 metres away. So opportunistic, so direct, so Springboks!

Unlike Love, SFM lands the conversion and the Boks take the lead for the first time.

Jesse Kriel touches down. Photograph: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters

TRY! South Africa 12-17 New Zealand (Jordan, 56)

Like a snake in a hole, they can strike in the blink of an eye! Off the scrum, their carries went nowhere. So a speculative grubber ahead came from Jordan – who was on the opposite wing – and Carter rushed onto it down the left wing. He stood firm and waited long enough for Jordan to come and support. So simple, so effective, so All Blacks.

Love can’t bring the conversion round from the tram. Still a one-score game.

53 min: Love misses the penalty! That wasn’t a gimme, but it should have been slotted. From the left of the poles he started it to the right but didn’t have enough curl back. SA clear with a 22-metre drop out which Hooker chases and almost catches, but he spills it in the air. Hooker is having a really great game.

52 min: Silence as NZ win a scrum penalty! Standing in is the call. Maybe Rennie was right? (I kid, Boks fans, don’t @ me).

Love points to the sticks. Points on the board could be crucial here.

52 min: Libbok kicks into the wind and can’t find touch beyond halfway. But the Boks will get the line-out as Thomas du Toit comes on for Louw. Nortje wins the line-out but van den Berg knocks-on as the pass comes down from height. Pretty poor from an elite scrumhalf there. He was under no pressure. Just rushed. So now NZ get the scrum feed inside SA’s patch.

50 min: The scrum went down and the call of ‘use it’ came from the referee, but that’s another scrum penalty for the Boks. Just unbeleivable how dominant their set piece is.

A Mexican wave ripples around the ground. South Africans love a Mexican wave. I assure you, it’s got nothing to do with the game being boring. In fact, the more exciting a game is the more likely you’ll see a wave in SA.

48 min: SA win the line-out and van den Berg hoists a high kick. Jordan fields and is nailed by the chasing Hooker. NZ do well to secure the ball and then have it back. Barrett is hit hard but NZ keep the ball alive. Aumua makes good metres post contact and the All Blacks win a lot of territory after Roigard finds grass down town and forces SFM to slice a clearance with little room near the tram. NZ on the ball from the line-out just beyond SA’s 22 but PS du Toit put in a big hit and forced a spill. So SA will get the scrum on their own 22. Chance for another penalty? How will the new NZ props handle the heat?

45 min: Yes they can! Penalty to South Africa at the scrum. Libbok, kicking into the wind, finds touch for a Bok line-out 10 inside halfway.

NZ respond to their scrum problems and bring on two new props – Numia and Newell on for Bower and Lomax.

44 min: SA survive. They don’t lift at the line-out and so have the manpower on the ground to provide a strong counter shove at the maul. NZ stall before Aumua goes himself. Soon after, receiving the ball on his heels, Jordan spills in contact so SA get the scrum. Can they eke out a penalty inside their own 22?

43 min: SA go nowhere with ball in hand and Sititi makes an intercept. But the attack isn’t set and it’s a little scrappy which allows a few defenders to get back and make tackles. SA get the ball back soon after but Kolisi commits an offside penalty – Kolisi I think.

Van den Berg is on for Reinach as Tupaea receives some treatement. He might be in trouble.

We’ll start again with a NZ line-out within touching distance of the SA line after McKenzie rakes a great touch finder.

42 min: SA playing into the wind. And it’s picked up. McKenzie’s clearance off the restart was hefty, almost to halfway. Wiese carries off the line-out and SA go through the hands until Arendse spills it in the right tram.

Kick-off

The players are back out.

NZ were dominant across the final 10 minutes in both previous Tests. Does that mean SA need a lead?

NZ were perhaps the better team in the first half but SA did cough up a few chances.

It’s so tight!

SFM gets us going again…

Wow. Will that do?

Savea scored two tries that underlined New Zealand’s brilliance with ball in hand and their frenetic zeal at the breakdown.

But SA shot back and scored a worldie as Arendse completed a sweeping move. Then a heft scrum shove won a penalty try.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Love were shown yellow cards for stopping try-scoring opportunities while Savea and Kolbe had to leave the field with injuries.

It couldn’t be closer!

Oh, a shout out to my mates Nafisa and Scott who are following along on their drive across Canada! Hope wherever you are in the world you’re enjoying the commentary.

Half-time: South Africa 12-12 New Zealand

Louw leans into the scrum – eager to get a shove on before the half-time whistle – and gives away a free kick. Roigard kicks it out and brings an end to a truly pulsating, breathless 40 minutes.

39 min: McKenzie doesn’t make huge ground with the kick so NZ will get the throw on SA’s 10 metre line. They almost free Jordan as the ball goes left then back right. A Roigard kick doesn’t make much ground but NZ keep it alive. Hooker makes an intercept! He can’t find the space to run free so kicks ahead into NZ’s 22. The cover defence is quick but Hooker is quicker. He dives for the loose ball but knocks on. He’s having a great game! Scrum to NZ. SA will want to put in a big shove here.

PENALTY TRY! South Africa 12-12 New Zealand

SA’s scrum demolishes the NZ pack and the penalty try is awarded. Nche just immense. He powered through Lomax and eight men in black shirts started moving backwards at a serious pace. With the ball being controlled at the back of the steamrolling pack, Roigard caused some illegal mischief and got in an off-the-ball tussle with Reinach.

The penalty try stands but we’ll restart with an All Black penalty on halfway which should give them a chance to set a line-out close to SA’s line.

I think that’s soft. Both scrumhalves were getting in each other’s face. Just that Reinach threw Roigard and it was close to a tip over.

That’s cheered up the home fans! Photograph: Kim Ludbrook/EPA

Yellow card! New Zealand (Love, 36)

36 min: Nche held up a metre short! My word! Reinach did brilliantly to not only tackle Aumua on halfway but then rip the ball free. SA exploded upfield. My god it’s so quick. Wiese ran through a wall and then offloaded for Nche who held on around his laces. He made the pass for Libbok who stepped in and then again and then again. He was a metre short so Sa had to send the big boys. Nortje then Nche came close with carries but the defence held. Love committed an illegal slowing down of the ball and is penalised and yellow carded.

SA choose to scrum five short. Wow. How can you not love this sport?

35 min: NZ exit through a line-out and a Roigard high box. Then Kriel knocks on around halfway after taking his eyes off a SFM pass to the right. So NZ will get the scrum feed and a huge territorial win. The camera cuts to Rassie who looks like he’s got steam coming out his ears.

33 min: SA give away a penalty inside NZ’s 22 for the third time this game! SFM raked a grubber to the corner which Barrett ran across and fielded. He was swamped by Hooker who managed to get back to his feet and steal the ball, but he had no help so when Jordan came round to apply pressure over the ball, Hooker was nailed for holding on.

I can’t emphasise enough how intense the breakdown battle has been.

33 min: Another great exit off their own scrum. NZ win the ball and fire the pass to Jordan on the blind on the right touch. He makes so much ground in no time. But Sa back on the ball with Reinach hoisting a high kick that Hooker gathers at the second attempt. Kolisi picks and drives. Libbok fires a brilliant pass to de Allende who skips around a defender. SA still on the ball inching towards the NZ 22.

31 min: Savea, who is now the highest scoring forward in Test rugby history, leaves the field clutching his arm. He looks in serious pain. That could be a big loss for the Kiwis who not only lose their skipper but an immense ball carrier.

30 min: This game is being played at an insane pace. Multiple kicks and counters has SA down the right with Kriel finding PS du Toit. Now they’re with SFM on the NZ 22. Kolisi picks and goes himself but that’s another 22 metrer entry that comes to nothing after Etzebeth leaves the ball behind as he tried to pick up off the floor and charge down an open blindside on the left tram.