BOKS BOUNCE BACK: Springboks roar back into series with victory over All Blacks in Cape Town thriller

{JSON.stringify(article.attachments[0], null, 2)} --> The Springboks secured a 33-26 (halftime 24-14) win over the All Blacks in the second Test to level the Greatest Rivalry series at 1-1.

A ferocious first-half onslaught by the Springboks was enough to withstand a late rally by the All Blacks in a pulsating encounter that underlined the intensity of the old rivalry in 80 riveting minutes.

The Boks, stunned by a 33-16 loss in the first Test at Ellis Park, ripped into the New Zealanders from the outset and laid down a marker.

There would be no soft moments on this day as they deservedly took the spoils to inflict a first defeat on new All Black coach Dave Rennie in his ninth outing.

Victory ensured that the Boks retained their record of not losing back-to-back home Tests to the same opponent since the Lions in 1997. More importantly, it keeps the series well and truly alive.

It was far from perfect, but the intensity was higher, and in the first half, they wasted far fewer chances than a week earlier.

The pack was magnificent. From the immense Eben Etzebeth and No 8 Jasper Wiese to the indefatigable Pieter-Steph du Toit, playing his 100 th Test, the Boks’ big men set the tone.

Captain Siya Kolisi led from the front. Although he was withdrawn early in the second half, his shift was another monumental effort.

The fact that the Boks had conceded just one penalty by the sixty-second minute underlined how accurate and intense they were on the day.

For much of the opening stanza New Zealand survived off turnovers to create some opportunities, but they were firmly on the back foot before halftime.

The Boks led by 10 points at the break even though there was hardly a scrum to speak of, and certainly no scrum penalties from the four completed set pieces in the half.

The All Blacks’ lineout struggled at times, but the scrums were much better from a New Zealand perspective.

Yet that’s not where the game was won and lost. The Boks’ contestable kicking was on point.

Victory was set in the contact areas. The Boks’ breakdown work was as good as it’s been this season, and it had to be, because the All Blacks matched the intensity everywhere on the field.