Springboks clinch inaugural Rugby's Greatest Rivalry with 43-28 win over All Blacks in Baltimore

Erasmus dedicates the series to South Africans at home and abroad

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus framed South Africa's 43-28 victory over New Zealand in Baltimore as a triumph for the country rather than the squad alone, dedicating the result to supporters both inside the stadium and across South Africa. Speaking after the match, Erasmus said the team "appreciates the people who were here, but we don't forget the people who were at home: the people on the farm, the boy in the township, or the people in the shopping mall. That's what drives us." He added that while the Springboks enjoy banter with fans worldwide, "there's only one reason for us as a team and for us as a country: it's for South Africa," acknowledging that the world No. 1 ranking "sometimes annoys other people."

Kolisi credits Erasmus and the wider squad for the title-clinching performance

Captain Siya Kolisi attributed the series outcome to the influence of Erasmus and to players outside the matchday squad. "We've got coach Rassie. He knows us and gets us up. When he speaks to us he reminds us where we come from," Kolisi said, also pointing to "the players who are in the group but not playing today, we do it for them, the guys who are injured and also for the people of South Africa." Kolisi said the support on display was "really special," noting a long stoppage caused by referee communications issues during which "you get to appreciate the crowd singing." Both teams shared a moment of prayer after the final whistle, with Kolisi saying the sides "go hard against each other, but we get along off the field."

Springboks pull away with rapid second-half double before sealing the series

Only three points separated the teams at halftime, but tries by Malcolm Marx and Pieter-Steph du Toit in the 49th and 53rd minutes opened a 15-point margin that New Zealand could not close. Ethan Blackadder's response was checked by Kurt-Lee Arendse, who covered more than 50 meters to score the try that effectively settled the match and series. Scrumhalf Morne van den Berg, named Player of the Match, was a "constant threat" throughout, darting around a maul fringe for the Springboks' second try after a lengthy delay caused by referee communications issues. Cameron Hanekom's 78th-minute try made the scoreboard margin greater than the contest had been, before Beauden Barrett scored a late consolation try for New Zealand.

A US-record crowd and a warning that the margin remains thin

In front of a USA rugby-record crowd of more than 68,000 at the home of the Baltimore Ravens — mostly expatriate South Africans, according to the reports — the Springboks won three successive matches to claim the series 3-1. Despite the result, Erasmus cautioned that the gap between the sides was narrow, saying: "At 60 minutes the game was still in the balance. We appreciate that we won, but the margin between us and New Zealand is very small." The Associated Press noted South Africa "had just too much for New Zealand: too much field position, too much time in the 22, too much edge at set pieces and in the air, and too much ferocity in defense," framing the 3-1 outcome as a result that "will reverberate through international rugby in the 12 months before the next World Cup."

Follow-up signals

The next verifiable milestone on the Springboks' calendar is the lead-up to the next Rugby World Cup, with The Associated Press reporting the Baltimore result will shape the international landscape over the coming 12 months. No further fixtures in this series remain, as the Baltimore match was the fourth and final test.