South Africa concluded their series against New Zealand with a decisive 43-28 victory in the fourth Test, held in Baltimore. This win cemented a 3-1 series triumph for the world champion Springboks, whose consistent performance, physical strength, and team cohesion proved superior throughout the match.
The contest, played in front of a near-capacity crowd of 68,173 at M&T Bank Stadium, set a new record for the largest attendance at a rugby match in the United States. This successful North American excursion marks the end of a compelling series that tested both nations' preparations for the upcoming Rugby World Cup, an event they have collectively won five times.
New Zealand began the match strongly, with hooker Codie Taylor scoring the opening try within eight minutes. However, South Africa's formidable forward pack quickly asserted dominance. Damian de Allende and scrum-half Morne van den Berg scored tries from close range, capitalizing on their team's control in the scrum and physical collisions. This put the Springboks ahead 17-7.
Despite periods of sustained pressure from South Africa, including strong tackles from Eben Etzebeth and impactful play from Jasper Wiese, New Zealand managed to narrow the gap before halftime. Will Jordan, New Zealand's all-time leading try-scorer, touched down after a lengthy sequence of play, leaving the score at 17-14 at the break.
Following halftime, South Africa re-established their control. Malcolm Marx scored from a rolling maul, and Pieter-Steph du Toit powered over after a swift break by Van den Berg. Although Ethan Blackadder scored a try for New Zealand in the final quarter, reducing the deficit, South Africa responded decisively. Kurt-Lee Arendse broke through in open play, and Cameron Hanekom secured the win with a late try, rendering Beauden Barrett's final-minute score for New Zealand a mere consolation.
The South African lineup included Willemse; Arendse, Kriel, de Allende, Hooker; Feinberg-Mngomezulu, van den Berg; Nche, Marx, Louw, Etzebeth, Nortje, Kolisi, du Toit, Wiese. Replacements were Fourie, Steenekamp, du Toit, de Jager, Esterhuizen, Hanekom, Reinach, and Libbok. For New Zealand, the team was McKenzie; Jordan, Lienert-Brown, Barrett, Moorby; Mo'unga, Roigard; de Groot, Taylor, Newell, Tuipulotu, Darry, Vaa'i, Blackadder, Lakai, with replacements Aumua, Numia, Lomax, Lord, Sititi, Preston, Ioane, and Barrett. The match was officiated by referee Karl Dickson of England, assisted by Matthew Carley and Christophe Ridley, with Andrew Jackson serving as the Television Match Official.