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Springboks grind out victory over Argentina in Buenos Aires

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A view of a South Africa training top ahead of the 2025 Quilter Nations Series game between Italy and South Africa in Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy, Saturday, November 15, 2025 (Photo by Matteo Ciambelli / Inpho)

Cameron Hanekom delivered an outstanding performance on both sides of the ball and scored the decisive try as South Africa ground out a 17-10 victory over a feisty Argentina at Estadio José Amalfitani in Buenos Aires. But the satisfaction of extending their winning streak to 12 matches was tempered by captain Siya Kolisi’s departure with a hamstring injury after just 25 minutes, throwing his availability for the opening Test against the All Blacks into serious doubt.

Key moments

3 mins – PENALTY ARGENTINA: Santiago Carreras strikes a superb long-range penalty from 47 metres on the angle to open the scoring after Cameron Hanekom was penalised for a high tackle at the first breakdown. (Argentina 3–0 South Africa)

7 mins – PENALTY SOUTH AFRICA: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu levels from in front of the posts after Cobus Reinach is taken out with ball in hand by Pablo Matera. (Argentina 3–3 South Africa)

9 mins – TRY ARGENTINA: Argentina win a scrum penalty and kick to the corner. After setting up play in front of the posts, Pablo Matera takes the ball into contact and frees his arms to deliver a wonderful pop pass to the supporting Benjamin Grondona, who has a clear run to the line. Carreras converts from the left. (Argentina 10–3 South Africa)

21 mins – MISSED DROP GOAL SOUTH AFRICA: Feinberg-Mngomezulu attempts a drop goal after sustained Springbok pressure near the 22. It looks short initially but floats and floats before striking the crossbar. Argentina scramble the rebound clear.

25 mins – SUBSTITUTION SOUTH AFRICA: Captain Siya Kolisi limps off with a hamstring injury and is replaced by Marco van Staden after just 25 minutes in his first Test of 2026.

40 mins – TRY SOUTH AFRICA: Out of nothing. Andre Esterhuizen is hit behind the gain line by the rush defence but manages to smuggle an offload away out the back to Canan Moodie. He dummies past his immediate marker and feeds Aphelele Fassi, who finds an overlap on the left edge with a draw and pass to Edwill van der Merwe. The winger has too much gas for the covering defence and runs it all the way around to the posts. Feinberg-Mngomezulu converts. (Argentina 10–10 South Africa)

Half-time: Argentina 10–10 South Africa. A scrappy first half dominated by the kicking game and handling errors from both sides in blustery conditions. Argentina had the better of territory and possession, and their willingness to keep ball in hand and offload through contact caused the Springboks constant problems. Esterhuizen’s moment of individual brilliance — an offload that had no right to go to hand — launched the equaliser right on the stroke of half-time.

46 mins – MISSED PENALTY ARGENTINA: Carreras strikes the left upright from the 10-metre line after Tomas Rapetti’s intercept line break won the penalty. A let-off for South Africa. (Argentina 10–10 South Africa)

49 mins – SUBSTITUTIONS SOUTH AFRICA: The Bomb Squad arrives. Gerhard Steenekamp, Zachary Porthen, Ben-Jason Dixon and Cobus Wiese replace Boan Venter, Thomas du Toit, Elrigh Louw and Lood de Jager. The fresh legs immediately lift the tempo.

52 mins – HELD UP SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa steal an Argentina lineout inside the 22 and play quickly. Esterhuizen drives for the line from close range but cannot get the ball to ground. Argentina survive.

57 mins – TRY DISALLOWED SOUTH AFRICA: Johan Grobbelaar appears to force his way over from close range after sustained pressure, but the TMO intervenes and spots Marco van Staden’s arm in touch earlier in the passage of play. Lineout Argentina.

59 mins – SUBSTITUTIONS SOUTH AFRICA: Handre Pollard on for Fassi and Morne van den Berg on for Reinach. Feinberg-Mngomezulu shifts to fullback.

63 mins – TRY SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa pin Argentina in the corner with back-to-back kicks from van den Berg and Pollard, hold up the ball carrier to create a maul, and win a five-metre scrum. The Springbok pack delivers a devastating shove, wheeling the Pumas around, and number eight Hanekom controls at his feet before picking his moment and dotting down for his first Test try. Pollard converts from the right. (Argentina 10–17 South Africa)

65 mins – SUBSTITUTION SOUTH AFRICA: Esterhuizen departs for an HIA. Fassi returns and Pollard shifts to inside centre for the remainder.

80 mins – ARGENTINA DENIED: Los Pumas produce a superb 50-22 into the corner for one last shot at a levelling score. They tap a penalty and go through 15 phases with patience and wonderful handling, shifting play from right to left and back again, but Matias Moroni spills the final pass to the left wing with the try line beckoning. Full-time whistle follows.

Full-time: Argentina 10–17 South Africa


Rassie Erasmus said before the match that it would be a grind, and his prediction proved uncomfortably accurate. On a sunlit but cold and blustery afternoon in Buenos Aires, the world champions were forced to dig deep against a spirited Argentina side that featured six debutants but played with the passion and physicality that has become their trademark.

The first half belonged largely to the hosts. Felipe Contepomi’s side seized the initiative from the opening minutes, playing with a tempo and directness that repeatedly caught the Springboks on the back foot. Fast hands, direct running lines and a willingness to offload through contact disrupted any semblance of control the visitors tried to build. Wing Ignacio Mendy was a constant threat, finding four line breaks in the opening 40 minutes, while scrum-half Simon Benitez Cruz’s inventive kicking — deft chips and grubbers into the spaces behind the Springbok defensive line — kept the green and gold scrambling.

The Springboks’ kicking game, so often their primary weapon, misfired in the buffeting breeze. High kicks repeatedly drifted away from chasers, and the tactic of having a retreating winger collect the ball negated any contest in the air. Feinberg-Mngomezulu, under constant pressure from Argentina’s aggressive line speed, struggled to assert himself in the first half and was crowded relentlessly in his channel.

The Kolisi setback compounded the visitors’ difficulties. The 35-year-old captain, playing his first Test of 2026 after a hamstring injury, lasted just 25 minutes before limping off holding his hamstring once more. It was exactly the scenario Erasmus had hoped to avoid, and Kolisi was candid about the blow afterwards.

“I hurt my hamstring again, unfortunately. So I’ll go for a scan and see how far it is,” Kolisi said. “But yeah, it’s really tough. But I can’t be sad about it. There’s nothing I can do now than to go and have a scan and then see how long I’m out for.”

He added: “We have a huge amount of respect for them, and we could easily have lost this game. Home or away, they’re one of the toughest teams we play all year.”

That South Africa reached half-time level owed much to their defensive resolve and then one moment of individual brilliance from Esterhuizen. Caught behind the gain line by Argentina’s rush defence, the big centre had no right to free the ball, but somehow smuggled an offload out the back of the tackle to Moodie. The outside centre dummied past his marker, and two passes later van der Merwe was streaking down the touchline and around behind the posts for his sixth try in seven Tests. It was the Springboks’ only moment of genuine attacking quality in the entire first half.

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The second period was a different contest. The introduction of the Bomb Squad — Steenekamp, Porthen, Dixon and Wiese arriving as a quartet in the 49th minute — shifted the physical battle decisively in South Africa’s favour. Where the Pumas had matched and at times bettered the visitors in the collisions during the first half, the fresh forwards tilted the scrum, improved the maul and brought more power to the carry game.

South Africa dominated territory and possession through the third quarter but Argentina’s defence was heroic. Esterhuizen was held up over the line. Grobbelaar appeared to have scored under the posts only for the TMO to correctly rule it out for van Staden’s hand in touch earlier in the passage. The Springboks kept coming, and the dam finally broke in the 63rd minute.

Back-to-back kicks from van den Berg and Pollard pinned Argentina in the corner. The Springboks held up the ball carrier to create a maul turnover, won the ensuing five-metre scrum, and the pack — with Wiese and Etzebeth providing the shove — drove the Pumas backwards. Hanekom controlled the ball at his feet, picked his moment and dotted down for his first Test try. It was a fitting reward for the Bulls number eight, who was the outstanding player on the park. He finished with 13 carries for 82 run metres and was a force at the breakdown on both sides of the ball.

The closing stages were anything but comfortable. Argentina produced a superb 50-22 from flanker Matera to set up one final attack, then tapped a penalty and went through 15 agonising phases inside the Springbok 22 after the clock had gone red. The handling through the phases was superb, shifting play from one side of the field to the other, but when the ball was finally flung wide to the left edge, Moroni could not cling on to the final pass with the try line at his mercy. The replacement back was in tears at the final whistle.

Erasmus admitted his side had looked disjointed but praised their character. “We looked leg-weary early on, gave up a lot of territory, and made errors which we knew were likely with seven or eight players having played very little rugby in the last six or seven weeks,” he said. “Argentina play a different style of rugby, and the stadium is genuinely intimidating, but it’s a win although it wasn’t pretty and perfect. That said, we are happy with the result and with the way we ground it out.”

He added: “I have to give credit to them. They are a very proud rugby nation, and I always say they’ve got that same fight in them that we have back home. They’re passionate, and they never stop. What pleased me today was that we won the physical battle.”

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Beyond the result, the fitness audit delivered mixed returns. Etzebeth was particularly impressive, playing the full 80 minutes despite his long injury layoff — a feat that was no doubt partly necessitated by Kolisi’s early departure, which left the veteran lock to lead in his captain’s absence. De Jager got through 49 minutes of work before making way for Wiese. Feinberg-Mngomezulu showed early signs of rust but grew into the game and proved himself ready for selection against the All Blacks. Hooker and Moodie both completed 80 minutes.

Esterhuizen’s concussion — his second in successive matches — is another concern alongside Kolisi’s hamstring. The veteran centre departed for an HIA in the 65th minute, with Pollard shifting to inside centre for the remainder.

The Springboks will return to South Africa in two groups on Sunday and Monday before reuniting with the 15 players who remained behind in preparation for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series. The first Test against the All Blacks at Ellis Park is less than two weeks away, and while this scrappy victory provided a useful workout, the performance will have given Dave Rennie’s coaching staff plenty of ideas. Argentina, meanwhile, face Australia at home in San Salvador de Jujuy on 29 August.

Teams

Argentina: 15 Geronimo Prisciantelli, 14 Rodrigo Isgro, 13 Lucio Cinti, 12 Faustino Sanchez Valarolo, 11 Ignacio Mendy, 10 Santiago Carreras, 9 Simon Benitez Cruz, 8 Joaquin Moro, 7 Benjamin Grondona, 6 Pablo Matera (c), 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Francisco Moreno, 2 Ignacio Ruiz, 1 Boris Wenger.
Replacements: 16 Leonel Oviedo, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Tomas Rapetti, 19 Efrain Elias, 20 Juan Penoucos, 21 Juan Martin Scelzo, 22 Agustin Moyano, 23 Matias Moroni.

South Africa: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Boan Venter.
Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Cobus Wiese, 21 Marco van Staden, 22 Morne van den Berg, 23 Handre Pollard.

Match details

Argentina 10 (Try: Grondona; Conversion: Carreras 1/1; Penalty: Carreras 1/1)
South Africa 17 (Tries: van der Merwe, Hanekom; Conversions: Feinberg-Mngomezulu 1/1, Pollard 1/1; Penalty: Feinberg-Mngomezulu 1/1)
Half-time: 10–10

Venue: Estadio José Amalfitani, Buenos Aires
Referee: Christophe Ridley (England)

International

Springboks seal RGR series with Baltimore blitz over All Blacks

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Springboks seal RGR series with Baltimore blitz over All Blacks
South Africa with the trophy during All Blacks v South Africa, Rugbys Greatest Rivalry Tour, Baltimore, USA, 13 September 2026. (Photo by Jack Megaw / action press)

The Springboks clinched Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series 3-1, overwhelming the All Blacks 43-28 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore in the first meeting between the two rivals on American soil. Six tries to four in front of a record US rugby crowd sealed the most emphatic and expansive victory of the series, confirming the world champions’ supremacy at the end of a tour that captivated the sport.

Key moments

3 mins – PENALTY SOUTH AFRICA: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu kicks an early penalty after the All Blacks are penalised at the breakdown. (South Africa 3–0 All Blacks)

9 mins – TRY ALL BLACKS: Codie Taylor scores after Cam Roigard throws a long pass across the goal-line from a ruck. Taylor’s 24th Test try — an All Blacks hooker record, passing Dane Coles. McKenzie converts. (South Africa 3–7 All Blacks)

14 mins – TRY SOUTH AFRICA: Damian de Allende powers over from close range after a 10-phase surge into the All Blacks’ 22. Feinberg-Mngomezulu converts. (South Africa 10–7 All Blacks)

~18 mins – TMO COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN. Play is suspended for approximately 10 minutes after the referee loses communication with the Television Match Official. Both captains agree to continue without TMO involvement unless foul play occurs.

22 mins – TRY SOUTH AFRICA: Morne van den Berg sells a dummy and darts over from close range. The scrumhalf converts his own try. (South Africa 17–7 All Blacks)

~38 mins – TRY ALL BLACKS: Will Jordan enters the line from the right wing and races in beside the posts, capping a remarkable 32-phase sequence that sapped the Springbok defence. The move began from a front-of-the-lineout play after South Africa conceded a scrum penalty. McKenzie converts. (South Africa 17–14 All Blacks)

Half-time: South Africa 17–14 All Blacks. The Springboks led through de Allende and van den Berg after a dominant first quarter, but the All Blacks fought back through Taylor’s record try and Jordan’s score from a magnificent 32-phase build-up. A 10-minute TMO breakdown embarrassed the showcase event. The Springboks’ scrum and breakdown superiority was again evident.

48 mins – TRY SOUTH AFRICA: Malcolm Marx scores from a rolling lineout maul after the Springboks win a scrum penalty and kick to the corner. Manie Libbok converts. (South Africa 24–14 All Blacks)

51 mins – TRY SOUTH AFRICA: Pieter-Steph du Toit barges over after Feinberg-Mngomezulu breaks into the All Blacks’ 22 from a scrum and the Springbok forwards batter through. Libbok converts. (South Africa 31–14 All Blacks)

~55 mins – Roigard tackled without the ball. The halfback is taken out after kicking through to the Springbok line. TMO reviews but finds Roigard was offside at the preceding ruck. Penalty reversed. Frustration mounts for the All Blacks.

~63 mins – TRY ALL BLACKS: Ethan Blackadder scores his first Test try after a lineout drive and Roigard’s charge around a ruck creates the opening. McKenzie converts. (South Africa 31–21 All Blacks)

71 mins – TRY SOUTH AFRICA: Kurt-Lee Arendse swoops on a loose ball after a Moorby tackle incident and races more than 50 metres to score. A devastating counterattack. Feinberg-Mngomezulu converts. (South Africa 38–21 All Blacks)

75 mins – TRY SOUTH AFRICA: Cameron Hanekom powers over after taking the ball from Jordan, who had scrambled back in cover. The replacement flanker seals the series. Unconverted. (South Africa 43–21 All Blacks)

80 mins – TRY ALL BLACKS: Beauden Barrett crosses for a consolation score in the final minute. McKenzie converts. (South Africa 43–28 All Blacks)

Full-time: South Africa 43–28 All Blacks. Series: South Africa 3–1.


This wasn’t the suffocating, grinding Springbok rugby that had characterised the second and third Tests. This was champagne stuff — expansive, electric and utterly ruthless. South Africa mixed power with panache, combining their traditional forward dominance with a willingness to give the ball air that had the All Blacks’ defence scrambling and the Baltimore crowd roaring its approval. When Siya Kolisi hoisted the Greatest Rivalry trophy aloft after it was presented by Dan Carter and Schalk Burger, few could argue it had gone to the wrong side.

The All Blacks, true to their free-flowing blueprint, moved the ball with typical slickness and crossed four times themselves, but on this intoxicating Baltimore evening they had no answer to a rampant Springbok side firing on all cylinders. The Springboks made 11 line breaks and played with the freedom of a team given licence to cut loose by a coach who knew his side could not lose the series. Rassie Erasmus had done it again.

“I thought it was epic,” Erasmus said. “The whole series so far has been epic, and they can draw it in Baltimore. But we wanted to finish it properly.”

The All Blacks’ penalty problems surfaced immediately. Feinberg-Mngomezulu kicked a third-minute penalty, and from there the Springboks established the tempo that would define the match. But the tourists struck back in the ninth minute when Cam Roigard, sharp and direct throughout his 80 minutes, threw a long pass across the goal-line from a ruck for captain Codie Taylor to score. In doing so, Taylor claimed his 24th Test try — the most by any All Blacks hooker, overtaking Dane Coles’s long-standing record. McKenzie converted.

The lead was short-lived. The Springboks launched a 10-phase surge into the All Blacks’ 22 and, from a ruck close to the line, Damian de Allende powered over for his fourth try of the series. Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted for 10-7. Then came an extraordinary interruption: the referee lost communication with the Television Match Official, suspending play for approximately ten minutes. Both captains agreed to continue without TMO involvement unless foul play occurred — an embarrassing episode for a match being showcased to a new American audience.

When play resumed, the Springboks pressed their advantage. Josh Moorby was controversially penalised for an offence while attempting to place the ball in a tackle, gifting the hosts field position. From the resulting lineout, man-of-the-match Morne van den Berg cut back against the grain and darted over to score. The scrumhalf then converted his own try — the second time in the series he had done so — for 17-7.

The All Blacks’ response was their finest passage of play in the match. After South Africa conceded a scrum penalty, Taylor found his jumper at the front of the lineout and set in motion a 32-phase movement that sapped the Springboks’ defence. Surge after surge was absorbed before the ball was moved to the backs, and Jordan — entering the line from his right wing — raced in beside the posts. McKenzie converted, and the tourists went to the break trailing by just three at 17-14.

Whatever hope that stirred evaporated within six minutes of the restart. The Springboks scored two tries in three minutes to blow the match apart. First, a scrum penalty gave them the chance to kick to the corner, and from the lineout their maul — that terrifying, irresistible weapon — drove the All Blacks backwards before Marx peeled off to score. Libbok converted for 24-14. From the restart, the Springboks won a scrum and Feinberg-Mngomezulu broke into the All Blacks’ 22 before du Toit drove over from close range. Libbok converted again and at 31-14, the series was over as a contest.

“We were confident that if we got a few things right tonight we’d have a good chance of winning,” Rennie said. “We fell short. It’s disappointing from that perspective.”

The All Blacks’ frustrations multiplied. Roigard kicked through to the Springbok line only to be taken out without the ball — a penalty seemed certain, but the TMO discovered Roigard was offside at the preceding ruck and the decision was reversed. Moorby was then denied a favourable ruling after taking a tackle that wasn’t ruled early. Richie Mo’unga, starting his first Test since the 2023 World Cup final, kicked for the corner and from the lineout Blackadder — busy, abrasive and tireless throughout — scored his first Test try. McKenzie converted for 31-21 and briefly the All Blacks sensed a comeback.

Arendse killed it stone dead. In the 71st minute, the ball bounced loose after the controversial Moorby tackle incident and the Springbok flyer swooped on it, accelerating from inside his own half on a devastating 50-metre run to score under the posts. It was the try of the match and the moment that sealed the series in emphatic fashion. Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted. Replacement flanker Cameron Hanekom added a sixth four minutes later, powering over after taking the ball from Jordan, who had scrambled back in cover.

Beauden Barrett, the 144-cap veteran who had been introduced from the bench, crossed for a consolation in the final minute that McKenzie converted, but the 43-28 scoreline — the largest winning margin of the series — told the story of South African dominance. The try count across four Tests finished 20-18 in the All Blacks’ favour, yet the Springboks won the series 3-1 — a testament to their ability to win the decisive moments through set-piece power, breakdown dominance and the relentless physicality of their bench rotation.

Rennie was honest in defeat. “Yeah, look, the boys put in a massive shift again,” he said. “You look at all the numbers, and everything’s very even, but they were electric, and when they got their opportunities, and we were trying to chase the game late, we put ourselves under a bit more pressure.” On the breakdown discipline that conceded crucial penalties, he was blunt: “Yeah, it’s not good enough. It just does not affect the game either. But it’s dumb.”

The head coach maintained perspective on a tour that had tested his squad to its limits. “We’ve had a captured audience of what turned out to be 49 players,” Rennie said. “I thought the set piece was excellent tonight — scrum and lineout were a real positive. When we get our continuity going, we’re going to score tries. We’re tracking in the right direction, but we’ve got to close the gap and we know that.”

Mo’unga, playing his first Test in three years, labelled the 2026 Springboks a “complete team” and acknowledged the gulf the All Blacks need to bridge before the likely World Cup quarter-final meeting next year. Jordie Barrett was again outstanding at inside centre — arguably the All Blacks’ most consistently excellent player across the entire tour — while Blackadder, Jordan and Peter Lakai all enhanced their reputations in a losing cause.

Taylor, captaining for the final time on tour, hoped the Baltimore crowd took something from the occasion. “I hope American fans left understanding how exciting rugby can be,” the hooker said. Rennie echoed the sentiment: “They obviously love their sports, and they got right behind rugby. I would have liked to see a few more black jerseys, but obviously there’s a lot of South Africans over here.”

The Greatest Rivalry Tour is over. Across eight matches and seven weeks, the All Blacks used 49 players, scored 49 tries, won five of eight fixtures and lost the Test series 3-1 after winning the opener. They return to New Zealand battered, bruised and wiser — with a Bledisloe Cup and a European tour still ahead before the World Cup. The Springboks, meanwhile, have now won everything there is to win. They head to Australia in 2027 as the team to beat, their greatness no longer debatable. As Erasmus said in Cape Town: they are the benchmark. And as Baltimore showed, the gap between benchmark and challenger remains stubbornly difficult to close.

Teams

South Africa: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Cameron Hanekom, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Andre Esterhuizen, 23 Manie Libbok.

All Blacks: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Josh Moorby, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Cam Roigard, 8 Peter Lakai, 7 Ethan Blackadder, 6 Tupou Vaa’i, 5 Sam Darry, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu, 3 Fletcher Newell, 2 Codie Taylor (c), 1 Ethan de Groot.
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Xavier Numia, 18 Tyrel Lomax, 19 Josh Lord, 20 Wallace Sititi, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Rieko Ioane, 23 Beauden Barrett.

Match details

South Africa 43 (Tries: de Allende, van den Berg, Marx, du Toit, Arendse, Hanekom; Conversions: Feinberg-Mngomezulu 2/3, van den Berg 1/1, Libbok 2/2; Penalties: Feinberg-Mngomezulu 1/1)
All Blacks 28 (Tries: Taylor, Jordan, Blackadder, Barrett; Conversions: McKenzie 4/4)
Half-time: 17–14 (South Africa)

Venue: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
Attendance: Record US rugby crowd
Referee: Karl Dickson (England)
Man of the match: Morne van den Berg (South Africa)
Series result: South Africa 3–1

Greatest Rivalry series result

First Test, Ellis Park, Johannesburg: South Africa 16–33 All Blacks
Second Test, DHL Stadium, Cape Town: South Africa 33–26 All Blacks
Third Test, FNB Stadium, Johannesburg: South Africa 29–24 All Blacks
Fourth Test, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore: South Africa 43–28 All Blacks
Series: South Africa 3–1

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Mo’unga gets the call in revamped All Blacks for Baltimore finale

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Mo’unga gets the call in revamped All Blacks for Baltimore finale
All Blacks Richie Mo'unga during the All Blacks v Lions match, Rugbys Greatest Rivalry, Ellis Park, Johannesburg, South Africa, Tuesday, 25 August 2026. (Photo by Anton Geyser / action press)

Dave Rennie has made sweeping changes for the fourth and final Test against the Springboks at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Saturday, with Richie Mo’unga handed his first Test start since the 2023 Rugby World Cup final and Ethan Blackadder earning his first in more than two years. Codie Taylor captains a revamped side that must win to prevent the Springboks claiming the Greatest Rivalry series outright.

Key squad news:

  • Richie Mo’unga earns his first Test start since the 2023 World Cup final; Ruben Love dropped from the 23
  • Codie Taylor captains the All Blacks in the absence of the injured Ardie Savea
  • Ethan Blackadder makes his first Test start in more than two years at openside flanker
  • Ethan de Groot and Josh Lord return after clearing concussion protocols from the first Test
  • Five changes to the starting XV; Newell, Tuipulotu, Lienert-Brown also start
  • Fabian Holland unavailable due to illness
  • All Blacks must win to draw the series 2-2

The changes are driven by necessity and opportunity. Ardie Savea (dislocated shoulder), Luke Jacobson (elbow tendon) and Quinn Tupaea (MCL) were all injured in the third Test defeat in Soweto, while Fabian Holland has been ruled out through illness. Their absence, combined with the return of Ethan de Groot and Josh Lord — who have cleared World Rugby’s concussion protocols after the sickening first Test collision — has prompted a significant reshuffle.

Mo’unga’s selection at first five-eighth is the headline talking point. The 56-cap playmaker replaces Ruben Love, who drops out of the matchday 23 entirely after starting all three Tests in the series. It is Mo’unga’s first Test start since the one-point World Cup final defeat to these same Springboks in Paris three years ago, completing a remarkable journey from three seasons in Japanese club rugby back to the international arena.

“Richie has been patient and professional since arriving on tour,” Rennie said. “He’s earned this opportunity. His vision, his decision-making and his ability to run a game at the highest level are exactly what we need in a match of this magnitude.”

Blackadder’s inclusion at openside is a reward for his extraordinary tour. The Crusaders flanker’s two-try, 16-carry display against the Lions was the standout individual performance of the franchise matches, and he has been unlucky not to feature in a Test matchday squad until now. He forms a new-look loose forward trio with Tupou Vaa’i, who shifts from lock to blindside, and Peter Lakai at number eight.

The front row sees de Groot return at loosehead alongside Taylor and Fletcher Newell, who replaces Tyrel Lomax at tighthead for his first Test start of the series. Lomax provides impact from the bench. Patrick Tuipulotu partners Sam Darry — the only forward to start in the same position as the third Test — in a second-row combination that offers a different profile from the Holland-Vaa’i and Holland-Darry pairings used earlier in the series. Lord’s return from concussion protocols means he can provide lock cover from the reserves.

In the backs, Anton Lienert-Brown replaces the injured Tupaea at outside centre alongside Jordie Barrett, while Josh Moorby comes onto the left wing. Cam Roigard, Will Jordan and Damian McKenzie are retained, with Rieko Ioane and Leroy Carter providing outside back cover on the bench.

Taylor, who captained the All Blacks for the first time against the Bulls earlier on tour, takes the armband for the biggest match of his 111-cap career. “It’s a huge honour to captain the All Blacks in a Test match of this magnitude,” Taylor said. “We’re desperate to get a result. The boys are hurting after last week and we know what’s at stake.”

Barrett dismissed any suggestion the All Blacks might be mentally or physically spent after seven weeks on tour. “We’ve still got a lot to play for,” Barrett said. “We came here to win a series and while that’s no longer possible, sharing it is the next best thing. We owe it to ourselves and everyone back home to finish this tour the right way.”

The match marks the first time the All Blacks and Springboks have met on American soil. M&T Bank Stadium, the 70,257-capacity home of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, will host the sixth All Blacks Test played in the United States, following matches in Chicago, Washington DC and San Diego. Baltimore is a candidate city for the 2031 Rugby World Cup.

The series stands at 2-1 in the Springboks’ favour. A New Zealand victory would see each nation retain one half of the Greatest Rivalry trophy in a drawn series. Defeat would confirm the first series loss for an All Blacks touring side in South Africa since 1976 and hand the Springboks both halves of the silverware.

“This is why you play rugby,” Rennie said. “A deciding Test match against the best team in the world in front of 70,000 people. We know the Boks will be desperate to finish it here, but so are we. We’ve shown throughout this tour that we can beat anyone when we’re at our best. Now we need to deliver the performance of the tour.”

All Blacks team for the fourth Test

M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore. Saturday 12 September, kick-off 5pm local time (Sunday 13 September, 9am NZT).

1. Ethan de Groot (44 caps), 2. Codie Taylor (c) (111), 3. Fletcher Newell (39), 4. Patrick Tuipulotu (58), 5. Sam Darry (11), 6. Tupou Vaa’i (50), 7. Ethan Blackadder (15), 8. Peter Lakai (13), 9. Cam Roigard (23), 10. Richie Mo’unga (56), 11. Josh Moorby (4), 12. Jordie Barrett (84), 13. Anton Lienert-Brown (92), 14. Will Jordan (60), 15. Damian McKenzie (80).

Reserves: 16. Asafo Aumua (25), 17. Xavier Numia (4), 18. Tyrel Lomax (54), 19. Josh Lord (16), 20. Wallace Sititi (22), 21. Kyle Preston (4), 22. Rieko Ioane (89), 23. Leroy Carter (10).

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Springboks make two changes for Baltimore Test against All Blacks

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Springboks make two changes for Baltimore Test against All Blacks
South Africa Damian Willemse is tackled by All Blacks George Bower during the All Blacks v South Africa second test match, Rugbys Greatest Rivalry, DHL Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa, Saturday, 29 August 2026. (Photo by Nic Bothma / action press)

Rassie Erasmus has made just two changes to the Springbok starting XV for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series decider against the All Blacks at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Saturday, sending the clearest possible signal that he intends to go for the kill and clinch a 3-1 series victory on American soil.

Key team news:

  • Damian Willemse returns at fullback in place of the injured Cheslin Kolbe, who broke his jaw in the third Test and has remained in South Africa
  • Morne van den Berg earns his first start of the series at scrum-half, with Cobus Reinach dropping to the bench
  • The forward pack is unchanged for the third consecutive Test
  • A Springbok victory would seal a 3-1 series win; an All Blacks victory would draw the series
  • Eben Etzebeth extends his record as the most capped Springbok to 146 Tests
  • The loose trio of Kolisi, du Toit and Wiese will start together for a record 19th time
  • It is the first Springbok Test in history to be played in Baltimore
  • Kick-off is at 23:00 SA time (17:00 EDT)

The decision to retain the same matchday squad with only injury-enforced and form-based adjustments is a statement of intent from Erasmus. Having won the second and third Tests to take a 2-1 lead, the Springbok coach is backing the combinations that turned the series around rather than rotating for the finale.

“We feel that the team is well settled and all the players delivered in their respective roles in the last two matches, so we believe selecting the same matchday squad, and naming Damian back in his regular position, makes sense for the closing match of the series,” Erasmus said. “These players also know exactly what to expect from a very determined All Blacks team, who will give everything to draw the series this weekend.”

Willemse’s return is straightforward. The fullback started the first two Tests before a hamstring injury ruled him out in Cape Town, with Kolbe deputising superbly at 15 across the second and third matches. Kolbe’s broken jaw, sustained at FNB Stadium, has ended his series and he was among six players who remained in South Africa as the squad flew to the United States.

“Damian started the first two Tests and had it not been for a niggle last week, he would have also started that match, so it’s good to have him back,” Erasmus said. “He is a quality player, and he knows the guys around him very well, so it will simply be a matter of him picking up where he left off before last week.”

The more intriguing selection is van den Berg’s promotion ahead of Reinach. The Lions scrum-half made a telling impact off the bench in the third Test and Erasmus was effusive in his praise. “Morne made a fantastic impact when he took the field last week, and he deserves a chance to start, so Cobus switches to the bench where he will add experience and skill in this vital match,” the Springbok coach said.

He expanded on van den Berg’s journey to this point. “He’s not a youngster. I think he’s 27 or something like that already, so he’s not a youngster to break through. But we’ve always tracked him, and I think he’s just been unfortunate with injuries and also some really good nines that played ahead of him or got opportunities ahead of him,” Erasmus said. “After his last injury, we thought it was going to be a tough year for him to get back into the mix, but he really did his rehab really well, and he’s back to full fitness. I think last week when he got his opportunity, he really did well, and we think he deserves a start.”

The forward pack is unchanged for the third week running. Nche, Marx and Louw continue in the front row, Etzebeth and Nortje in the second row, and captain Kolisi, du Toit and Wiese in a loose trio that will extend its own record to 19 Test starts together. Etzebeth stretches his all-time caps mark to 146, while Wiese needs just one more appearance after this match to reach 50 caps.

In the backline, Feinberg-Mngomezulu starts at fly-half for a fifth consecutive Test, with Arendse and Hooker on the wings and de Allende and Kriel continuing their settled midfield partnership. The bench is also unchanged from the third Test — Fourie, Steenekamp, Thomas du Toit, de Jager, Esterhuizen and Hanekom as the six forward replacements, with Reinach and Libbok the two specialist backs.

Erasmus confirmed that Handre Pollard, who has missed the last three Tests with a calf injury, is fit again and will likely feature against Australia in Perth on 27 September — the one-off Test the squad will travel to directly from Baltimore. Franco Mostert is also expected to return for that fixture.

Saturday’s match will be the first Springbok Test in Baltimore and only the fourth in the United States. South Africa have played three previous Tests on American soil — victories over the USA in 1981 and 2001, and a narrow 22-20 defeat to Wales in Washington DC in 2018, which was Erasmus’s first match in charge as head coach. The 2031 Rugby World Cup will be hosted in the USA, lending additional significance to high-profile fixtures on American soil.

Erasmus was blunt about the stakes. “If we don’t win, then we have achieved nothing,” he said.

He expected the All Blacks, who have lost Ardie Savea, Luke Jacobson and Quinn Tupaea to series-ending injuries from the third Test, to come out swinging regardless. “We have faced the All Blacks three weeks in a row, and just like us, they are a proud team who showed last week that they will never stop fighting until the final whistle, so we are under no illusions about the magnitude of the challenge ahead this weekend,” Erasmus said.

“That said, we are equally determined to finish the series strongly and give everything to lift the trophy, and the players are excited about the match. We have no doubt that it’s going to be another epic encounter that will require a full-blown 80-minute effort on attack and defence.”

Springboks:
15. Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers, 54 caps)
14. Kurt-Lee Arendse (Mitsubishi Dynaboars, 34 caps)
13. Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles, 93 caps)
12. Damian de Allende (Wild Knights, 102 caps)
11. Ethan Hooker (Hollywoodbets Sharks, 12 caps)
10. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers, 23 caps)
9. Morne van den Berg (Lions, 9 caps)
8. Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks, 48 caps)
7. Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz, 101 caps)
6. Siya Kolisi (c) (DHL Stormers, 106 caps)
5. Ruan Nortje (Kubota Spears, 23 caps)
4. Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks, 145 caps)
3. Wilco Louw (DHL Stormers, 34 caps)
2. Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears, 92 caps)
1. Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks, 51 caps)

Replacements:
16. Deon Fourie (DHL Stormers, 15 caps)
17. Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls, 22 caps)
18. Thomas du Toit (Hollywoodbets Sharks, 36 caps)
19. Lood de Jager (Wild Knights, 76 caps)
20. Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks, 34 caps)
21. Cameron Hanekom (Vodacom Bulls, 5 caps)
22. Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers, 56 caps)
23. Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners, 33 caps)

Match details: South Africa v New Zealand, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore. Saturday 12 September (Saturday 13 September NZT), 17:00 EDT / 23:00 SA time. Live on SuperSport.

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