Springboks close in on championship crown after fourth straight win over All Blacks

South Africa regained the Freedom Cup and put a hand on the Rugby Championship trophy by beating New Zealand 18-12 for a rare fourth successive time on Saturday.

The Springboks trailed 9-3 at halftime but scored the only two tries of the penalty-plagued game to remain unbeaten in the championship after four rounds. They can clinch their first championship since 2019 — before they won the last two Rugby World Cups — in two weeks against the Pumas in Argentina.

They last won the Freedom Cup, played for only between the teams, 15 years ago.

“This game was really big for us,” captain Siya Kolisi said. “Outside of the Rugby World Cup final, this was the biggest game for us. We are really happy.”

Behind 13-12, the All Blacks had two penalty kick attempts in the last quarter to regain the lead while Springboks fullback Willie le Roux was in the sin-bin. But Damian McKenzie hit the post in the 63rd minute and missed from just 35 meters in front in the 72nd.

Moments later, All Blacks prop Tyrel Lomax obstructed Cheslin Kolbe and was yellow-carded. The Springboks put the kickable penalty into the corner, mauled from the lineout, and replacement hooker Malcolm Marx charged over the tryline in the left corner.

For the last five minutes, world champion South Africa pinned the defending champion All Blacks in their half then celebrated.

They’d ended the All Blacks reign over the Rugby Championship for the last four years, and kept their greatest foe tryless in this contest for the first time since 2007.

The game never reached the heights of the classic last weekend at Ellis Park, where South Africa won 31-27. There were too many errors on top of 27 penalties, the Boks conceding 14.

In the first half, New Zealand deserved its 9-3 lead, all the points from penalties. It had the two best players on the field in hooker Codie Taylor, despite missing 10 minutes for a head injury check, and flanker Wallace Sititi, making his first test start on his 22nd birthday.

The pair continued to lead the All Blacks after the break. But the Springboks finally got a foothold in the New Zealand 22 and made it count in the 45th minute after a third straight lineout maul. Rucks thinned the New Zealand defense and Kolisi — playing with a broken nose — plunged over.

Handre Pollard converted to put South Africa in front for the first time at 10-9, and was replaced by Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who immediately landed a penalty for 13-9.

McKenzie’s fourth penalty from five attempts cut the gap to one as they entered the final quarter.

The All Blacks, slower to clear their bench than South Africa, were on a roll that English referee Matt Carley rewarded with penalties. But McKenzie missed them and, in between, a penalty in Jordie Barrett’s range was turned down.

The visitors never got chances at points again. MDT/AP