The Rugby World Cup remains the pinnacle for the Springboks, but even that global showpiece does not demand four straight Tests against the All Blacks.
That is what makes this Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series such a brutal examination — and, according to veteran Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth, one of the toughest challenges in rugby.
With the Boks leading 2-1, they can make history by clinching the inaugural title with a third straight victory over their arch-rivals in Saturday evening’s Baltimore finale (11.10pm kick-off SA time).
The All Blacks, meanwhile, have one last chance to salvage some pride at M&T Stadium and deny the world champions a series triumph. After starting the Dave Rennie coaching era with a flawless record, they’ve now lost twice in a row.
For Etzebeth, who has experienced the highs and lows of facing the All Blacks throughout his international career, every Test match against them is special.
“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 ahead of the finale.
“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 experienced the intensity of the rivalry in the opening three Tests, with the All Blacks winning the opener at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, before South Africa responded with special victories at DHL Stadium in Cape Town and FNB Stadium in Soweto last weekend.
Now, with the series on the line in Baltimore, Etzebeth and his teammates know there will be little room for error against a desperate All Blacks side.
“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.”
