Rugby: Springboks outmuscle All Blacks to win third test, take 2-1 series lead

The Springboks have beaten the All Blacks 29-24 in the third test in Soweto to take a 2-1 lead in the four-match series.The Springboks again started well, but the All Blacks absorbed the pressure and began to apply their own. With the All Blacks close to the line the hosts' first-five Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu knocked the ball down and was yellow carded for a professional foul.The All Blacks made the most of the extra man, with captain Ardie Savea barging over from close range for the first try of the match after some good work from hooker Asafo Aumua.Love kicked the conversion to give New Zealand a 7-0 lead after about 10 minutes at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.The Springboks were back to 15 men in the 20th minute with Feinberg-Mngomezulu re-entering the game, and the hosts would score moments later with wing Kurt-Lee Arendse going over in the right-hand corner. Feinberg-Mngomezulu missed the conversion, leaving the score 7-5 to the All Blacks midway through the first half.The All Blacks struck back with another try to Savea after a break down the left edge by wing Leroy Carter, the skipper picking up a loose ball before diving over for his second try of the match. The conversion was unsuccessful, with the score 12-5 to the All Blacks after 27 minutes.All Blacks winger Leroy Carter in action against the Springboks.PhotosportSavea though would leave the field soon after with what appeared to be a shoulder injury, dealing a sizable blow to the tourists. He was replaced by Wallace Sititi, with openside flanker Luke Jacobson taking over as captain.The All Blacks had a player sent to the sin bin in the 37th minute with Love yellow carded for being offside when the Springboks were hot on attack in the All Blacks' 22.The hosts would score from the resulting five-metre scrum, referee Nika Amashukeli awarding a penalty try under the posts after the All Blacks infringed with the Springboks scrum marching towards the try line. That made the score 12-12 just minutes before halftime, and that's how it would remain going into the break.Love rejoined the game early in the second half, and he almost kicked a penalty from more than 40m out but pushed his attempt just wide.The Springboks were dominating at scrum time as they were in the first half, but the All Blacks were hanging in there and scored the next try after wing Leroy Carter regathered a Will Jordan kick before passing back to Jordan, who scored the All Blacks third try of the night.All Blacks winger Will Jordan scores against the Springboks.PhotosportLove missed the conversion with the score 17-12 to the All Blacks with just over 20 minutes to go.Their lead was short-lived however as the Springboks hit back almost immediately with midfielder Jesse Kriel storming over after Carter missed a one-on-one tackle.Feinberg-Mngomezulu added the extras to put South Africa back in front 19-17.The Springboks' scrum was again dominant, and the hosts were winning consistent penalties at scrum time, making it hard for the All Blacks to build any momentum.Another scrum penalty led to an attacking lineout for the hosts, and the All Blacks were powerless to stop the ensuing maul as Springboks hooker Malcolm Marx dived over for a try in the 65th minute to extend their lead to 26-17 with the help of another conversion.Referee Nika Amashukeli talks to Ardie Savea.PhotosportThe All Blacks gave away another penalty inside their own half, lock Fabian Holland pinged for an illegal clean out, and South Africa kicked the three points to push out to a 12-point lead (29-17) with just 10 minutes to go.The crowd by this stage was in full party mode, and the noise inside the 90,000 capacity FNB Stadium was deafening as they began to sing the name of Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus.The hosts had their tails up and continued to win penalties at the breakdown, the All Blacks running out of time to fight their way back into the game.The All Blacks needed to be the next to score, but it was South Africa who made all the play with the tourists barely hanging on.The All Blacks never gave up and they finally cracked the Springboks' defence after the fulltime siren, with replacement front rower Samisoni Taukei'aho scoring a consolation try, but it wasn't enough as the hosts held on for a 29-24 victory and a 2-1 series lead.The best the All Blacks can now hope for is a drawn series, with game four in the US city of Baltimore next weekend.Revap all the action with our live blog below:All Blacks match-day 23 (Test caps in brackets):1. George Bower (28)2. Asafo Aumua (24)3. Tyrel Lomax (53)4. Tupou Vaa'i (49)5. Sam Darry (10)6. Peter Lakai (12)7. Luke Jacobson (29)8. Ardie Savea (111) - Captain9. Cam Roigard (22)10. Ruben Love (10)11. Leroy Carter (9)12. Jordie Barrett (83)13. Quinn Tupaea (28)14. Will Jordan (59)15. Damian McKenzie (79)16. Samisoni Taukei'aho (44)17. Xavier Numia (3)18. Fletcher Newell (39)19. Fabian Holland (14)20. Wallace Sititi (21)21. Kyle Preston (3)22. Anton Lienert-Brown (92)23. Josh Moorby (4)