By Levy Masiteng
South Africa will seek to clinch a 3-1 series victory over New Zealand when rugby’s top-ranked teams meet in the fourth and final Test at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday.
The Springboks lead the series 2-1 after beating the All Blacks 29-24 at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg last weekend. New Zealand must win to draw the series.
In South Africa, the game will be broadcast at 11pm local time.
Both teams scored four tries in a bruising third Test, but South Africa did enough to secure a second consecutive victory after losing the opening match of the series.
Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel and Malcolm Marx scored for the Springboks, who were also awarded a penalty try. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu kicked two conversions and a penalty.
New Zealand captain Ardie Savea crossed twice, with Will Jordan and Samisoni Taukei’aho scoring the visitors’ other tries.
The victory came at a cost for South Africa, with winger Cheslin Kolbe ruled out of the final Test after suffering a broken jaw.
New Zealand have also been forced to make several changes. Savea, Luke Jacobson and Quinn Tupaea are unavailable through injury, while Fabian Holland has been ruled out by illness.
Hooker Codie Taylor will captain the All Blacks, while Richie Mo’unga returns at flyhalf for his first Test since the 2023 Rugby World Cup final.
Mo’unga is among five players making their first Test starts of the series as New Zealand seek to avoid a third successive defeat.
“We have everything to play for on Saturday. It is our chance to draw the series and end the tour with a performance to be proud of,” All Blacks coach Dave Rennie said.
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi said South Africa were determined to secure an outright series victory.
“We don’t want to draw the series, and that has been our mindset this week,” Kolisi said.
The match will be the first rugby union Test staged at M&T Bank Stadium, the 71,000-capacity home of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens.
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