South Africa have edged the All Blacks 29-24 in a tense third Test in Johannesburg, taking a 2-1 lead in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.

South Africa’s power, confidence and energy swamped the All Blacks in the second half at Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium on Sunday (NZT).

Yet, they still have a chance to share the series after the final Test in Baltimore, USA next weekend although they will have to do it without captain, and two-try scorer, Ardie Savea with a shoulder injury after having taken Marx’s head to the shoulder at a breakdown. He left the field and was replaced by Wallace Sititi.

The All Blacks have fallen 33-26 to South Africa in a tense second Test in Cape Town.

South African power applied across 80 intense minutes, and a goal-kicking masterclass from wing Cheslin Kolbe, were enough to claim a 33-26 win over the All Blacks at Cape Town, and keep the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series alive.

.After losing the first Test at Ellis Park, the South African response was everything expected, and the All Blacks lacked the assurance they had a week earlier.

First blood to the All Blacks. With shades of 1996’s Incomparables, Dave Rennie’s men absorbed a heap of pressure from the big, bad Springboks, and punished them with their strikepower and resilience to run away with a meritorious and vital 33-16 victory over the back-to-back world champions.

As statements went in what looks set to be an engaging and evenly matched Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, the All Blacks made an emphatic one with their 17-point victory at Ellis Park (early Sunday (NZT).

They survived a mighty acid-test from the Boks at scrum time, and on the carry, through the first three quarters, somehow survived all-but unscathed and ran away with the match thereafter, scoring five tries to one, keeping the South Africans to just three second-half points and forcing two late yellow cards to the hosts that effectively sealed the deal.

The All Blacks had trailed 13-12 at the break, and looked to be in a world of hurt a dozen or so minutes into the second spell when the South Africans won a succession of penalties at the scrum, and looked destined for a go-ahead score as they went for set piece after set piece to punish their backtracking rivals.