Erasmus is pushing back hard on the narrative that the series was settled in South Africa and that Saturday's Baltimore Test is little more than a money-spinning afterthought. His position is straightforward: a four-Test series is a four-Test series, and a 2-2 split means the Boks leave with nothing to show for the campaign. He's also confirmed that if the All Blacks level it up, the trophy gets shared — a detail agreed months in advance — which only reinforces his argument that the stakes are identical to any series decider. Mike Blair's pre-third-Test suggestion that the 'real' series would be settled in Soweto gets a polite but firm rebuttal here.
AnalysisSpringboksRugby365
Rassie: Baltimore is no exhibition — a draw means nobody wins anything
Erasmus dismisses the 'exhibition match' framing of the Baltimore Test, arguing a 2-2 result means the Boks achieve nothing — and that both teams knew the full four-Test stakes from the outset.
- Rassie Erasmus
- Springboks
- New Zealand
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So how deep is the Springbok squad?
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