The Springboks made sure they won the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series trophy outright by scoring an emphatic 43-28 win over the All Blacks in the fourth and final game in Baltimore on Saturday.
𝟑𝟎 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 🏆
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 12, 2026
The Springboks are 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 of Rugby's Greatest Rivalry🇿🇦🥇#RugbysGreatestRivalry | #SSRugby pic.twitter.com/NhzeVOJAGk
Their most comprehensive win of the series, which came in coach Rassie Erasmus’s 100th test as Bok coach, ensured that the Boks clinched the series 3-1, which certainly looks much better from a South African viewpoint than the alternative of a 2-all series draw.
Many Bok supporters would have felt their team had made a point by winning the home leg 2-1, but judging from the green jerseys in evidence in the 68 000 crowd at the stadium in Baltimore, this was very much a home game for the Boks too.
And those supporters had good reason to celebrate afterwards.
For the people of South Africa 🥹❤️
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 12, 2026
Siya Kolisi and the Springboks fought till the end 🏆#RugbysGreatestRivalry | #SSRugby pic.twitter.com/k5YMFQykz0
The Springboks add to their growing trophy cabinet 🏆🇿🇦
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 12, 2026
The #RugbysGreatestRivalry trophy is headed to South Africa 👏#RugbysGreatestRivalry | #SSRugby pic.twitter.com/Jn6zcvOfhg
One of the most impressive things about the win from a Bok viewpoint was that it was achieved with a game plan that could hardly be described as route on or set-piece orientated, although of course those aspects were much to the fore again, as they always will be.
The Boks brought to an end an epic five weeks by mixing up their game with telling effect and scoring six tries against an All Black team that, as they have made a habit of in this season, somehow managed to still keep coming back at the South Africans even when it looked like the power game of the world champions was destined to put them away.
ARENDSE’S TRY WAS THE CLINCHER
Eventually they did put them away thanks to a thrilling try from wing Kurt-Lee Arendse, who pounced on a ball that went loose from the All Blacks and weaved his way through the New Zealand defence to run half the field for the clincher.
Finish and KLA 😏⚡
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 12, 2026
Arendse's acceleration turns the tide in South Africa's favour 🇿🇦🔥#SSRugby | #RugbysGreatestRivalry pic.twitter.com/1Kvo6x0uAD
In truth, the Boks should have scored the clincher long before that, but a series of mistakes, including two poor lineouts, let the All Blacks back into the game after they had been trailing 29-14 three minutes beyond the hour mark.
A try from Ethan Blackadder brought the All Blacks back to within eight points, and with the Kiwis showing a lot of energy and getting some momentum, it looked like it might be the Boks who’d be hanging on in the last 10 minutes and potentially in danger of suffering the same fate they did in the first match at Ellis Park by losing a game they should have won.
However the Arendse try pushed the Boks back to a 15 point advantage and with time running out there was going to be no way back for Codie Taylor’s New Zealand, and that mountain became an even tougher one to climb when the All Blacks spilled a ball trying to run out of defence but Cameron Hanekom, the replacement loose-forward, picked up to score his team’s sixth try.
The conversion from replacement flyhalf Manie Libbok made it 43-21 to the Boks and it was game over, although the All Blacks did something they have done in every game in the series - they scored the last try of the game.
Once again it was a consolation effort only, off effectively the second last move of the game.
SHOULD HAVE BEEN FURTHER AHEAD AT HALFTIME
The Boks led 17-14 at halftime but should have been further ahead.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu had enabled the Boks to capitalise on their early gainline dominance when carrying by kicking the first penalty, and then there was a familiar scenario that unfolded as against the run of play the All Blacks managed to get the edge out wide by letting the ball do the work, with Arendse probably making his only error of the game as he came out of line on defence.
That put the All Blacks 7-3 up but it was clear that the Boks were getting massive momentum every time they got the ball in their hand and had the patience to keep it.
If Arendse had a brilliant game on attack, and he was a real thorn in the New Zealand side with his slipper running and pace down the right flank, then so did scrumhalf Morne van den Berg, as well as centre Damian de Allende.
Both those players capped fine performances by scoring the two Bok first half tries as they powered into a 17-7 lead that threatened to be extended as they continued to attack the All Blacks.
RED HOT 🥵🔥
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 12, 2026
Morné van den Berg sells the dummy and goes over 🤌
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However, the All Blacks are a skilled unit, and shortly before halftime they produced a stupendous 32-phase attack that led to a try to Will Jordan that accounted for the diminished Bok lead of just three points at the break when it could so easily have been 15.
The Boks needed to score first in the second half and they did, with Malcolm Marx driving over in the 49th minute to put daylight back between the teams on the scoreboard, and then Pieter-Steph du Toit scored a similar try not long after that to establish a formidable 15 point advantage.
Pieter-Steph du Toit 💪
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 12, 2026
The Springboks go over for the fourth try of the day 🙌
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Both those players were again outstanding, as was Eben Etzebeth, and Lood de Jager too when he came on, while Jasper Wiese again proved so hard for the All Blacks to halt when he went on the charge.
The Boks, as they have for most of the series, bossed the aerial battle, and until the lineout went awry later on when Deon Fourie was on at hooker, they bossed that phase too.
Not that anyone would want to point fingers at Fourie, who played his part in other areas and was the defacto captain at one stage.
He is not a specialist hooker and a few errant lineout throws should in retrospect probably have been expected.
Scores
South Africa 43 - Tries: Damian de Allende, Morne van den Berg, Malcolm Marx, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cameron Hanekom; Conversion: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 2, Morne van den Bergh and Manie Libbok 2; Penalty: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
New Zealand 28 - Tries: Codie Taylor, Will Jordan, Ethan Blackadder and Beauden Barrett; Conversions: Damian McKenzie 4