Springboks Level Series With 33–26 Win Over All Blacks in Cape Town

Springboks Even the Series in Cape Town

South Africa beat New Zealand 33–26 at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on 31 August 2026 in front of a crowd of 56,589, drawing the two-Test series at one victory each after the All Blacks had won the previous weekend in Johannesburg. The Good Things Guy match report says the Springboks "delivered the response they wanted" after a week dominated by pre-Test controversy, including New Zealand coach Dave Rennie's criticism that the South Africans were "walking around" in the scrum and a social-media furor over an Airlink flight incident that preceded kickoff.

Tries, Milestones and the Man of the Match

Jesse Kriel opened the scoring for the home side inside the opening two minutes, with Cam Roigard and Damian McKenzie replying for New Zealand and Damian de Allende and Siya Kolisi crossing for South Africa to give the hosts a 24–14 halftime lead. Two Springbok careers were also marked at DHL Stadium: flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit won his 100th Test cap and played the full 80 minutes, while prop Ox Nche reached 50 Tests. Winger Cheslin Kolbe, named Player of the Match, converted all three of his side's tries and added four penalty goals for a perfect seven-from-seven off the tee, finishing with 18 points.

Rankings and What's Next

The result pushed South Africa back to the top of the world rankings, with New Zealand dropping to second, according to the same match report. The decider is scheduled for FNB Stadium, setting up a third Test to settle the series after Johannesburg and Cape Town traded wins.

Off-Field Stories Around the Test

Headlines in the days before the Test included the Rennie scrum complaint and the Airlink flight episode that drew widespread social-media attention, alongside the milestone caps for du Toit and Nche. A separate City Press/Head Topics item noted a community angle in Cape Town, reporting that six under-resourced boys from the city were given the experience of attending the Springboks–All Blacks fixture.

What Remains Uncertain

The Good Things Guy account does not state the date or venue of the third Test beyond naming FNB Stadium as the next destination, nor does it detail the disciplinary or selection fallout from the scrum controversy. The City Press headline names the fixture but does not expand on the boys' program within the available text.