South Africa delivered a stunning performance in Wellington on Saturday, thrashing New Zealand 43–10 to hand the All Blacks their heaviest-ever defeat in test rugby. The emphatic win allowed the Springboks to retain the Freedom Cup and reignited their Rugby Championship campaign.
Six-Try Blitz from South Africa
Cheslin Kolbe crossed in both halves while Damian Willemse, Kwagga Smith, R.G. Snyman, and Andre Esterhuizen also touched down as the Springboks ran in six tries to one. Fly-half Manie Libbock controlled proceedings with sharp distribution and accurate kicking, steering his side to a famous victory.
New Zealand opened the scoring through debutant winger Leroy Carter and led 10–7 at halftime. But from there, the Springboks were ruthless — piling on five unanswered tries and 36 consecutive points to completely overwhelm their archrivals.
Clinical and Physical Springboks
After last weekend’s 24–17 loss in Auckland, South Africa produced a transformed display. Their defense was ferocious, their set-piece dominant, and their attack far more decisive.
“We had a very positive mindset,” said Willemse. “After reviewing last week’s game we knew exactly where we went wrong. Tonight we were much more clinical.”
Head coach Rassie Erasmus had made five backline changes before kickoff, and despite losing Lood de Jager, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Aphelele Fassi to first-half injuries, the Springboks’ combinations clicked. Their high tempo and sharp handling exposed New Zealand’s defense, which missed 46 tackles.
Turning Points
Kolbe’s first try came from a brilliant interception in the 23rd minute, racing nearly 80 meters to score. His second, early in the second half, was set up by captain Siya Kolisi slicing through New Zealand’s defensive line.
From there, the floodgates opened. Willemse finished off a flowing move after a stolen lineout, while Smith’s try — starting with a counterattack from deep and finished with Pieter-Steph du Toit’s deft pass — underlined South Africa’s flair. Snyman and Esterhuizen added late tries to seal the record margin.
All Blacks Left Searching for Answers
“They put great pressure on us,” admitted All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. “I want to congratulate South Africa. We’ve got a lot to work on obviously.”
Unlike last week, when New Zealand built an early 14–0 lead, the All Blacks faded after the interval, unable to escape South Africa’s suffocating rush defense. Their lone highlight was Carter’s debut try in the first half.
Rugby Championship Picture
Australia currently lead the Rugby Championship with 11 points, but South Africa and New Zealand are just one point behind, keeping the title race finely balanced.
The tournament takes a break next weekend before resuming on September 27, when New Zealand face Australia at Eden Park in Auckland and South Africa travel to Durban to meet Argentina.
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