South Africa beats New Zealand 43-28 to win test series 3-1

South Africa secured a 43-28 victory over New Zealand in Baltimore on Saturday, September 12, 2026, to win their test series 3-1. The world champions produced a dominant second-half performance at MT Bank Stadium to claim the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry trophy. The match was tightly contested in the first half, with South Africa holding a narrow 17-14 lead at the break. The Springboks then scored two quick tries through Malcolm Marx and Pieter-Steph du Toit early in the second half to build a commanding lead. New Zealand fought back, reducing the deficit to eight points, before a spectacular individual try from Kurt-Lee Arendse, who gathered a loose ball deep in his own half and sprinted through the defense, effectively sealed the win. Play was delayed for over eight minutes in the first half due to a communications failure between match officials, but the interruption did not alter the outcome. South Africa's dominance at the breakdown, set-piece, and in the aerial battle proved decisive throughout the contest. Springbok captain Siya Kolisi praised coach Rassie Erasmus for his leadership.