After a tentative start to the series, the Springboks finally began to express their attacking flair in the second and third Tests against the All Blacks, and head coach Rassie Erasmus is now urging his players to push even further in the decisive match on American soil. South Africa entered the final encounter trailing 1-0 and are looking to clinch the series 3-1 on Saturday at the stadium that hosts the NFL's Baltimore Ravens.
The New Zealand side, meanwhile, hopes to level the series and secure a historic draw in the first traditional three‑Test series between the two nations in three decades. In the opening Test, the Boks managed only a single try and fell short, but they responded emphatically in the second Test with three tries and a victory, and then escalated their attacking intent in the third Test by crossing the line four times. Their traditional dominance in the set‑piece was a key factor – a penalty try awarded after a dominant scrum and a line‑out maul that drove the All Blacks back to their own goal line underscored their forward power.
Yet it was not just the pack that shone; the backline contributed two well‑executed tries, showcasing a more rounded performance. "Damian de Allende was impressive on Saturday, Jesse Kriel was very good, and Ethan Hooker also performed well, so the group is improving," Erasmus said on Monday during the squad announcement. He added that the Springboks may have concentrated too heavily on neutralising New Zealand in the first Test, rather than taking the initiative when they held the upper hand for the first hour at Ellis Park.
"At the end of the day you just need to outscore your opposition," Erasmus explained. "If that means they score four tries and you kick five drop‑goals like Jannie de Beer did at the 1999 World Cup against England, you simply have to put more points on the board than they do. Containing them is extremely difficult – just ask our franchises and France." For the upcoming fourth Test, Erasmus has made two notable adjustments to the line‑up that secured a 29-24 win over New Zealand last weekend.
Damian Willemse returns to the full‑back position, filling in for the injured Cheslin Kolbe, while scrum‑half Morné van den Berg earns his first start of the series, pushing veteran Cobus Reinach onto the bench. The forward pack remains unchanged, reflecting Erasmus' confidence in the cohesion and effectiveness of his forwards. Erasmus has demonstrated a willingness to make late changes throughout the series. Prior to the second Test, the starting front row was listed as Ox Nché, Malcolm Marx and Wilco Louw, but an hour before kickoff those three were moved to the bench in favour of Gerhard Steenekamp, Deon Fourie and Thomas du Toit.
"We feel the team is well settled and all the players delivered in their respective roles in the last two matches, so selecting the same matchday squad and naming Damian back in his regular position makes sense," the coach said. Kolbe suffered a broken jaw in a tackle and was unavailable, while Willemse had missed the second Test with a hamstring issue. "It's good to have Willemse back," Erasmus noted.
"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 No 9 jersey now goes to Van den Berg, who earned his starting spot after a "fantastic impact" off the bench in earlier games. On the New Zealand side, the headline story is the return of fly‑half Richie Mo'unga, who makes his first Test appearance since the 2023 Rugby World Cup final after a stint in Japanese club rugby. Meanwhile, winger Ruben Love is omitted from the 23‑man squad. Injuries have forced further alterations for the All Blacks.
Captain and No 8 Ardie Savea is out with a shoulder injury, flanker Luke Jacobson has an elbow problem, centre Quinn Tupaea is sidelined with a knee issue, and lock Fabian Holland is unavailable due to illness. As a result, hooker Codie Taylor steps in as captain, and prop Fletcher Newell, lock Patrick Tuipulotu, back‑rower Ethan Blackadder and centre Anton Lienert‑Brown all earn their first starts of the series. Veterans Beauden Barrett and Rieko Ioane return to the bench.
Head coach Dave Rennie commented, "We always planned for there to be a number of changes for this match. Every player here has worked incredibly hard over the last seven weeks to prepare the team for the seven games we've played so far, and all those selected for this Test fully deserve it. 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." The starting line‑ups for the final Test are as follows: South Africa: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt‑Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg‑Mngomezulu, 9 Morné van den Berg; 1 Ox Nché, 2 Malcolm Marx, 3 Wilco Louw, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Ruan Nortjé, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 7 Pieter‑Steph du Toit, 8 Jasper Wiese. Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 André Esterhuizen, 21 Cameron Hanekom, 22 Cobus Reinach, 23 Manie Libbok. New Zealand: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Anton Lienert‑Brown, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Josh Moorby, 10 Richie Mo'unga, 9 Cam Roigard; 1 Ethan de Groot, 2 Codie Taylor (c), 3 Fletcher Newell, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu, 5 Sam Darry, 6 Tupou Vaa'i, 7 Ethan Blackadder, 8 Peter Lakai. 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.
All matches will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, with kick‑off times listed for the UK and Ireland. The final showdown promises a high‑stakes contest, with South Africa aiming to seal a dominant series win on foreign turf, while New Zealand seeks to restore parity and finish the tour on a high note.