After a rough outing in Soweto — missed tackles in the lead-up to the Boks' first try and a particularly ugly whiff on Jesse Kriel that gifted a second-half try — Leroy Carter heads into the Baltimore decider under scrutiny. Dave Rennie's public response was deliberately low-key: sympathy over criticism, pointing out that a winger's defensive errors are brutally exposed in a way a loose forward's aren't. Whether Carter survives the selection axe is another matter — Rennie had already flagged rotational changes for the fourth Test regardless of the Soweto result, and the absences of Savea, Jacobson and Tupaea complicate his planning further. The Boks lead 2-1, so the All Blacks need a win in Baltimore to level the series.
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Rennie backs bruised Carter ahead of Baltimore decider
After Carter's defensive horror show in Soweto contributed directly to Bok tries, Rennie is opting for empathy over pressure — but rotation plans and three key injuries mean his place in the Baltimore XV is far from guaranteed with the series on the line.
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