Overview
- South Africa beat New Zealand 43-28 to take the four-Test series 3-1 in Baltimore, a result confirmed on Saturday that returned the Springboks to the top of the world rankings.
- The match swung in the second half when South Africa scored two quick tries after halftime, using dominant scrums, lineout drives and maul work to win field position and penalties.
- A lengthy first-half stoppage caused by a communications breakdown among match officials and repeated scrum penalties in earlier Tests have left New Zealand and World Rugby facing fresh questions about how referees identify and police specific scrum infringements.
- Injuries and selection disruption hurt the All Blacks’ continuity, with Ardie Savea ruled out and Richie Mo’unga recalled at flyhalf, limiting New Zealand’s ability to match South Africa’s forward power in a compressed tour schedule.
- The Baltimore decider drew about 68,000 fans, proving a strong commercial test for staging marquee Tests in the United States and leaving both unions to weigh the financial gains against player workload as they head into World Cup preparations.