Springboks' long walk to Freedom Cup

The Springboks on Saturday invoked the spirit of Nelson Mandela by lifting the Freedom Cup a sea gull's glide away from where the elder statesman in wait was incarcerated for 27 years.

Equally the Boks had to wait an interminably long time to again lay their hands on a cup they last hoisted in 2009.

The Boks never soared in the Mother City on Saturday, but they perhaps fittingly were forced to graft in honour of freedom and the father of the nation. They chipped away at the rock-hard All Blacks' defence and carved out a victory in a clash that was as absorbing as it was engrossing.

While the toil of the starters should not be underrated, it was again the Springbok substitutes who stepped off the bench to help turn the tide.

There was no Bomb Squad but in replacement hooker Malcolm Marx they had a marksman who hit the spot. It was his powerful surges after coming off the bench in the 45th minute that helped set up the Boks' first try and it was he who peeled blindside from the back of a maul to score the decisive try.

Eben Etzebeth and Pieter-Steph du Toit did what they do in every Test, while Cheslin Kolbe at times achieved superhuman feats. Typically, Kolbe was full of verve and vitality.

This was a significant win for the Boks. They didn't just win the Freedom Cup but they placed one hand on the Rugby Championship trophy that is now very much theirs for the taking for the first time since 2019.

In the grander scheme of things, there has also been a tectonic shift in the plates of the global game since the All Blacks last played the Springboks in Cape Town. The Boks were on a losing streak against their old foes back in 2017, but they have now won six from their last eight Tests against New Zealand.

What will please their coaching staff most is that victories were achieved in Johannesburg and Cape Town with the World Champions rarely hitting the high notes.

They showcased their squad depth with the All Blacks in both encounters unable to respond adequately once the Boks had summoned their cavalry.

The All Blacks will argue they should have taken more from this match but errant second half goal kicking from Damian McKenzie and another final quarter yellow card undermined their efforts.

It was far from an unblemished performance by the Boks. Their scrum showed early intent but they never entirely got the upper hand of the visitors. It was at the breakdown where the Boks struggled to assert themselves in the first half. Too often the ball wasn't secured with precision and urgency allowing the visitors to break the home team's momentum.

Again the Boks' line-out faltered, but that they were able to get through the All Blacks without profiting from their maul says much about their evolution.

Ultimately it was the Boks' grind and close-quarters combat that got the job done. Apart from Etzebeth, Du Toit, Siya Kolisi, Ox Nche and Damian de Allende proved trusty work horses. Jasper Wiese falls in the same category but he at times lacks finesse when the Boks need an adroit hand.

Willie le Roux delivered one of his less assured performances but he has reason to find another gear with his 100th Test looming.

Ardie Savea, Cody Taylor and Co helped the All Blacks eke out a six-point lead at the break but the Boks turned to their bench in the 45th minute. Marx's impact was immediate. The Springboks' pick-and-go advances did not initially meet success but eventually the hinges on the All Blacks' door buckled.

It was Kolisi who came around the corner and made a profitable lunge for the tryline in the 48th minute.

The Boks added a penalty but the All Blacks found a second wind. That was removed from their sails as McKenzie missed three attempts from the tee.

It was Marx, however, who put an exclamation mark on proceedings.

SOUTH AFRICA (3) 18: Tries: Siya Kolisi, Malcolm Marx. Conversion: Handre Pollard. Penalties: Pollard, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

NEW ZEALAND (9) 12: Penalties: Damian McKenzie 4.