J Hermann, Bosch, Jansen hand South Africa tri-series triumph

Johannesburg saw South Africa secure a 29-24 Test victory over New Zealand, taking a 2-1 lead in the four-match series. Both teams were tied at 12-12 at halftime, but South Africa went on to dominate the second half with a 12-point lead. Wing Kurt-Lee Arendse, centre Jesse Kriel, and hooker Malcolm Marx scored tries for the Springboks, while fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted three of their four successful attempts, including a penalty try.

Captain Ardie Savea contributed two tries for the All Blacks, with wing Will Jordan and substitute hooker Samisoni Taukei scoring one each. Fly-half Ruben Love and full-back Damian McKenzie each scored one conversion. Springboks captain Siya Kolisi became the most successful captain with 55 Test victories, surpassing John Smit. New Zealand's Luke Jacobson acknowledged South Africa's strong finish, stating that the second-half performance was better than in the previous two Tests.

The All Blacks came hard in the first 25 minutes, but South Africa fought back effectively. New Zealand suffered a double blow early in the first half with Cheslin Kolbe going off injured and Feinberg-Mngomezulu yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-down. South Africa capitalized on these setbacks, taking a seven-point lead through Savea's first try.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu missed the conversion, leaving the hosts trailing 7-5 midway through the first half. However, after Feinberg-Mngomezulu returned, the Springboks gained momentum, scoring two more tries before halftime. The game intensified in the second half, with a crucial penalty try awarded and a final try from Marx securing the 29-24 win.