BALTIMORE, Maryland — South Africa may have finished Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry with a convincing-looking 43–28 victory over New Zealand and a 3–1 series triumph, but Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus insists the scoreboard does not tell the full story.
With only around 10 minutes remaining at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Saturday, September 12, Erasmus still believed the decisive fourth Test could swing either way.
That uncertainty disappeared only after Kurt-Lee Arendse produced one of the defining moments of the series.
The Springboks winger gathered a loose ball deep inside South African territory, burst through the broken New Zealand defence and raced away for a spectacular 72nd-minute try that transformed a tense finish into a commanding Springbok advantage. Cameron Hanekom crossed again minutes later to effectively seal the contest before Beauden Barrett scored a late consolation try for New Zealand.
Springboks win the series — but the final score hides how close it became
South Africa entered halftime holding only a 17–14 lead after another fiercely contested chapter between rugby’s two traditional heavyweights.
The Springboks accelerated immediately after the break. Malcolm Marx powered over following a lineout maul before Pieter-Steph du Toit scored just minutes later, stretching the advantage to 29–14.
It appeared South Africa might finally have broken New Zealand.
The All Blacks refused to disappear.
Ethan Blackadder’s try in the 64th minute, converted by Damian McKenzie, cut the deficit to 29–21 and suddenly placed South Africa under pressure again.
Reuters reported that Erasmus still considered the match genuinely undecided around the 70-minute mark. The Springbok coach later stressed that despite South Africa eventually winning by 15 points, he did not believe there was a large gulf between the two sides.
Arendse then changed everything.
His long-range solo score pushed South Africa clear, while Hanekom’s late try removed any realistic prospect of an All Blacks comeback.
Six Springbok tries seal a historic 3–1 triumph
South Africa ultimately outscored New Zealand six tries to four.
Damian de Allende, Morné van den Berg, Malcolm Marx, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cameron Hanekom crossed for the Springboks.
New Zealand’s tries came through captain Codie Taylor, Will Jordan, Ethan Blackadder and replacement Beauden Barrett.
Van den Berg was one of South Africa’s most influential performers and was named player of the match. His 22nd-minute try helped give the Springboks their first significant cushion, while his acceleration and distribution were instrumental in several attacking sequences.
The decisive Baltimore victory completed a remarkable turnaround after South Africa had actually lost the opening Test of the series.
New Zealand stunned the Springboks 33–16 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on August 22, scoring five tries to South Africa’s one.
Instead of allowing that defeat to define the series, the world champions responded.
South Africa won the second Test 33–26 in Cape Town before edging New Zealand 29–24 at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. The Springboks then completed three consecutive victories with their 43–28 win in Baltimore.
The sequence produced a final series score of South Africa 3, New Zealand 1.
More than 68,000 fans watch rivalry move to America
The Baltimore finale also carried significance far beyond the series trophy.
Reuters reported an attendance of 68,173 at M&T Bank Stadium, home of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. The fixture was both a commercial venture for the South African and New Zealand rugby unions and a showcase for elite rugby in an American market that the sport is trying to develop.
The United States is scheduled to host the men’s Rugby World Cup in 2031, giving matches such as the Springboks-All Blacks showdown additional strategic importance.
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi said after the match that the level of support in Baltimore was special and expressed hope that staging a match of this magnitude in the United States would contribute to rugby’s growth ahead of that World Cup.
The Baltimore encounter concluded New Zealand’s eight-match, six-week tour, the first comparable All Blacks tour of South Africa in three decades. Reuters reported that the revived series format is intended to return every four years.
All Blacks leave beaten — but not without warning signs for South Africa
A 3–1 series scoreline could suggest a comfortable Springbok victory.
The individual Tests tell a different story.
New Zealand won the opener by 17 points. South Africa’s victories in Cape Town and Johannesburg came by seven and five points respectively. And in Baltimore, the All Blacks had again worked themselves into striking distance before Arendse’s spectacular late intervention.
All Blacks coach Dave Rennie consequently remained positive about elements of New Zealand’s progress despite losing the series. Reuters reported that New Zealand scored 17 tries across the four Tests, while Rennie described South Africa as the benchmark as preparations intensify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
That may explain why Erasmus was reluctant to portray the 3–1 result as evidence of a substantial gap between rugby’s two giants.
South Africa have the trophy.
They have three straight victories over the All Blacks.
And they remain the reigning world champions.
But Baltimore also delivered a reminder that when the Springboks and All Blacks meet, a comfortable-looking final score can conceal just how quickly the contest might have gone the other way.
For roughly 70 minutes, the series finale remained alive.
Then Kurt-Lee Arendse found space — and South Africa finally found daylight.
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