South Africa hammered New Zealand 43-28 in Baltimore, clinching a dominant 3-1 series win that absolutely smashed the All Blacks’ hopes of shaking up the rugby world order. This wasn’t just a win, it was a statement game for the Springboks, proving their consistency, power, and cohesion were just too much for a spirited New Zealand squad on Saturday.
The Springboks’ Brute Force Was Just Too Much
After dropping the series opener in Johannesburg, which let the All Blacks jump to the top of the world rankings and briefly look like they’d turn rugby upside down, South Africa clawed their way back, exactly like their director of rugby Rassie Erasmus predicted. Even with New Zealand playing with skill and heart, the Springboks’ sheer go-forward power up front and their incredible bench depth kept the All Blacks constantly on their heels. We saw it when Damian de Allende burrowed over for a try from short range, and then scrum-half Morne van den Berg flashed a dummy before darting past Sam Darry for a similar score. Those early tries blasted South Africa to a 17-7 lead, and with Eben Etzebeth crunching Richie Mo’unga and Jasper Wiese stampeding all over the place, you just knew the Boks were in control. Even Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s missed long-range penalty and drop-goal couldn’t stop their momentum.
New Zealand’s Early Spark Faded Fast
New Zealand actually started off hot in Maryland. Just eight minutes in, their breathtakingly quick tiki-taka catch-pass game, with the backline holding their depth, totally outflanked South Africa’s blitz defense to set up the first try for hooker Codie Taylor. It looked like they might pull off the win they needed to square the series. And they didn’t quit, either. Before halftime, Will Jordan, their nation’s all-time leading try-scorer, streaked off his wing for a try after an insane 32 phases of play, cutting the deficit to just four points at the break. You could feel the tension, knowing a specially designed, magnetic series trophy was on the line, one that could actually be shared between the teams. But the Springboks made sure that innovative trophy went unused.
A Record Crowd Saw the Series Sealing Blow
The final match played out in front of a near-capacity crowd of 68,173 at the M&T Bank Stadium, making it the largest-ever crowd to watch a rugby match in the USA. What a spectacle! And what they saw was South Africa slamming the door shut after the interval. Malcolm Marx trundled over from the back of a rolling maul, and just three minutes later, Pieter-Steph du Toit barged over after a sharp blindside break. That was it. This series was a compelling watch, stress-testing both sides’ aspirations of lifting the Rugby World Cup next year, especially since these two nations have won the past five editions of the tournament. The Springboks showed everyone they are absolutely dialed in for what’s ahead.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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