The All Blacks land in the United States this week with a series to save, a squad thinned by injury and nobody yet confirmed to lead them onto the field.
South Africa lead Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry two tests to one after back to back wins in Cape Town and Soweto, and the four match series is settled on Saturday 12 September at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Kick off is 5pm local time, which is 9am on Sunday 13 September in New Zealand. The ground is the home of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, holds a little over 70,000 people and has never staged a match between these two sides. Organisers say it is the first time the rivalry has been played anywhere in the United States.
New Zealand started the tour well. They won the opening test 33-16 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on 22 August, then lost 33-26 at DHL Stadium in Cape Town a week later. The third test at FNB Stadium in Soweto on 5 September was the closest of the three and still went the way of the home side, 29-24.
That match was level at 12-12 at halftime. Ardie Savea scored twice in the first half, Will Jordan crossed just before the hour and Samisoni Taukei’aho went over in the final minute. For South Africa, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel and Malcolm Marx scored tries and the referee awarded a penalty try, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu adding two conversions and a penalty. The Springbok scrum and driving lineout took control of the middle of the second half and the All Blacks spent the closing quarter chasing the game.
The cost of that hour has now been counted. New Zealand Rugby confirmed that Savea dislocated a shoulder, centre Quinn Tupaea injured the medial collateral ligament in his knee and loose forward Luke Jacobson damaged a tendon in his elbow that needs further investigation. All three have flown home and return to play timeframes have not been set.
Six more players left the tour party at the same time. Josh Jacomb, Siale Lauaki, Saula Ma’u, Bradley Slater and Ofa Tu’ungafasi were released, along with halfback Cortez Ratima, who picked up a knee injury without playing a test on tour. That leaves a squad of 36 travelling to Baltimore, twenty forwards and sixteen backs.
The most immediate problem is the armband. Savea was named captain for 2026 in coach Dave Rennie’s first squad of the year. Jacobson, his deputy, took over the leadership in Soweto after Savea was hurt and is now out as well. Both are on their way back to New Zealand. Patrick Tuipulotu and Codie Taylor have each captained the side in midweek tour fixtures, and Jordie Barrett has been floated as another option, but no announcement has been made.
Rennie has been open about the fact the starting side will look different, and has framed the changes as planned rather than forced. “We sort of always thought we would make changes in the fourth test regardless of whether we won that third one or not,” he told Reuters. “We want to make sure we are bringing in guys with plenty of energy and to share the load.”
He was blunt about the mood in the camp and about what is still available to his team. “We have definitely got one more in us,” he said. “There is massive emotional disappointment, but there’s a lot to play for in our minds. We can win this weekend and tie the series two-all and will go home knowing we’re in a better spot than when we arrived.”
Among the players who could come into the matchday 23 are prop Pasilio Tosi, loose forward Ethan Blackadder, midfielders Rieko Ioane and Timoci Tavatavanawai and wings Fehi Fineanganofo and Emoni Narawa. The name drawing most attention is Richie Mo’unga, who has not played a test since the 2023 World Cup and is back in the frame at first five ahead of the 2027 tournament. Asafo Aumua is expected to keep the hooking job after replacing Taylor in Soweto.
South Africa are travelling with almost the same team. Coach Rassie Erasmus made two changes for the finale. Damian Willemse returns at fullback in place of Cheslin Kolbe, who broke his jaw, and Morné van den Berg gets his first start of the series at halfback with Cobus Reinach moving to the bench. The forward pack is unchanged.
“We feel that the team is well settled and all the players delivered in their respective roles in the last two matches, so we believe selecting the same matchday squad, and naming Damian back in his regular position, makes sense,” Erasmus said in a statement.
There is a trophy at stake and it has an unusual design. It was made in two halves that hold together by magnetism, and the winner of the tour takes both pieces home after Baltimore. If the series finishes level at two wins each, the two unions keep a half apiece. New Zealand Rugby and South African Rugby built the concept to bring back the old style touring series, and the Rugby Championship, normally contested with Australia and Argentina as well, is not being played at all this year as a result.
So the All Blacks are not playing for a title on Sunday morning. They are playing to avoid handing the whole thing over, in a stadium built for a different code, in front of a crowd that has mostly never seen either team live.
Will the All Blacks square the series in Baltimore, and who should lead them out. Leave a comment below and tell us what you think.
This article was written by AI, briefed to report the facts, hopefully without some of the bias people bring to the job 🙂
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