A North American rugby record 68,173 watched South Africa produce a blistering performance of power and precision to beat New Zealand 43-28 Saturday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
With the win, South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks made it 3-1 across four games in the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.
It was a compelling sample of high-quality test rugby for neutral Stateside fans, who watched two elite outfits slug it out in an encounter that might have other rivals, such as England and France, wondering if the goal of wresting the World Cup from South Africa is a pipe dream.
If New Zealand can only win one test against the Springboks, the bar will be sky-high for others aiming to prevent South Africa from winning a third consecutive Rugby World Cup next year in Australia.
There was plenty of pregame drama to grab the attention of newcomers to the sport, with roaring Zulu warriors preceding the South Africa team’s arrival on the field and rousing renditions of both countries’ national anthems.
Then there was the ever-reliable box office of the All Blacks’ haka, the Māori dance performed before every international game, with captain Codie Taylor brandishing a māripi, a traditional Māori cutting tool, as he led the fearsome challenge to their opponents.
More than 68,000 fans showed up in Baltimore for South Africa vs. New Zealand. (Caean Couto / Getty Images)
World Rugby, the governing body of rugby union, wants to grow the sport in the United States. The 2031 men’s World Cup and 2033 women’s tournament are both set to take place in the U.S., and there is talk of North America also hosting a future Six Nations game.
The action came thick and fast Saturday. The Springboks, who led the series 2-1 after claiming tests in Cape Town and Johannesburg following New Zealand’s opening win at Ellis Park, put the first points on the board.
That lead came via a penalty from fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who slotted after getting tackled high after three minutes.
But the All Blacks replied with waves of attacking that eventually saw Taylor run an intelligent angle that allowed him to burst over the line for the game’s first try, smartly converted by Damian McKenzie.
Whatever uplift they took from breaching one of world rugby’s most formidable blitz defences did not last long. The Springboks’ ensuing power play, with almost every ball carrier gaining meters upfield, saw them rumble over at the other end. Centre Damian de Allende got the ball down, but it was a try dug out by his pugnacious forwards.
An 8-minute delay followed after the match officials’ communications system went down, but South Africa picked up where it left off once play resumed. Another fearsome maul saw impressive scrum-half Morne van den Berg dash over the line with his side holding a penalty advantage for an All Blacks line-out misdemeanor. Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted again to give South Africa a 10-point lead.
Casual fans might have thought the Springboks’ scoreboard dominance meant the All Blacks were playing poorly. They were not. Coach Dave Rennie’s men were excellent with ball in hand, and worked all manner of openings, but South Africa’s gold-standard defense stifled most of New Zealand’s best efforts.
Not all of them, though. As the game’s pulsating intensity grew, the All Blacks clawed back, with Will Jordan topping off a wonderful move to cut South Africa’s lead to 17-14 at halftime.
Erasmus flexed his squad’s depth with a clutch of replacements soon after halftime, and the Springboks quickly rebuilt a commanding lead with two quick-fire tries. First, Malcolm Marx finished a typical forward power play, and then Pieter-Steph du Toit went over.
New Zealand never found a way back. Tupou Vaa’i conceded a soft penalty that deflated his side’s pressure, and then Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cameron Hanekom scored tries that finished off a hard-fought victory.
Whenever the determined All Blacks upped their level, Erasmus’ side responded in kind.
But veteran replacement Beauden Barrett grabbed a consolation try for New Zealand just before the final hooter.
Addressing the South African supporters postgame, Springboks captain Siya Kolisi told Sky Sports: “It was a special week to see you guys come out and support us in numbers. We are so grateful.
“To the New Zealand supporters, too — thank you for coming to our beautiful country and embracing our culture,” Kolisi added, referring to the first three matches of the series played in South Africa. “Yes, we go hard at each other on the field, but the respect we have for each other is high.
“We’ve got Rassie. When he speaks to us, he reminds us of where we come from, the country we come from. We do it for the players who are injured or not playing or who couldn’t make the tour. We do it for the people of South Africa as well.”