Eben Etzebeth makes huge All Blacks claim ahead of final Test
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Greatest Rivalry.
Eben Etzebeth has delivered a huge verdict on the challenge of facing the All Blacks ahead of the final Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry in Baltimore.
The Springboks have spent the past three weeks going toe-to-toe with their biggest rivals, with one final meeting to come at M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday.
South Africa head into the finale with a 2-1 advantage after responding to defeat at Ellis Park with back-to-back victories in Cape Town and Soweto.
A third successive win would secure the series for Rassie Erasmus’ side, while an All Blacks victory would leave the four-Test contest tied at 2-2.
Etzebeth has experienced just about everything at the highest level during his decorated Springbok career, including winning back-to-back Rugby World Cups in 2019 and 2023.
But even the World Cup does not require a team to face New Zealand four Tests in succession.
And when asked to compare the challenge with winning rugby’s biggest prize, Etzebeth made a huge admission.
“I think, challenge-wise, this is surely the toughest in rugby: to play New Zealand four times in a row and try to win the series,” Etzebeth said.
“So, my answer to the question is, it’s not as special as a World Cup win, but it is still harder than a World Cup to win because you play against New Zealand, which, over the years, have been the number-one or number-two team in the world for a long time.
“And this is definitely one of the tougher challenges in rugby.”
The Springboks have already been forced to recover from an opening defeat during the series. The All Blacks won the first Test 33-16 at Ellis Park before South Africa responded with a 33-26 victory in Cape Town and a 29-24 win at FNB Stadium.
Etzebeth revealed the Boks knew after the opening defeat that they could not afford another slip-up if they wanted to win the series.
“We said after the first game we can’t lose anymore, and the pressure was on. But we all knew what was on the line.
“It is a special series against them, the first in 30 years, so we want to win it. We had to dig deeper in the last two matches.
“This is very special; we know what the rivalry means to them and to us.
“This Test is the decider whether we win it or it finishes in a draw, so it is massive, and we are excited.”
South Africa now have one final opportunity to turn their 2-1 advantage into a series victory, while New Zealand head to Baltimore knowing victory would ensure the Greatest Rivalry series finishes all square.
