South Africa edge out All Blacks to close in on title

2024 Rugby Championship

South Africa (3) 18

Tries: Kolisi, Marx Cons: Pollard Pens: Pollard, Mngomezulu

New Zealand (9) 12

Pens: McKenzie (4)

South Africa fought backmost from down to hit New Zealand and adjacent successful connected nan Rugby Championship title aft nan 4th of six rounds.

Trailing 9-3 astatine half-time, nan world champions took nan lead erstwhile skipper Siya Kolisi dived complete for a effort converted by Handre Pollard early successful nan 2nd half.

All Blacks fly-half Damian McKenzie missed an easy-looking punishment pinch nan people astatine 13-12 to nan Springboks, who soon extended their lead.

With nan All Blacks down to 14 players aft Tyrel Lomax was sin-binned, Malcolm Marx touched down conscionable wrong nan area emblem for a lead that proved to beryllium enough.

Argentina meet Australia later connected Saturday, pinch some sides needing a bonus-point triumph to person immoderate chance of overtaking South Africa successful nan remaining Rugby Championship fixtures.

The All Blacks, who fto a 10-point lead gaffe earlier losing to South Africa a week earlier, were up passim a disjointed first half acknowledgment to McKenzie’s boot.

But aft half-time, Kolisi went complete for a effort from adjacent scope soon aft Eben Etzebeth had been stopped conscionable short of nan New Zealand line.

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu replaced Pollard and landed a long-range punishment earlier McKenzie kicked his 4th to make it 13-12.

McKenzie past deed nan station pinch different punishment attempt, but his miss almost consecutive successful beforehand of nan posts from astir 35 metres proved a turning point.

Prop Lomax was shown nan yellowish paper wrong nan past 10 minutes for impeding Cheslin Kolbe arsenic nan winger ran past him, and wrong seconds Marx had claimed nan Springboks’ 2nd try.

South Africa play Argentina away, past astatine home, successful their remaining Rugby Championship fixtures.