The All Blacks made it a clean sweep of the South African clubs in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry with an epic seven-tries-to-five triumph over the Lions at Ellis Park on Tuesday night.
Trailing the Lions 21-17 at half-time, outside centre Rieko Ioane crossed the whitewash twice in the second 40 minutes as New Zealand clawed back for a 41-35 victory in Johannesburg.
Flanker Ethan Blackadder and winger Ewoni Narawa also bagged a brace of tries each for the tourists.
New Zealand drew first blood in the first Test of the series with a 33-16 win over the Springboks in Joburg last week, after beating the Stormers (38-21), Sharks (54-0) and Vodacom Bulls (50-19) over the last 18 days in the Republic, and will now head to Cape Town for a rematch with Rassie Erasmus’ world champions.
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The Lions’ last competitive match was a 30 May URC quarter-final, losing 59-10 to Leinster, and they will kick off their 2026-27 campaign against the champions on 26 September on the Highveld.
Quan Horn started at fullback, with fellow Boks Boan Venter and Sikhumbuzo Notshe among the four newcomers who made their first appearances in Lions colours.
However, head coach Ivan van Rooyen will have his fingers crossed over lock Etienne Oosthuizen, who came off clutching his shoulder midway through the first stanza and replaced by debutant Hyron Andrews.
All Blacks No 10 Richie Mo’unga made his first appearance of the tour as head coach Dave Rennie also named two players in his match 23 who did duty against the Boks last week – loose forward Peter Lakai and outside back Anton Lienert-Brown took up spots on the bench.
Prop Ofa Tu’ungafasi, who joined the squad as injury cover for Ethan de Groot last week, was ruled out before kick-off due to illness and his place among the replacements taken by Xavier Numia.
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Lions scrumhalf Nico Steyn set the tone inside five minutes, selling a dummy off a solid scrum to score under the poles, and flyhalf Chris Smith split the uprights for 7-0.
Two minutes later, flanker and Man of the Match Siba Mahashe punished a sloppy Noah Hotham pass off the lineout, racing clear for a converted touchdown.
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The All Blacks hit back through Hotham, finishing a slick Narawa break down the blind side, fullback Beauden Barrett’s boot narrowing it to 14-7. Smith then rattled the uprights with a penalty miss.
Narawa struck again on 25 minutes, finishing a length-of-field move for 14-12, before fellow speedster Kelly Mpeku restored the hosts’ cushion with an aerial finish in the corner, Smith converting for 21-12.
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Blackadder crossed from deep to make it a four-point game at the break, after Fehi Fineanganofo’s try was chalked off for a forward pass in the build-up.
No 11 Erich Cronjé, finishing off a searing Mahashe run down the left, gave the Lions the perfect restart. Skipper and No 8 Francke Horn muscled over from a 5m scrum to stretch it to 35-17.
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Ioane then hit back twice in six minutes, the second an intercept try, to bring the All Blacks to 35-31.
Blackadder’s second try nudged the visitors ahead for the first time, and Mo’unga made no mistake from the kicking tee, before Narawa completed his double at the death.
LIONS – Tries: Nico Steyn, Siba Mahashe, Kelly Mpeku, Erich Cronjé, Francke Horn. Conversions: Chris Smith (5).
ALL BLACKS – Tries: Noah Hotham, Emoni Narawa (2), Ethan Blackadder (2), Rieko Ioane (2). Conversions: Beauden Barrett, Richie Mo’unga (2).
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
The post Unbeaten All Blacks edge brave Lions appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
The All Blacks made it a clean sweep of the South African clubs in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry with an epic seven-tries-to-five triumph over the Lions at Ellis Park on Tuesday night.
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