The Springboks produced their best performance of the series to beat New Zealand 43-28 and clinch a 3-1 series victory.
South Africa (2.00) beat New Zealand 43-28 in Baltimore on Saturday to complete a dominant 3-1 series victory. The result marked coach Rassie Erasmus’s one hundredth Test in charge of the Springboks.
An Even Opening Half
The Springboks opened the scoring through a Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu penalty inside the opening minutes. New Zealand (4.02) responded through hooker Codie Taylor, finishing off a lengthy period of sustained pressure.
Damian de Allende and Morne van den Berg both crossed to give South Africa a 17-7 lead. Will Jordan then finished off an extraordinary 32-phase passage of play to reduce the deficit. South Africa led 17-14 at halftime after an intensely contested opening period.
South Africa Seizes Control
South Africa immediately went back on the attack following the interval break. Fresh legs off the bench, including Lood de Jager and Andre Esterhuizen, made an immediate impact. A scrum penalty led to a driving maul that produced Malcolm Marx’s try soon after.
Pieter-Steph du Toit added a fourth try just four minutes later to extend the lead further. The All Blacks responded through the tireless Ethan Blackadder, cutting the deficit to eight points.
Arendse Delivers The Killer Blow
Kurt-Lee Arendse picked up a loose ball and produced a stunning sixty-metre finish. The try, created after Cameron Hanekom dislodged the ball from Will Jordan, proved decisive.
Hanekom then added a try of his own soon afterwards to extend the Springboks’ advantage further. New Zealand’s Beauden Barrett scored a late consolation try in the match’s final minute. By then, South Africa’s victory was already beyond any realistic doubt.
A Series Worthy Of Its Billing
The Springboks outscored the All Blacks six tries to four across the tense series decider, and captain Siya Kolisi praised coach Erasmus following the historic victory in Baltimore.
“He knows how to get us up, and reminds us where we come from,” Kolisi said.
New Zealand captain Codie Taylor showed grace in defeat after a hard-fought series: “Full credit to them, they’re a great side and they’ve proven why they’re world champions,” he said.
The result gave the Springboks their eighth win in the last ten meetings between these arch-rivals.
