After a sluggish start to the series, the Springboks finally began to find their rhythm in the second and third Tests against the All Blacks, and head coach Rassie Erasmus is now urging his side to push even harder for the decisive match on American soil. South Africa entered the final encounter trailing 1-0, but they have already demonstrated a marked improvement, scoring one try in the opening Test, three in the second, and an impressive four in the third, where their attacking play looked most fluid.
Erasmus believes the team can translate that momentum into a series‑winning performance on Saturday at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Ravens, while New Zealand will be looking to level the series and claim a historic first traditional series win over the Springboks in three decades. The Springboks’ resurgence has been built on a classic blend of forward dominance and back‑line flair. Their set‑piece superiority was evident when a penalty try was awarded after a crushing scrum, and a well‑executed line‑out maul drove the All Blacks back into their own in‑goal area.
Those platform moments were complemented by two beautifully timed back‑line tries that highlighted the growing confidence of players such as Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel. Erasmus noted after the team announcement on Monday that the likes of de Allende, Kriel and hooker Ethan Hooker were all showing noticeable improvement, signalling that the squad is still on an upward trajectory. Erasmus admitted that the Springboks may have been overly cautious in the first Test, focusing too much on containment rather than exploiting the periods when they held possession at Ellis Park. "At the end of the day you just need to outscore your opposition," he said.
"If it means they score four tries and you kick five drop‑goals like Jannie de Beer did in 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." This pragmatic approach underscores Erasmus’s willingness to let the team take calculated risks, especially when they have the ball in the attacking half. For the fourth Test, Erasmus has made two key alterations to the starting XV that secured a 29‑24 victory over New Zealand last Saturday. Damian Willemse is back at full‑back, replacing the injured superstar Cheslin Kolbe, while scrum‑half Morné van den Berg earns his first start of the series, taking the bench spot from Cobus Reinach.
The forward pack remains unchanged, reflecting Erasmus’s confidence in the cohesion and power of his front‑row and back‑row players. The coach’s willingness to shuffle the lineup has been evident throughout the series. Ahead of the second Test, a last‑minute front‑row reshuffle saw Gerhard Steenekamp, Deon Fourie and Thomas du Toit replace Ox Nché, Malcolm Marx and Wilco Louw just an hour before kickoff. Erasmus explained that such decisions are driven by the need to keep the squad fresh and responsive to the evolving demands of each match.
Injury concerns have also shaped the selection. Kolbe suffered a broken jaw while making a tackle, and Willemse himself dealt with a hamstring strain in the second Test, making his return a welcome boost. "It's good to have Willemse back," Erasmus said.
"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." Van den Berg’s promotion to the starting scrum‑half role rewards the impact he made off the bench, and Erasmus believes his energy will add a new dimension to South Africa’s attacking options. New Zealand, for their part, will field a markedly altered side. Fly‑half Richie Mo'unga makes his first Test appearance since the 2023 Rugby World Cup final after a stint in Japanese club rugby, while centre Ruben Love is omitted from the match‑day 23. The All Blacks have also been forced to replace several key players due to injuries sustained in the series: captain and No 8 Ardie Savea (shoulder), flanker Luke Jacobson (elbow) and centre Quinn Tupaea (knee) are all ruled out, and lock Fabian Holland is unavailable because of illness.
Coach Dave Rennie has responded by naming Codie Taylor as captain, with prop Fletcher Newell, lock Patrick Tuipulotu, back‑rower Ethan Blackadder and centre Anton Lienert‑Brown each earning their first start of the series. Veterans Beauden Barrett and Rieko Ioane remain on the bench, ready to inject experience if needed. "We always planned for there to be a number of changes for this match," Rennie said. "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 illustrate the contrasting strategies of the two coaches. South Africa will field: 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, with replacements Deon Fourie, Gerhard Steenekamp, Thomas du Toit, Lood de Jager, André Esterhuizen, Cameron Hanekom, Cobus Reinach and Manie Libbok.
New Zealand will line up: 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, with replacements Asafo Aumua, Xavier Numia, Tyrel Lomax, Josh Lord, Wallace Sititi, Kyle Preston, Rieko Ioane and Beauden Barrett. All matches are broadcast live on Sky Sports, with kick‑off times listed for the UK and Ireland. The final showdown in Baltimore promises a thrilling climax to a series that has already delivered a blend of tactical battles, individual brilliance and a clear indication that both teams are willing to adapt, take risks and fight for supremacy on the global stage.