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September 13, 2025
New Zealand vs South Africa Rugby: South Africa powered past New Zealand with a 43-10 victory on Saturday. The result handed the All Blacks their heaviest test defeat in history.
The Springboks kept the Freedom Cup and reignited their push in the Rugby Championship. Cheslin Kolbe scored twice, once in each half.
Damian Willemse, Kwagga Smith, R.G. Snyman, and Andre Esterhuizen added tries of their own. Every score came from bold, precise attacking play.
South Africa finished with six tries, while New Zealand managed only one. New Zealand edged the first test 24-17 last weekend. This time, though, the Springboks came out transformed.
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They defended with greater power and attacked with real conviction, putting themselves back in the Rugby Championship race.
Australia sits on top with 11 points. Just a point behind are both South Africa and New Zealand, keeping the contest wide open.
New Zealand opened the scoring with a debut try from winger Leroy Carter and held a 10-7 lead at halftime. The momentum shifted after the break.
The Springboks dominated, crossing for five tries and racking up 36 unanswered points. “We approached this game with real belief,” said Willemse, who played a key role in South Africa’s attack.
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“Last week’s review showed us exactly where we slipped at Eden Park. Tonight we executed with precision.”
Head coach Rassie Erasmus overhauled the backline with five changes after the first test. Two more backs went down injured in the opening half.
Still, the Springboks looked sharper, building attacks off the strong platform their set pieces delivered. A week earlier, South Africa had relied on the kicking game.
This time the roles reversed. The All Blacks were pinned in their own half, forced to kick under pressure and starved of possession.
Both teams looked to play with pace, pushing the ball into wide channels. The Springboks clicked as a unit, and their backline was dangerous throughout.
In the previous test, the All Blacks set the tone early with two tries inside 17 minutes to jump ahead 14-0. This week, South Africa flipped the script.
They applied pressure from the start, and New Zealand gradually buckled under the constant defensive workload. The opening half took a heavy toll on both sides.
South Africa lost Lood de Jager, with Snyman coming on in his place. Flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu also went off, replaced by Manie Libbok.
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Fullback Aphelele Fassi was forced out as well, with Esterhuizen stepping in. For New Zealand, scrumhalf Noah Hotham departed, and Finlay Christie filled the gap.
The All Blacks tried to shift the ball wide but ran into South Africa’s relentless rush defense. They managed to break it only once.
In the 18th minute, a flowing attack swept from one touchline to the other, with loose forwards involved out wide. Carter was on the end of it, marking his debut with a try.
In the 23rd minute, Kolbe snatched Billy Proctor’s pass and raced almost 80 meters to give the Springboks their only try before halftime.
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Right after the break, the All Blacks’ scrum buckled. South Africa won a penalty, and Siya Kolisi sliced through the defense to create Kolbe’s second score.
Libbok added the extras and then nailed a penalty, pushing the Springboks ahead 17-10. That’s when the momentum shifted completely.
In the 61st minute, a stolen lineout gave South Africa the ball just five meters from the All Blacks’ line.
The forwards punched ahead, the backs took over, and Libbok sent a pass to Willemse, who finished the move with a try.
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Smith’s score stood out as the highlight. It began with winger Ethan Hooker sparking a counterattack from deep in South Africa’s territory.
With New Zealand scrambling, Libbok launched a cross-kick to Pieter-Steph du Toit, who timed his pass perfectly for Smith to storm through.
Esterhuizen and Snyman added late tries, sealing a record victory for the Springboks.
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