South Africa beat New Zealand 29-24 on Saturday at the FNB Stadium in Soweto, in the third Test of the Greatest Rivalry series. They now lead two wins to one, ahead of the fourth and final game in Baltimore next Saturday.

This was the game that decided everything, and only two outcomes remain: three wins to one for South Africa, or two apiece. New Zealand can no longer come out on top. A win on Saturday would have reopened the series for them; having lost, they are now playing to draw it.

Dave Rennie had said as much the day before: “The team that doesn’t win this weekend can no longer win the series.”

Seventeen points in thirteen minutes

For a long time, though, the game got away from the home side. Ardie Savea opened the scoring in the 10th minute, with a numerical advantage after Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s yellow card, then added a second in the 25th. He was the only player to score twice.

Kurt-Lee Arendse had replied in the 20th minute, and a penalty try brought the sides level in the 36th, a minute after Ruben Love was sin-binned. Will Jordan put the visitors back in front in the 55th: 12-17.

It was all settled in the next thirteen minutes. Jesse Kriel scored in the 57th, Malcolm Marx in the 65th, and Feinberg-Mngomezulu added a penalty in the 70th. Seventeen unanswered points, and a twelve-point gap where the All Blacks had led five minutes earlier. Samisoni Taukeiaho scored a try in the 79th, too late.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu sums up South Africa’s evening on his own: a yellow card in the 9th minute, then seven points off the tee, two conversions and a penalty.

A ground that had not been kind to them

The venue adds something. South Africa’s two previous home games against the All Blacks at this stadium had ended in defeat: 22-29 in August 2010, then 16-32 in October 2012. This was the third attempt.

The opening was brutal. Cheslin Kolbe, moved to full-back for this Test after Damian Willemse withdrew, had to go off for good with concussion after around ten minutes.

What the series tells us

The three Tests have produced three different scripts. The All Blacks won the first 33-16 at Emirates Airline Park. The Springboks hit back 33-26 in Cape Town. This third instalment was the tightest of the three, and the only one in which the side trailing in the 55th minute went on to win.

Next stop, Baltimore, next Saturday.