Wiese reveals icy atmosphere on shared Springboks-All Blacks flight to Baltimore decider

Jasper Wiese has described a tense, largely silent journey on the charter flight shared by the Springboks and All Blacks as both squads travelled to Baltimore for Saturday’s series-deciding fourth Test at M&T Bank Stadium.

The No.8 was candid on arrival in Maryland after a trip that began in Johannesburg, included a two-hour stopover in Spain, and ended with a 10-hour transatlantic leg. “I’m not going to sugar-coat it — there wasn’t a lot of conversation,” Wiese said. “Maybe I was sitting at the back of the plane, so I wasn’t talking to many of them. But you can imagine how they were feeling on that flight after the loss. It would have been vice versa if we were in their position.”

Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus offered a slightly warmer reading of the shared cabin, noting that Beauden Barrett and Siya Kolisi were spotted sharing a drink and taking photos together, and that Codie Taylor was seated nearby. Wiese’s account, however, painted a more accurate picture of the competitive undercurrent running through the aircraft.

South Africa currently lead the four-Test series 3-0, meaning New Zealand must win in Baltimore to avoid a 3-1 defeat. Wiese expects that pressure to translate directly into the intensity of Saturday’s contest.

“You know how desperate they’re going to be in this last game,” he said. “That’s something we know is coming. I don’t think it was too friendly on the flight, but we know how much it means to them as well. It’s not just us who are in the competition — they are too, and I think they’re going to come out guns blazing this weekend.”

The All Blacks claimed the opening Test of the series, making a New Zealand victory in Baltimore the only result that prevents the Springboks from completing a dominant 3-1 series win in what has been billed as Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.