South Africa completed a 3-1 series victory over New Zealand with a 43-28 win in the fourth Test in Baltimore, sealing their first series triumph over the All Blacks since 1976.
The series, which began with New Zealand taking the first Test, saw South Africa claw back through a combination of physical dominance and strategic resilience. In the final match at M&T Bank Stadium, the Boks secured a 43-28 victory, fueled by tries from Damian de Allende, Pieter-Steph du Toit, and a dominant scrum that outmuscled the All Blacks. The win capped a grueling tour that tested both teams’ World Cup aspirations next year.
The fourth Test was played in front of a near-capacity crowd of 68,173 at M&T Bank Stadium, the largest-ever crowd to watch a rugby match in the USA.
South Africa 43-28 New Zealand
In the fourth Test, South Africa’s tries came from Damian de Allende (two), Morne van den Berg, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Kurt-Lee Arendse, and Cameron Hanekom. Conversions were scored by Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (two), van den Berg, and Damian Libbok (two). New Zealand’s tries were scored by Codie Taylor, Will Jordan, Ethan Blackadder, and Beauden Barrett, with conversions by Damian McKenzie (four). South Africa’s fly-half Feinberg-Mngomezulu also added a penalty.
The series began with New Zealand dominating the first Test, but South Africa’s response in Johannesburg proved pivotal. In the third match, the Boks edged a 29-24 victory, with coach Rassie Erasmus acknowledging the team’s nervousness.
Rassie Erasmus said, I’m not sure what my heart rate was.
Rassie Erasmus said, We were certainly nervous. They were nervous. It’s massive this. You’re playing No. 1 and 2 in the world. We’re not sitting here thinking we are awesome. We’re thinking there was a lot of luck that went our way.
The Springboks’ ability to adapt kept them in the series, setting up the climactic fourth Test in Baltimore.
Despite this, the All Blacks remained a formidable opponent, with tries from Will Jordan and Beauden Barrett in the fourth Test. However, South Africa’s bench depth and forward pack proved too much, with flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit and lock Malcolm Marx scoring crucial tries.
South Africa outmuscles New Zealand 29-24 to take a
The Boks secured the win with a maul and Marx try, while New Zealand’s attempts to rally were stifled by South Africa’s defensive resilience.
Despite the high-stakes environment, both teams emphasized the significance of the rivalry.
Dave Rennie said, We just couldn’t get our game going for long enough to hurt them.
acknowledging South Africa’s execution.
The series victory positions South Africa with a successful stateside excursion that stress-tested both sides’ aspirations of lifting the Rugby World Cup next year, while New Zealand must regroup after their series defeat. With the All Blacks facing a crucial buildup period, questions remain about their ability to recover from key injuries and maintain their form. For South Africa, the triumph underscores their success, but the challenge of sustaining this momentum in the coming seasons will be critical.
As the dust settles on this historic series, fans and analysts alike will scrutinize the performances of key players and coaches like Erasmus and Rennie. The rivalry between these two rugby giants shows no signs of waning, with the next chapter likely to unfold in the Rugby World Cup, where both teams will aim to etch their names into history once more.
