Springboks overpower All Blacks in Baltimore to seal Greatest Rivalry series
The Springboks left no doubt in Baltimore. South Africa beat New Zealand 43-28 on Saturday to clinch Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series 3-1, finishing the final
The Springboks left no doubt in Baltimore. South Africa beat New Zealand 43-28 on Saturday to clinch Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series 3-1, finishing the final Test with pace, power and a sharper edge than their old foes.
The result capped a remarkable turnaround for Rassie Erasmus’s side. After losing the opening match at Ellis Park, the world champions won the next three Tests and closed out the contest with a six-try display at M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens.
A commanding finish in the United States
South Africa led 17-14 at halftime and kept pushing after the break. The Boks were more willing to run from deep than they had been in the South African leg of the series, and that change brought results.
Kurt-Lee Arendse was the sharpest of the lot. The winger burned through New Zealand’s defence with a long second-half break, scooping up a loose ball inside his own half before sprinting more than 50 metres for a stunning try. It summed up the mood of the night: alert, aggressive, and clean when it mattered.
For long stretches, the Springboks looked a class above. They moved the ball with confidence and punished New Zealand whenever space opened up. The All Blacks had little room to settle.
Series turned after the opening loss
The finale completed a series that swung hard after the opening Test. South Africa recovered from that setback at Ellis Park and then took control across the next three meetings, including a 29-24 comeback win in Johannesburg in the third Test.
That left little riding on the Baltimore match in terms of the series itself, but there was still plenty on the line. The fourth Test was the decider in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, and it also carried ranking stakes, with the winner set to leave the United States atop the world rankings.
For rugby, the setting mattered too. An All Blacks-Springboks clash in a 71,000-capacity NFL stadium on the east coast of the United States is still a statement fixture, and both sides used the stage to reach a global audience well beyond their usual fan bases.
The scoreboard at the end told the story plainly. South Africa were too strong, too inventive and too clinical. New Zealand were second best.
