The All Blacks survived a major scare at Ellis Park on Tuesday night producing a stunning second-half comeback to defeat the Lions 41-35 in Johannesburg and complete a clean sweep of South Africa’s franchise sides ahead of their highly anticipated clash with the Springboks this weekend.
New Zealand looked vulnerable in the opening exchanges as the Lions played with intensity and aggression, racing into an early lead and exposing weaknesses in the All Blacks’ defensive structure.
The hosts scored twice inside the opening six minutes, leaving the visitors scrambling to settle into the contest.
Nico Steyn opened the scoring after breaking from the base of a ruck before finishing under the posts. Moments later, Siba Mahashe intercepted a loose Noah Hotham pass and sprinted 35 metres to score, with Chris Smit converting both tries to give the Lions a 14-0 advantage.
The All Blacks eventually found their rhythm, with Noah Hotham responding in the 10th minute after Emoni Narawa produced a powerful run from the base of a ruck before releasing the scrum-half.
Narawa was again at the heart of the All Blacks’ attack in the 24th minute. A sweeping passage of possession involving Timoci Tavatavanawai, Fehi Fineanganofo, Beauden Barrett and captain Patrick Tuipulotu ended with Narawa crossing the whitewash to reduce the deficit.
However, the Lions continued to punish New Zealand’s defensive lapses. Kelly Mpeku finished a well-worked attack in the 32nd minute before Ethan Blackadder answered for the All Blacks three minutes later.
Despite the late first-half surge, the Lions went into the break leading 21-17.
The hosts then came out firing after halftime. Erich Cronje extended their advantage after a clever attacking sequence, before Francke Horn powered over from a five-metre scrum to put the Lions 35-17 ahead.
With their backs against the wall, the All Blacks finally found another gear.
Rieko Ioane became the catalyst for the remarkable fightback, cutting through two defenders and racing 40 metres to score. Six minutes later, Ioane intercepted an errant pass in midfield and sprinted 50 metres to score his second try, bringing New Zealand within four points.
The momentum had completely shifted.
After 61 minutes, the All Blacks finally hit the front for the first time. Richie Mo’unga helped initiate the attack before Ioane released Tavatavanawai, who found Blackadder in support. The flanker powered over for his second try of the night to make it 36-35.
The All Blacks then turned to their forward pack to close out the contest. Crucial scrums in the final stages allowed New Zealand to gain valuable territory before replacement No.8 Peter Lakai helped create the platform for Narawa to score his second try and seal a remarkable 41-35 victory.
Although the performance was far from perfect, the result extended the All Blacks’ winning run in South Africa to five victories from five matches against the country’s franchise sides.
For head coach Dave Rennie, there will nevertheless be plenty to address before facing the Springboks. New Zealand’s handling errors, defensive lapses and decision-making were repeatedly punished by a Lions side that refused to surrender.
Blackadder was among the standout performers for the All Blacks, contributing two tries alongside strong carries, tackles and turnover work, while Ioane’s two-try burst proved decisive in turning the match on its head.
The victory gives the All Blacks valuable momentum, but the Springboks will present an entirely different challenge. With the intensity expected to rise significantly at Test level, New Zealand will need to be far more disciplined and clinical if they are to carry their winning momentum into the weekend’s Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry showdown.
- Lions 35: Nico Steyn, Siba Mahashe, Kelly Mpeku, Erich Cronje and Francke Horn tries; Chris Smit five conversions.
- All Blacks 41: Noah Hotham, Emoni Narawa (2), Ethan Blackadder (2) and Rieko Ioane (2) tries; Beauden Barrett conversion; Richie Mo’unga two conversions.