Springboks 31 (Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi; Handre Pollard 4 pen, Elton Jantjies 2 pen, drop goal) All Blacks 29 (Sevu Reece, Ardie Savea, Brad Weber tries; Jordie Barrett con, 4 pen) HT: 14-20
FULLTIME - Take a breath. Drama at the death, and the Boks prevail in the battle of the clutch penalties. Fantastic test match. Stay tuned for a full wrap and highlights.
81 mins - NZ hold initially, now the Boks start to roll, 15m from the line.
Penalty South Africa! Offside. Right in front of the posts. The Boks are going to win this.
80 mins - Savea bursts off the back. NZ ball at the SA 10m line. Looking to run the clock.
Penalty South Africa! Too far for a kick, we'll go to a lineout at the NZ 22m.
79 mins - The restart doesn't go 10 metres and NZ win a scrum at halfway, huge mistake. This is going to be an almighty shunt from the Boks, one final chance to steal a penalty.
78 mins - NZ win the ball from the restart and a penalty! Barrett now, another shot from 40m on the angle...he's done it again! Ice in the veins!
76 mins - Boks go deep from the kickoff. Mo'unga clears but it's but it's not far enough. Advantage Boks! Jantjes snaps a drop goal and nails it! (SA 28-26)
74 mins - Deja vu here, as J. Barrett prepares to take a shot at what could be a game-winning penalty for the Boks not rolling away in the tackle. Replay suggests they were hard done by there, but the Boks have benefitted from the rub of the green on many of those calls tonight.
Easier attempt than last week, around 25m on a slight angle.... and NZ are back in front! (NZ 26-25)
73 mins - Savea breaks off te back, sets Reece clear down the left edge. Reece kicks ahead and SA clean up. NZ go quickly from the lineout, 22m out now.
Penalty NZ!
71 mins - Huge shunt by NZ but SA able to clear it. Bomb goes up and the Boks regather, edging to the NZ 22m. Blackadder and Savea combine to hold up the player in the tackle and win a scrum for NZ, 30m from the ABs' line.
68 mins - All Blacks have numbers on the left but De Allende is able to get a hand to the ball and break it up. TMO checks for a yellow card, but it's deemed just a penalty. NZ lineout at their own 10m, and again the Boks steal it. Knock on both ways, scrum Boks.
68 mins - Now they choose to the the shot at goal. Jordie Barrett from 40m on the angle... he's nailed it. Big finish brewing here. (SA 25-23)
66 mins - Another superb counter-ruck by the Boks and they win the ball and clear.
Jordie looks to have been taken late after a kick. Penalty NZ anyway, but they'll go back and check it. NZ's penalty will be advanced to the Boks' 10m.
63 mins - Aumua on to throw the lineout at the Boks 10m. Auma carries strongly to the Boks' 22m. High shot, penalty NZ. They go to the 5m lineout, turning down a handy shot at goal.
And the ABs have squandered it with a poor lineout throw. Baffling decision to turn down the three points there, especially after last weekend.
Mo'unga on for Beauden Barrett.
61 mins - It's been all Boks here in the second half, as they move to within a metre of the NZ line. Huge play from skipper Savea to win the defensive penalty.
58 mins - Perenara on for Weber. NZ almost concede another 50/22. Perenara clears with a box kick. Boks spin the ball wide, making excellent metres. De Klerk bombs and Jordie snuffs it out. Beauden looks for an ambitious crossfield kick, out on the full.
NZ back under pressure here, Boks lineout at the NZ 22m.
56 mins - Boks just a metre out and they win yet another penalty, this time for offside. Five straight against the ABs, 12-5 is the count. Lucky to escape without a card. Jantjes nails the penalty to extend the SA lead. (SA 25-20)
55 mins - ABs win the restart but the Boks defence has been thunderous, minimal gain from NZ. Penalty at the ruck, they're really dominating the breakdown. SA lineout at the NZ 22m. Bomb goes up, goes to ground and the Boks have won it back. More danger for NZ.
Penalty advantage blown up for SA. Break while we attend to Kolisi, who's nursing a neck injury. The skipper has been forced from the field.
Boks opt for the 5m lineout.
53 mins - TRY SPRINGBOKS to Mapimpi
Great rolling maul defence from the All Blacks but the Boks recycle quickly and find a one-man overlap for the wing to cross in the corner. Conversion wide. (SA 22-20)
51 mins - Blackadder on for Jacobson. Francois Steyn nails the 50/22! Boks lineout 10m from the ABs line.
47 mins - Aerial ping-pong and we end up at an SA lineout, courtesy of a bomb from De Klerk. SA spill it at the maul, NZ go wide quickly but the ball is intercepted as they try to cash in a big overlap. Scrum NZ near their own 22m.
46 mins - Slick set piece move frees Ioane, who links with ALB. NZ at the SA 22m now. Incredible defence from the Boks, who counter-ruck and blow over to clear back near their own 10m.
46 mins - Half break for the Boks, pass is fumbled. NZ scrum in the centre of the paddock.
44 mins - NZ pinged for offside, after defending the rolling maul really well. Pollard converts an easy shot at goal. (NZ 20-17)
43 mins - Scrum penalty for the Boks, De Allende breaks but the ball goes to ground. 5m lineout on the NZ line here, big chance for the Boks to strike early.
41 mins - All Blacks bring Patrick Tuipulotu on for Scott Barrett at halftime. Beauden gets us restarted. Jordie runs the ball back, cuts inside one defender and throws a backhand ball to Ioane with some pace. Forward pass ruled. Jordie has been looking dangerous tonight. Scrum SA at halfway.
Second half underway...
HALFTIME - What a difference a week makes. That was a highly entertaining, fast-paced half of test rugby. Join us back here shortly for the second stanza.
40 mins - Boks win another penalty, no arms in the tackle from Scott Barrett. Gift three coming here for Pollard to send us to the sheds. Over it sails. (NZ 20-14)
38 mins - Boks win a defensive penalty to kill off the raid. They'll throw a lineout at NZ 10m.
36 mins - Boks win a penalty at halfway. Chance here to close the gap before halftime. Lineout at the NZ 22m. Sloppy lineout and NZ clear. Back it comes through Pollard, and NZ win a penalty at their own 22m. To a lineout at the Boks 10m, we go.
32 mins - TRY ALL BLACKS to Brad Weber
Scott Barrett wins the lineout turnover at the Boks' 5m and the ball falls right into the arms of a streaking Weber, who does really well to finish in the corner. Conversion wide. (NZ 20-11)
31 mins - Defensive penalty won at the ruck. Savea charges from the lineout. Beauden chips through looking for Reece but Pollard is on hand to save a try.
Jordie cuts open the defence with a kick return, finds ALB out wide but a great cover tackle from Nkois saves the day. SA lineout at their own 5m.
28 mins - TRY ALL BLACKS to Ardie Savea
Gem of a try for the All Blacks! B. Barrett breaks, links with Ioane, who finds Savea streaking on his shoulder for an extravagant swallow dive to score near the posts. Easy conversion for Jordie. (NZ 15-11)
27 mins - Boks look to have numbers wide but again, Le Roux opts to kick into touch. Barrett slams it back into SA territory, we end with an NZ lineout at the SA 10m.
25 mins - Le Roux botches another kick and NZ are on the attack. Ioane and Havili free ALB on the left. Moody fumbles, those fundamental errors coming back to haunt the ABs again.
23 mins - Penalty Boks for NZ offside at the ruck. Pollard will call for the tee, easy shot at three points here... makes no mistake. (SA 11-8)
22 mins - De Klerk goes to the air, Reece leaps to reel it in but cops a heavy shot from Kolisi for his troubles. NZ clear back to their own 10m. Boks dominating territory and possession so far.
20 mins - Solid NZ scrum and J. Barrett hoofs the ball back to the NZ 10m.
19 mins - SA squander a great attacking raid with a kick to touch. Taylor will throw the lineout inside the NZ 22m.
Boks hooker Mbonambi sets off on a rampaging run, leaving defenders in his wake! Reaches out to try and place it on the line but he just can't hold on to the pill. What a burst that was. NZ scrum at their 5m.
16 mins - Kolisi imperious at the breakdown to win the Boks a defensive penalty. Lineout near the NZ 22m. Pollard looks to bomb immediately but he's charged down and the All Blacks regather and clear.
15 mins - NZ turn it over on their own 22m and Barrett goes to Reece with another successful crossfield kick. Penalty advantage cashed in. NZ lineout at the Boks' 10m.
13 mins - TRY ALL BLACKS to Sevu Reece
Le Roux drops the kick off cold and the All Blacks swoop. B. Barrett goes to the crossfield kick for Reece, who finishes brilliantly in the corner under duress. J. Barrett can't convert from the sideline (8-8).
11 mins - Boks using the ball now, giving it some width, as they cross the NZ 10m. Ah, De Klerk can't help himself and goes to the air. Barrett takes it but NZ are pinged for impeding a chaser.
Pollard will have a crack at the posts, 22m on the angle...over it goes. (SA 8-3)
9 mins - All Blacks penalty. Barrett steps up to nail a straightforward attempt. (SA 5-3)
6 mins- TRY SPRINGBOKS to Damien de Allende
All Blacks look to go wide in their own 22m after a Savea turnover. Taylor can't hold a tough pass, ball goes to ground and Nkosi pounces to put De Allende over in the corner. Conversion unsuccessful. (SA 5-0)
3 mins - High tackle against Anton Lienert-Brown. Pollard will line up a tricky shot, 40m clear near the sideline... and it's well wide.
2 mins - Barrett goes up again to secure a mark from the high ball. Confidence booster there. Boks lineout at halfway.
1st min - Pollard kicks off and Weber returns fire. Boks at halfway. Pollard launches his first of many bombs, Barrett up to the task.
We're underway...
11:04pm - TJ Perenara leads a typically ferocious rendition of 'Kapa o pango'. Let's get into it.
11:00pm - Conditions ideal on the Gold Coast, where the crowd has been reduced to 75 percent in light of Queensland's recent COVID-19 outbreak. Anthems underway.
10:58pm - We're moments away from the team taking the field at Robina Stadium, where the Wallabies have just recorded a straightforward win over the Pumas.
****
Kia ora and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the finale of the 2021 Rugby Championship, where the All Blacks will try to complete a clean sweep of the tournament with a parting victory over South Africa on the Gold Coast.
The Springboks have copped plenty of criticism after last weekend's 100th clash with New Zealand, where their perceived negative tactics overshadowed the fact they were just minutes away from a win, only to be denied by NZ fullback Jordie Barrett's last-gasp penalty kick.
The world champions will be hungrier than ever at Robina Stadium, as they try to snap their three-game losing streak and sign off on a high note, and you can expect them to persist with the same kick-heavy approach.
And while the Rugby Championship trophy is secure and on its way back across the Tasman, the All Blacks will be eager to put on a more comprehensive performance against their old rivals, before departing for the next stage of their arduous tour to the US and Europe.
We'll have all the action for you from 11pm (NZ time).
TAB betting odds: New Zealand $1.26, South Africa $3.80
Team line-ups
All Blacks: 1-Joe Moody, 2-Codie Taylor, 3-Nepo Laulala, 4-Brodie Retallick, 5-Scott Barrett, 6-Akira Ioane, 7-Ardie Savea (c), 8-Luke Jacobson, 9-Brad Weber, 10-Beauden Barrett, 11-Rieko Ioane, 12-David Havili, 13-Anton Lienert-Brown, 14-Sevu Reece, 15-Jordie Barrett
Reserves: 16-Asafo Aumua, 17-George Bower, 18-Ofa Tuungafasi, 19-Patrick Tuipulotu, 20-Ethan Blackadder, 21-TJ Perenara, 22-Richie Mo'unga, 23-Damian McKenzie.
South Africa: 1-Ox Nche, 2-Bongi Mbonambi, 3-Trevor Nyakane, 4-Eben Etzebeth, 5-Lood de Jager, 6-Siya Kolisi (captain), 7-Kwagga Smith, 8-Duane Vermeulen, 9-Faf de Klerk, 10-Handre Pollard, 11-Makazole Mapimpi, 12-Damian de Allende, 13-Lukhanyo Am, 14-Sbu Nkosi, 15-Willie le Roux
Reserves: 16-Malcolm Marx, 17-Steven Kitshoff, 18-Vincent Koch, 19-Franco Mostert, 20-Jasper Wiese, 21-Herschel Jantjies, 22-Elton Jantjies, 23-Frans Steyn.
'Push through': All Blacks captain Savea on missing family during extended tour
By Alex Powell
All Blacks captain Ardie Savea has revealed the challenges around being away from home and family, as the side face an extended road trip to end their 2021 season.
While Saturday's second test against South Africa on the Gold Coast represents the end of their Rugby Championship campaign, it will only mark the halfway point of an extended end-of-year tour.
After the five tests played over in Australia, the All Blacks will head to the northern hemisphere to face USA Eagles, and then onto Europe to take on Wales, Italy, Ireland and France.
All up, 76 days will have passed from the All Blacks' first test of the tour against Australia in Perth and the last against France in Paris.
And when travel and managed isolation quarantine (MIQ) are factored into the equation, the All Blacks will spend close to three months on the road, living out of suitcases.
With many of the team having families and young children, three months away is a big ask. Savea is no exception, with a wife and two children at home.
On top of that, Savea has also been the All Blacks captain during their Australian tour, leading his country for the first time.
Speaking before the All Blacks' Friday captain's run, Savea admitted the toll that his duties have taken on him, but insists that the team are in a good space as a unit.
"Right now, I'd say there's times where it's hard," Savea says. "You talk to the kids and stuff like that, where it's difficult.
"The good thing about rugby is that you're always busy training and stuff like that. I think the team's in a good place at the moment.
"We've got one more [test] this weekend to hopefully finish well, and then have a break and go on to the end-of-year tour.
"The team's in a good place, but myself personally, [I'm] just trucking along. I have those tough hard moments where you miss the family, but you've just got to push through."
The All Blacks' biggest off-field challenge will come during the 22 days between facing South Africa on Saturday and then USA in Washington on October 24.
And with no rugby or training to distract them, Savea says that the time away from the game will be important for the side to decompress, after a Rugby Championship-winning campaign.
"Everyone's different in our team. We've actually got two weeks off - the first week we're just letting the boys get away from rugby, switch off fully and decompress that way.
"The second week we've got a training camp together, so it's just all around switching off, and the boys doing what they need to do to physically and mentally refresh."
