Staff Reporter
The Springboks reinforced their status as rugby’s leading force with a 43-28 victory over the All Blacks in Baltimore on Saturday, sealing a 3-1 series triumph over their greatest rivals.
The back-to-back world champions scored six tries to New Zealand’s four at M&T Bank Stadium, with Kurt-Lee Arendse’s spectacular 72nd-minute effort breaking the tourists’ resistance before Cameron Hanekom secured the result six minutes later.
Scrumhalf Morné van den Berg delivered a player-of-the-match performance, scoring South Africa’s second try and directing an attack that repeatedly stretched New Zealand’s defence.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu opened the scoring with a penalty before All Blacks captain Codie Taylor crossed in the eighth minute.
Damian de Allende responded after sustained Springbok pressure and Van den Berg darted through from close range to give South Africa a 17-7 advantage.
Will Jordan completed a 32-phase New Zealand attack shortly before halftime, reducing the Springboks’ lead to 17-14 at the interval.
South Africa seized control after the restart. Malcolm Marx scored from a powerful lineout maul in the 49th minute before Pieter-Steph du Toit finished another sustained attack four minutes later, opening a 29-14 lead.
Ethan Blackadder’s converted try brought New Zealand within eight points and shifted the momentum towards the All Blacks, but Arendse turned the match with a brilliant counter-attacking score.
The wing collected a loose ball deep inside his own half, stepped through the retreating defence and raced beneath the posts. Hanekom then powered over following a turnover near the New Zealand line.
Beauden Barrett scored a consolation try after the hooter.
“I’m so emotional. It’s such a massive honour to play for this team,” Van den Berg said after being named player of the match.
Taylor acknowledged that South Africa had been more clinical in the decisive moments, saying the result showed why the Springboks were world champions.
The rivalry began with the countries’ first Test in Dunedin in 1921 and has now run for 105 years.
New Zealand opened the Test series with a 33-16 win at Ellis Park before South Africa responded with victories of 33-26 at Cape Town Stadium and 29-24 at FNB Stadium.
The All Blacks had earlier beaten the Stormers 38-31, Sharks 54-0, Bulls 50-19 and Lions 41-35 during the South African leg of the tour.
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