Eben Etzebeth has declared the four-match Greatest Rivalry series against the All Blacks a sterner test than World Cup knockout rugby, as the Springboks prepare to seal the historic trophy in Baltimore on Saturday night.
The most-capped Springbok, set to make his 146th Test appearance in the series decider, described facing New Zealand four times in succession as the ultimate challenge in the modern game. "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."
The World Champions trail 2-1 after recovering from a 33-16 defeat at Ellis Park on 22 August, securing back-to-back victories in Cape Town (33-26) and Soweto (29-24) to put themselves within touching distance of claiming the trophy. Etzebeth attributed the turnaround to the coaching staff's honesty and the squad's collective resilience under pressure.
Drawing on past adversity
"The coaching staff must take big credit there – they always keep us honest, and when we don't have a good game they'll tell us," Etzebeth explained. "Also, the players pull together when we don't start well. It happened during the British and Irish Lions series where we went 0-1 down. In both World Cups we lost a pool game, and there was no more room for losing."
The veteran lock emphasised the stakes following the Ellis Park reverse. "We said after the first Test match that we can't lose another game, so the pressure was on," he said. "The players and coaching staff knew what was on the line – it's a special series against the All Blacks, being the first time in 30 years."
Saturday's fixture marks the Springboks' first appearance in the United States since defeating Wales in Washington DC in 2018 at the start of the Rassie Erasmus era. Etzebeth, who has started all four matches in the series after recovering from injury to feature in the August Nations Championship win over Argentina, acknowledged the significance of the Baltimore venue with the 2031 Rugby World Cup set for American soil.
"It's my first time in America, and also with the World Cup in 2031, they're trying to grow the game in the country," Etzebeth said. "This Test match is definitely a good start in doing so, with us facing the All Blacks here in Baltimore."
The All Blacks arrived in the United States having swept all four United Rugby Championship franchises during the South African leg of the tour, but their Test fortunes reversed dramatically after the opening weekend. For Etzebeth and the Springboks, Saturday night presents an opportunity to claim the Greatest Rivalry trophy outright and reinforce their status as the benchmark in world rugby.