Final words: Rugby world will feel it as Springboks and All Blacks bump heads in Baltimore

The Springboks and All Blacks shoot down all talk of a dead rubber in the fourth Test of the Greatest Rivalry series in Baltimore.

Both Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus and All Blacks counterpart Dave Rennie have been consistent in the message that this is a four-Test series, and the clash in Baltimore counts as much as the three in South Africa.

That hasn’t been the case from ex-players and media (this publication included), as the three Tests in South Africa felt like a series within a series.

The Boks took that segment 2-1 after winning at DHL Stadium in Cape Town and FNB Stadium in Soweto, with the All Blacks winning the opening clash at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.

The series can still be drawn if the All Blacks win in Baltimore, and whatever disappointment the tourists felt at falling short in South Africa will be replaced by another opportunity to topple the world champions.

Simplifying the equation, the Baltimore clash is a Test between the Springboks and the All Blacks, and whatever happened before doesn’t matter. All that counts is the 80 minutes to come.

In 2017, the All Blacks thrashed the Boks 57-0 in Albany, New Zealand. Two weeks later the All Blacks hung on for a 25-24 victory at Newlands.

Last year New Zealand defended their impressive Eden Park record where they haven’t lost since 1994, beating South Africa 24-17. A week later in Wellington, the Boks scored a record 43-10 win over the All Blacks.

Every game is a new chapter with a fresh narrative and form is no predictor of the result.

That’s what has made this rivalry the greatest in rugby over 105 years and 113 previous clashes.

When the Springboks and All Blacks bump heads, the entire rugby world feels it.

The Boks are also pursuing a third straight win against the All Blacks for the first time since 2009. The All Blacks haven’t lost three consecutive Tests since 2022, when they lost twice to Ireland and then to the Springboks.

“I know a lot of people said that this is the series here in South Africa, but it is not – we’ve played three games here, and we’re one up, but the final game is still to come,” Erasmus said after last week’s 29-24 win in Soweto.

“We can’t lose it anymore because there’s no points difference or tries scored as in a tiebreaker. But the trophy was actually designed in two halves to be shared if it’s a draw.”