All Blacks player ratings vs Springboks: Fourth Test scores revealed
Rugby NewsSunday, 13 September 2026 at 00:02
All Blacks player ratings from a disappointing defeat in the fourth Test of the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour, where they lost 43-28 to the Springboks in Baltimore.
Dave Rennie’s side were outclassed for the third time in the series by the world champions, falling short of levelling the series in the USA. Instead, the All Blacks suffered a 3-1 series defeat against a dominant South Africa team.
The Springboks edged ahead early through a penalty before Codie Taylor’s well-worked try put the All Blacks in front.
Damian de Allende and Morne van den Berg responded with tries as South Africa built a 10-point lead. Just before the break, after nearly 40 phases, Will Jordan finished a patient attack, leaving the Boks 17-14 ahead at half-time.
South Africa took control after half-time, with Malcolm Marx and Pieter-Steph du Toit powering over to extend their lead.
Ethan Blackadder responded with 16 minutes remaining to give the All Blacks hope, but Kurt-Lee Arendse’s brilliant step and try with under 10 minutes left sealed the victory and the series for South Africa.
Cameron Hanekom then added insult to injury with a late finish after some good work at the breakdown, although Beauden Barrett managed the final try of the game to narrow the lead slightly.
Scroll down for All Blacks player ratings vs Springboks
Springboks: 43
- Tries: Damian de Allende (15'), Morne van den Berg (22'), Malcolm Marx (49'), Pieter-Steph du Toit (53'), Kurt-Lee Arendse (72'), Cameron Hanekom (77')
- Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (16', 23') Manie Libbok (73', 78')
- Penalty: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (4')
All Blacks: 28
- Tries: Codie Taylor (8'), Will Jordan (38'), Ethan Blackadder (63'), Beauden Barrett (80')
- Conversions: Damian McKenzie (9', 38', 64', 80')
All Blacks player ratings vs Springboks
15 Damian McKenzie — 6
Involved early with some good work on the wing before Taylor’s try and nailed his four conversions. Carried the ball more than most but spoiled his evening slightly with a poor knock-on on halfway.
Involved in plenty of the playmaking duties, with limited impact compared to what is expected of the impressive fullback.
14 Will Jordan — 7
Quiet for large periods despite a lovely offload in the build-up to the opening try. Had limited opportunities to attack, potentially influenced by Baltimore’s narrow pitch, but found a superb line for his own try and just managed to hold onto the ball to finish it.
13 Anton Lienert-Brown — 5
Struggled under the high ball, including a poor take against Damian De Allende, and failed to collect a kick that came to him out. Did win a turnover but had a difficult outing overall before being forced off through injury shortly before half-time.
12 Jordie Barrett — 7
Defensively solid with 19 tackles and composed whenever he got on the ball, although opportunities to influence the game were limited. Produced a lovely quick pass in the build-up to Jordan’s try and became more involved as the match progressed.
Showed flashes of his excellent playmaking ability without having a major impact overall.
11 Josh Moorby — 5
Struggled to make a telling contribution, with a poor knock-on creating a counter-attacking opportunity and conceding a penalty for playing the ball on the floor. Had some useful carries and made his tackles, but ultimately offered little in attack.
10 Richie Mo’unga — 6
Returning to Test rugby for the first time since the 2023 World Cup final, Mo’unga showed some promising touches but was largely unspectacular.
Not helped by a lack of possession at times, it seemed like the All Blacks were favouring Jordie Barrett and McKenzie for their playmaking. Took a huge hit from Eben Etzebeth.
Produced a good kick for Barrett and recovered well after being beaten by Kurt-Lee Arendse, although he recovered to make a decent tackle.
9 Cam Roigard — 7
Lively from the outset, producing a brilliant pass for Taylor’s opening try and repeatedly exploiting loose balls with his pace and anticipation. Came close to forcing a yellow with another dangerous break but was previously caught offside.
Remained a constant threat before being withdrawn after 67 minutes.
1 Ethan de Groot — 5
The scrum was inconsistent, though Codie Taylor was penalised more often. Gave away a scrum penalty shortly after half-time against a new front row before being replaced. Made a few strong carries into traffic whilst on the pitch.
2 Codie Taylor — 6
Finished brilliantly for the opening try, finding a superb close-range line. His throwing was slightly shaky at times and he conceded a couple of brake-foot infringements at scrum time, but tackled well and carried strongly.
Picked up a nasty head wound which he played on through before coming off after 48 minutes.
3 Fletcher Newell — 6
Offered a few carries early on and earned a penalty against Ox Nche just before half-time. The scrum was not at its best, although he was less culpable than Taylor for the infringements. Replaced after 48 minutes.
4 Patrick Tuipulotu — 6
This game marked Tuipulotu's first start against the Springboks before being replaced after 54 minutes.
A quiet start gave way to a hugely influential spell before half-time, with multiple powerful carries helping the All Blacks build the phases that led to Jordan's try.
He was busy defensively with 10 tackles and produced a brilliant offload just before Jordan’s try.
5 Sam Darry — 7
Worked tirelessly around the park, making 15 tackles and putting in a strong defensive shift. Was decent in the air from lineouts but was stepped by Morne van den Berg for the Springboks’ try. Replaced after 57 minutes.
6 Tupou Vaa’i — 6
A mixed outing, with a needless early high-tackle penalty gifting the Springboks their opening points.
He showed good awareness to win a turnover near his own line but missed a tackle in the build-up to Du Toit’s try. Shifted into the second row with just over 20 minutes remaining.
Was stepped far too easily by Kurt-Lee Arendse for his try, and was almost made to look like he wasn't trying.
7 Ethan Blackadder — 8
Blackadder set the tone with a huge defensive effort, including a game-leading 26 tackles.
Produced a powerful carry and excellent offload to Jordan, while his work rate was evident over the course of the game.
Was overpowered for Du Toit’s try but responded with a brilliant close-range finish of his own, capping an outstanding performance with his first Test try.
8 Peter Lakai — 7
Lakai made an impact after switching from six to eight, showing plenty of energy with carries and some lovely touches.
Returned from an early HIA and looked dangerous, including a superb line that went unrewarded. His side entry at a maul also handed the Boks penalty advantage that they scored from.
Replacements
16 Asafo Aumua — 6
17 Xavier Numia — 6
18 Tyrel Lomax — 5
19 Josh Lord — 6
20 Wallace Sititi — 7
21 Kyle Preston — 6
22 Rieko Ioane — 6
23 Beauden Barrett — 7
Played less than 10 minutes, although he did manage a try late on.
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