Baltimore – In front of a record North American rugby crowd of 68,173 at M&T Bank Stadium, the world champion Springboks produced a powerful and clinical performance to defeat the All Blacks 43-28 on Saturday, clinching the inaugural “Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry” series 3-1.
(Source: reuters.com)
South Africa outscored New Zealand six tries to four in a high-tempo Saturday encounter that showcased the intensity of one of sport’s fiercest rivalries on American soil for the first time in this format.
The result marked a third successive Test win for Rassie Erasmus’ side after the All Blacks had taken the series opener.
The Springboks opened the scoring with an early penalty from fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu after a high tackle.
New Zealand responded quickly, with captain Codie Taylor bursting over for the first try in the eighth minute, converted by Damian McKenzie for a 7-3 lead.
South Africa hit back through centre Damian de Allende, who powered over, and scrum-half Morné van den Berg, who sold a dummy to score from a lineout maul.
Will Jordan’s try late in the first half, his 55th in Tests after a 32-phase attack, narrowed the gap to 17-14 at the break.
(Source: reuters.com)
After the interval, the Boks asserted control. Hooker Malcolm Marx charged over from a maul following a scrum penalty, and flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit finished another strong surge to push the lead to 29-14.
Ethan Blackadder replied for the All Blacks to make it 29-21, but Kurt-Lee Arendse’s brilliant solo effort and a late score from replacement Cameron Hanekom sealed the victory.
Beauden Barrett’s consolation try in the final minute completed the scoring for New Zealand.
(Source: planetrugby.com)
Feinberg-Mngomezulu contributed two conversions and a penalty, with further conversions from van den Berg and Manie Libbok. McKenzie converted all four All Blacks tries.
No major controversies dominated the match, though early disciplinary issues included a high tackle penalty against New Zealand’s Tupou Vaa’i and general ill-discipline from both sides as the physical contest unfolded under English referee Karl Dickson.
The All Blacks’ haka, led by Taylor brandishing a traditional māripi, electrified the near-capacity crowd before kick-off.
(Source: nytimes.com)
The victory underscores South African rugby’s current dominance.
As defending two-time Rugby World Cup champions, the Springboks have now won eight of their last 10 Tests against New Zealand and completed a rare three-Test winning streak against their greatest rivals in the same year.
The series success, achieved after a demanding schedule that included matches in South Africa before the Baltimore finale, reinforces their status as the team to beat heading into the next World Cup cycle and highlights the depth and consistency under Erasmus.
For South African rugby, it is further proof that the national side remains the global standard-bearer, blending forward power, backline precision and bench impact to overcome a resilient All Blacks outfit that never stopped competing.
(Source: dailymaverick.co.za)
Disclaimer: This article was compiled using the AI tool Grok on X and may contain inaccuracies
