South Africa secured a 43-28 victory over New Zealand in the fourth and final match of the Greatest Rivalry Test series, clinching the series 3-1 in Baltimore on September 13. The Springboks, who entered the final match leading the series 2-1 after the first three Tests held in South Africa, delivered a strong second-half performance at M&T Bank Stadium, capping off a highly anticipated encounter between two of rugby’s most successful teams.
A crowd reported between 68,000 and 71,000 witnessed the match, which was marked by a more than eight-minute delay in the first half due to a communications failure among the match officials. While the interruption briefly stalled the flow of the game, it did not ultimately affect the outcome as South Africa’s dominance in key areas such as breakdowns, set pieces, and aerial contests proved decisive throughout the contest.
The Springboks’ try scorers included Damian de Allende, Morne van den Berg, Malcolm Marx, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Kurt-Lee Arendse, and Cameron Hanekom. Arendse’s performance was particularly notable for his agility and pace, highlighted by a long-distance try in the second half after he collected a loose ball, evaded defenders, and sprinted 60 meters to extend South Africa’s lead. New Zealand’s tries came from captain Codie Taylor, Will Jordan, Ethan Blackadder, and Beauden Barrett, but the All Blacks were unable to overcome South Africa’s physicality and strategic execution on the day.
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi praised coach Rassie Erasmus for his motivational approach, emphasizing the importance of representing their country and teammates, including those unable to participate due to injury or other reasons. “He knows how to get us up, and when he speaks to us he reminds us where we come from, the country that we come from,” Kolisi said after the match.
New Zealand captain Codie Taylor acknowledged South Africa’s superiority but indicated that the experience gained from the series would be valuable moving forward. “Full credit to them — they’re a great side and they’ve proven why they’re world champions,” Taylor said. Reflecting on New Zealand’s performance, he added that despite falling short in the series, the team was committed to learning and improving ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup. “It’s a good stepping stone. We’re at an interesting place at the moment as a rugby nation. We’ve fallen short in this series but I can assure you and everyone back home that we’re working hard,” he said.
The series, viewed as a significant preview ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup, highlighted the continuing rivalry and competitive balance between South Africa and New Zealand. A potential rematch in the World Cup quarter-finals in Sydney later that year is expected to draw considerable attention given the closely fought nature of their recent encounters.