Overview
- The fourth and final Test is at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Saturday, September 12, 2026, with world champions South Africa holding a 2-1 lead and able to clinch the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series with a win or an announced draw condition.
- New Zealand have named a heavily changed side that recalls flyhalf Richie Mo’unga and reinstates hooker Codie Taylor as captain after the loss of leader Ardie Savea to a dislocated shoulder.
- South Africa have made minimal changes to the team that won in Soweto, but Cheslin Kolbe is ruled out with a fractured jaw and Damian Willemse starts at fullback.
- Organisers expect a near sell-out crowd of about 70,000–71,000 and average ticket prices near $200, a commercial boost that World Rugby and the unions say could yield materially higher receipts than holding the match in South Africa.
- The four-Test tour has tested player depth, increased injury risk, and fuelled debate over set-piece officiating, and the Baltimore fixture is being used to judge whether moving marquee Tests to the U.S. can grow the fan base ahead of the 2031 Rugby World Cup.