Kolisi, Kolbe lead South Africa to 33-26 second test win over New Zealand

CAPE TOWN, Aug 29 : South Africa captain Siya Kolisi marked his return from injury with a try as the hosts edged New Zealand 33-26 in a tense second test on Saturday, levelling the four-match Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series at 1-1.

The world champion Springboks were much improved on their sloppy showing in the first test and had the ascendancy in the contact area and breakdown in another bruising battle.

Centres Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende also scored tries to go with 18 points from the boot of wing Cheslin Kolbe to the delight of most of the 56,589 in attendance.

New Zealand scored four tries through scrumhalf Cam Roigard, fullback Damian McKenzie, wing Leroy Carter and number eight Ardie Savea, but were disrupted at the line-out and have some work to do at the set-piece ahead of the third match in Johannesburg on Saturday.  

"It has been a tough week, but I am grateful for the coaching staff and the plans they made for us. Last week we did not take our opportunities and this week we did," Kolisi said. "Next week will be big too. It is hard playing them once, but four times is very difficult."

Savea rued some inaccuracy from his side and allowing South Africa to get away early in the game.

"It is unfortunate," he said. "You cannot let the Springboks get ahead like that and we were chasing the game. I am proud of the boys, we stuck in there but came up short. It is a tough pill to swallow.

"In accuracy and discipline, that punished us today. We need to sort that out. We lost the battle tonight but not the war." 

The Springboks showed their power and much more precision than last week from the start as they mauled a line-out for 20-yards before moving the ball down the backline for Kriel to score. 

The All Blacks had a