With the Boks heading into Saturday's Baltimore decider holding a 2-1 series lead, Etzebeth has made a striking claim — that four consecutive Tests against New Zealand is the toughest challenge in the game, surpassing even a World Cup. His reasoning is straightforward: the World Cup doesn't ask you to absorb All Blacks physicality four weekends running. He draws on the 2021 Lions series and the 2019 and 2023 World Cup campaigns as the psychological anchors keeping the squad grounded under that accumulated pressure. A Bok win delivers a historic 3-1 series result; a loss hands both teams a share of the trophy. Etzebeth will also set a new personal milestone, reaching 146 Test caps.
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Etzebeth: Four straight Tests against the All Blacks hits harder than a World Cup
Etzebeth argues that facing the All Blacks four times in a row eclipses a World Cup in terms of sheer demand — and with Baltimore's decider on the line, he's leaning on Lions and World Cup experience to close it out.
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