After a sluggish start to the three‑match Test series, the Springboks finally found their rhythm in the second and third encounters with the All Blacks, and head coach Rassie Erasmus is now urging his side to push even harder in the decisive game on American soil. South Africa entered the series trailing 1-0 after a narrow loss in the opening Test, but they responded with a convincing win in the second match and an even more expansive performance in the third, where they crossed the try line four times.
Now, with the series tied at 1-1, the Springboks travel to Baltimore, the home of the NFL’s Ravens, for the final showdown on Saturday. Their goal: to clinch the series 3-1 and finish the tour on a high note, while New Zealand will be looking to level the series for the first time in a traditional three‑Test contest between the two nations in three decades.
In the opening Test, the Boks managed only a single try before falling short, but they turned the tables in the second Test by scoring three tries and securing a victory. The third Test saw South Africa unleash an even more attacking brand of rugby, notching four tries – the most they have produced in the series so far.
The win was built on the usual Springbok strengths: a dominant set‑piece and forward power that produced a penalty try from a crushing scrum and a line‑out maul that forced New Zealand back onto its own try line. Those forward platforms were complemented by two well‑executed back‑line moves that resulted in clean, decisive scores.
"Damian de Allende was good on Saturday, Jesse Kriel was very good, Ethan Hooker did well, so the guys are getting better," Erasmus said during the team announcement on Monday. He added that the Boks may have spent too much of the first Test trying to contain the All Blacks rather than taking the initiative when they held possession for the first hour at Ellis Park. "At the end of the day you just need to outscore your opposition," Erasmus explained.
"If it means they score four tries and you kick five drop‑goals like Jannie de Beer did at the 1999 World Cup against England, you just need to score more points than them. To try and contain them is extremely difficult – just ask our franchises and France." For the fourth Test, Erasmus has tweaked the line‑up that delivered a 29‑24 win last Saturday. Full‑back Damian Willemse returns to replace 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’s confidence in the unit that has been the backbone of South Africa’s resurgence. Erasmus’s selection philosophy has been fluid throughout the series. Before the second Test, the front row was announced as Ox Nché, Malcolm Marx and Wilco Louw, only for Erasmus to make a last‑minute switch an hour before kickoff, bringing in Gerhard Steenekamp, Deon Fourie and Thomas du Toit and moving the original trio to the bench.
"We feel that the team is well settled and all the players delivered in their respective roles in the last two matches, so we believe selecting the same matchday squad, and naming Damian back in his regular position makes sense," Erasmus said. Kolbe’s jaw was broken in a tackle, and he had previously covered for Willemse when the latter suffered a hamstring issue in the second Test.
"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 also sees a change.
Van den Berg is rewarded for the "fantastic impact" he made off the bench in earlier games, and his starting role reflects Erasmus’s desire to keep the momentum going. New Zealand, meanwhile, will field a side that has been forced to adapt to a spate of injuries.
The headline return is 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. Veteran winger Ruben Love is omitted from the 23‑man squad entirely.
The All Blacks have also lost captain and No 8 Ardie Savea (shoulder injury), flanker Luke Jacobson (elbow), centre Quinn Tupaea (knee) and lock Fabian Holland (illness). In response, hooker Codie Taylor steps in as captain, while prop Fletcher Newell, lock Patrick Tuipulotu, back‑rower Ethan Blackadder and centre Anton Lienert‑Brown earn their first starts of the series.
Former stars Beauden Barrett and Rieko Ioane return to the bench, providing depth. Head coach Dave Rennie acknowledged the inevitable changes, stating, "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 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 are broadcast live on Sky Sports, with UK and Ireland kick‑off times listed on the network’s schedule.
The final Test in Baltimore promises a high‑stakes encounter, as both coaches look to fine‑tune their line‑ups and extract every ounce of performance from their squads. For South Africa, the challenge is to maintain the attacking flair they displayed in the third Test while keeping the relentless forward pressure that has been their hallmark. For New Zealand, it is a test of resilience after a series of injuries and an opportunity to restore pride by leveling the series on foreign soil.
The outcome will shape the narrative of this historic trans‑Atlantic showdown and set the tone for the next chapter of Southern Hemisphere rugby.