🇿🇦 43–28: THE SPRINGBOKS HAVE DONE IT!
South Africa completed a stunning turnaround, losing the opening Test before winning the next three to seal the series in Baltimore.
The Springboks have closed out 2026's Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series in style, beating the All Blacks 43-28 in Baltimore to win the four-match series 3-1.
It's a result that carries extra weight because of how the series started.
South Africa lost the opening Test to New Zealand, and for a moment the All Blacks held the early advantage.
Instead of folding, the Boks won three Tests in a row to close it out - a pattern that has become something of a signature under head coach Rassie Erasmus.
Match Summary: Springboks 43-28 All Blacks The final Test delivered exactly the kind of rugby this rivalry is known for.
Both sides attacked at every opportunity and neither team backed down, but South Africa's forward power - and their ability to convert pressure into points - proved decisive in the end.
Key stats: Final score: South Africa 43-28 New Zealand Series result: Springboks win 3-1 Tries: 6 for South Africa, 4 for New Zealand Player of the Match: Morné van den Berg Try scorers (RSA): Damian de Allende, Malcolm Marx, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Cameron Hanekom Van den Berg was the standout performer on the day and took home Player of the Match honours, with De Allende, Marx, Du Toit, Arendse and Hanekom all crossing the whitewash for the Boks.
The Bigger Picture: What This Win Means The scoreline is only part of the story.
The real headline is the mentality Erasmus has instilled in this squad: lose the first Test, then win the next three when it matters most.
With the 2027 Rugby World Cup edging closer, this series sends a clear message to the rest of the world — the reigning world champions aren't just defending their title, they're still improving, and they're still finding ways to win when games get tight.
Kolisi: "We Do It for South Africa" Springbok captain Siya Kolisi credited the team's mentality to the culture Erasmus has built around the squad.
He said the coach constantly reminds the players of where they come from, the teammates who can't take the field through injury, the wider squad, and the millions of South Africans supporting them from home. For Kolisi, wearing the green and gold is about more than the result on the scoreboard — every tackle and every try is for the people back home.
