Did 43–28 Tell the Whole Story? Springboks vs All Blacks 4th Test

How did the Springboks create their chances against the All Blacks in Baltimore? I break down South Africa’s 43–28 win in the fourth Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, from the kicks and counterattacks to the scrums and lineouts. I went back through the match, play by play, to look at the kicking, scrums, lineouts and how both teams entered the opposition 22. This is the deeper analysis I promised after my immediate reaction, with charts built from my own match notes. Some of it changed my first impression. Penalty kicks helped New Zealand reach South Africa’s 22 in three of their four try-scoring passages. The 32 phases tell us how hard they had to work once they got there. We look at how the Springboks and All Blacks used their halfbacks and first fives to kick, why South Africa kept kicking in New Zealand’s half, and what happened after the ball was caught. Damian Willemse and Kurt-Lee Arendse’s counterattacks deserve a proper look, alongside the scrum pressure and lineout moves that helped South Africa pull away. At 29–21, New Zealand still had chances. I go through those opportunities, the late tries from Arendse and Cameron Hanekom, and what the All Blacks can take from a series the Springboks won 3–1. What would you fix first for the All Blacks: the scrum, the kicking game or the support around the ball? Let me know below. Subscribe to Rugby From The Stands for more rugby analysis. Next up: kicking and scrums across all four Tests. CHAPTERS 00:00 Four All Blacks tries, a 15-point defeat 00:43 What the match stats show 01:31 How both teams reached the opposition 22 02:31 Why New Zealand needed 32 phases 03:44 How the halfbacks and first fives used their kicks 05:09 Why South Africa kicked in New Zealand’s half 06:49 Catching the kick was only the start 07:59 Willemse and Arendse on the counterattack 09:30 What changed after half-time? 10:32 Scrum penalties, resets and the brake-foot calls 12:23 How South Africa built the maul try 14:59 Sacha’s break under scrum advantage 16:06 New Zealand defend a 17-phase attack 17:33 The lineout move behind Blackadder’s try 18:38 At 29–21, the All Blacks still had chances 19:57 Arendse punishes the loose ball 20:56 How Libbok and Hanekom helped finish the game 23:13 What the All Blacks need to fix #Springboks #AllBlacks #RugbyAnalysis