Boks Champions of the Castle Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry

 Played in front of a record USA rugby crowd of 68,173 fans, the decisive fourth Test marked Rassie Erasmus’s 100th Test guiding the playing affairs of the South African national side.

Match Action & Team Performances

South Africa signaled their intentions early, opting to run from deep in their own half rather than kick clear. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu opened the scoring with an early penalty goal, but New Zealand quickly responded through hooker Codie Taylor following sustained pressure.

The Springboks answered back with a powerful try from center Damian de Allende, who forced his way over from close range. Minutes later, Man of the Match Morne van den Berg darted over to stretch the South African lead to 17-7. Just before the break, All Black winger Will Jordan finished off a 32-phase buildup to narrow the halftime score to 17-14.

Try Scorers

• Springboks (6): Damian de Allende, Morne van den Berg, Malcolm Marx, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Cameron Hanekom

• All Blacks (4): Codie Taylor, Will Jordan, Ethan Blackadder, Beauden Barrett

Kicking & Extras

• Springboks: Conversions: Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2), Van den Berg (1), Manie Libbok (2). Penalty Goal: Feinberg-Mngomezulu

• All Blacks: Conversions: Damian McKenzie (4)

South Africa asserted full control in the second half. A powerful driving maul saw Malcolm Marx crash over for his 29th Test try, followed closely by a strike from Pieter-Steph du Toit. Although Ethan Blackadder cut the deficit with 15 minutes remaining, late tries from Kurt-Lee Arendse, following a 60-meter break, and Cameron Hanekom sealed the victory. Beauden Barrett added a late consolidation try for New Zealand in the final minute.

Post-Match Reactions & Team Insights

The result marks South Africa's eighth victory in their last ten encounters against New Zealand, bouncing back after dropping the series opener in Johannesburg to win three consecutive matches in Cape Town, Soweto, and Baltimore.

"We appreciate the people who were here, but we don't forget the people who were at home; the people on the farm or the boy in the township or the people in the shopping mall. That's what drives us."

— Rassie Erasmus, Springbok Head Coach

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi emphasized the respect between the two sides after both teams joined in a shared moment of prayer on the pitch following the final whistle.

"We came together to thank each other. We go hard against each other, but we get along off the field... It's tough that one team has to win and one team has to lose, but we know we are going to see each other again."

— Siya Kolisi, Springbok Captain

Final whistle

This 43-28 triumph reinforces South Africa's standing at the summit of world rugby. While the All Blacks showed immense resilience throughout the series, the Springboks' depth, physical dominance, and clinical execution in the final quarter proved to be the deciding factors in Baltimore.

#Springboks #Bokke #NZLvRSA #RugbyGreatestRivalry

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