South Africa have beaten New Zealand 43-28 in the fourth and final test of the 'Greatest Rivalry' series, sealing the series 3-1 in front of nearly 70,000 fans at the Baltimore Ravens' stadium — a striking venue for a fixture usually played in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Auckland.

The game itself was tighter than the scoreline suggests. Three points separated the sides at half-time, with the All Blacks leading moments after Codie Taylor's early try and Will Jordan finishing a 32-phase battering of the Springbok defence just before the break at 17-14. But the world champions landed a double blow early in the second half: a lineout drive put Malcolm Marx over in the 49th minute, and Pieter-Steph du Toit finished a sweeping move four minutes later to open a 15-point gap. Kurt-Lee Arendse then killed the contest with a try covering more than 50 metres, and Cameron Hanekom added another late. Beauden Barrett's last-minute score was consolation only.

Scrumhalf Morne van den Berg was named Player of the Match for a performance built on tempo and sharp decision-making, while Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu kicked confidently and kept the scoreboard moving. Captain Siya Kolisi credited coach Rassie Erasmus and dedicated the win to injured squadmates and South African fans back home.

New Zealand's tour unravelled physically as much as tactically. Captain Ardie Savea and several senior forwards were injured across the four tests, forcing constant reshuffles, and Richie Mo'unga — recalled at flyhalf for his first test since the 2023 World Cup final, which South Africa won by a single point — couldn't swing the momentum. The Springboks, by contrast, finished the series largely unscathed, a gap in depth that showed in the final twenty minutes.

For travellers, this match is part of a broader trend: rugby's biggest rivalry has become a genuinely international road trip. The sight of a near-full NFL stadium in Baltimore singing along to a Springbok Test shows how far the sport's US ambitions have come, with the 2031 Rugby World Cup on the horizon. If a travelling series like this returns to an American city, it's one of the easier ways for fans in the Americas to see the world champions live — big stadium atmosphere, a full day of fan zones and a city break thrown in.

The bigger picture: South Africa, world champions, now hold a 3-1 series win over their oldest rival with a year to run before the next World Cup, and on this evidence they won't give up the title easily. New Zealand leave with experience banked and a battered squad, which may matter more when the two meet again with a trophy on the line.

Full match report via Japan Today.