Springboks are supreme in dismantling the All Blacks

The Springboks are the champions of the world and Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry against the All Blacks. The 3-1 series score is an emphatic statement of their standing in the world game.

The Springboks beat the All Blacks 43-28 in Baltimore, scoring six tries to four and finishing this historic four-Test series with three successive victories.

The Springboks, with their 15 points win against the second best team, reach a world rankings high.

The Springboks lost the opening Test 33-16 at Ellis Park. They responded by winning 33-26 in Cape Town, 29-24 at the FNB Stadium and then delivered their most complete attacking performance of the series at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium.

This was not simply another Springbok victory founded on the scrum, defensive brutality and the power of the Bomb Squad.

The Boks played.

They attacked with ambition, carried with conviction and punished the All Blacks whenever the match opened up.

Damian de Allende and Morné van den Berg scored South Africa’s first-half tries, with the outstanding Van den Berg rewarded as the official player of the match. The Boks led 17-14 at halftime, but the contest remained brutally balanced

Then came the Springbok surge.

Malcolm Marx scored from the lineout maul and Pieter-Steph du Toit finished another powerful assault four minutes later. In the space of five minutes, the Boks had turned a three-point advantage into a 15-point statement.

The All Blacks responded through Ethan Blackadder, having scored first-half tries through Codie Taylor and Will Jordan. They refused to disappear and, with their speed of attack, continued to threaten.

But Kurt-Lee Arendse ended the argument.

His solo strike from beyond halfway was a finish worthy of the occasion and the series. Cameron Hanekom then powered over in the final minutes before Beauden Barrett scored New Zealand’s fourth try after the outcome had been settled.

The Boks won in Baltimore because they had more ways to win.

They could squeeze New Zealand through the set piece, dominate territory, defend for long periods and then strike from anywhere. Their forwards provided the brutality, but their backs delivered the beauty.

That balance is what makes this Springbok team so formidable.

Siya Kolisi again led a team whose collective strength remains greater than any individual performance. Rassie Erasmus used his replacements to change the energy and direction of the Test.

The All Blacks contributed enormously to an outstanding contest and an unforgettable series. Their attacking rugby repeatedly reminded everyone why this rivalry remains unique.

But the final judgement belongs to South Africa.

From 0-1 down, the Springboks won three in succession and finished with 43 points and six tries in Baltimore.

The world champions did not merely win Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry. They owned it.