Springboks show their class to seal Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series win in USA

There was no shortage of attacking intent from either side, with the Boks showing greater enterprise with ball in hand while the All Blacks looked as deadly as ever. The result was an at-times breathless display of end-to-end rugby, with both teams running themselves off their feet to create a spectacle befitting the occasion.

At times during the first half, the Boks looked in total control, but little errors let their opponents off the hook. New Zealand, meanwhile, were living off scraps, but making every bit of possession count as they continued to trade blows and stay in touch on the scoreboard.

But as so often happens, the injection of pace and power from the Bomb Squad in the second half saw the All Blacks start to wilt under the pressure, as the Boks once again relied on their impressive depth and power to get them over the line.

The South Africans' dominance was also reflected in the try column, as they outscored their opponents six tries to four.

In the end, it was a thoroughly deserved 3-1 series victory for Rassie Erasmus' men, as the world champions showed why they are still the benchmark in world rugby.

How it happened

The Springboks started brightly, playing their way out of their own 22 and winning back-to-back penalties to allow Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to open the scoring from the kicking tee.

It didn't take the All Blacks long to hit back, however, as they moved the ball from end to end with their trademark pace and accuracy before creating the space for Codie Taylor to score.

But the Boks had also come to Baltimore to play, and after a series of strong carries from their backs and forwards, there was no stopping Damian de Allende from crashing over. Feinberg-Mngomezulu added the extras as the Boks retook the lead.

Following a lengthy delay in the game due to a breakdown in communication between the refs and the TMO, the Boks won a penalty and kicked for the corner. Behind the rolling maul, Morne van den Berg spotted a gap, dummied and sniped through for the Boks' second try. Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted again as the Boks stretched their lead to 17-7.

Then came an incredible All Blacks attack, lasting more than 30 phases as they kept coming in the face of some superb Bok defence. They stayed patient and, eventually, slick handling in the backline created the opening for Will Jordan to score under the posts, as a breathless first half ended 17-14 to the Boks.

The Boks started the second half strongly, and the breakthrough soon came from an attacking line-out as their rolling maul stayed patient before Malcolm Marx dotted down from the back of another powerful drive.

Moments later, another great break masterminded by Van den Berg and Feinberg-Mngomezulu took them into the All Blacks 22, where a couple of quick recycles saw Pieter-Steph du Toit go over for another try.

But the All Blacks weren't done yet, as a series of penalties brought them right to the Springbok line where Ethan Blackadder crashed over for a much-needed score.

Then came a big moment, as Kurt-Lee Arendse burst through for a fantastic solo score from broken play. The All Blacks felt there had been some foul play in the build-up, but a lengthy TMO check couldn't convince the officials, and the try stood.

That stretched the Boks' lead back to 15 with eight minutes to play, and this time there was no way back for Dave Rennie's men. Instead, it was another green wave that put the final nail in the coffin as Cameron Hanekom crashed over following another relentless assault.

There was time for another consolation try for Beauden Barrett as the New Zealanders once again showed their fighting spirit in the face of defeat, but there was no doubt who the winner was in Baltimore.