For its last act in the dramatic “ Greatest Rivalry ” rugby series between the Springboks and All Blacks, the location changes but the motivations of the antagonists remain the same.
Do the same but better. After three brutal matches in South Africa the scene changes to Baltimore, Maryland where the various threads of the series which has captivated fans around the rugby world will be gathered together in the final test on Saturday.
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South Africa's head coach Rassie Erasmus, right, shares a light moment with New Zealand's head coach Dave Rennie ahead of a third international test rugby match between South Africa and New Zealand, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
A fan holds a placard with South Africa's head coach Rassie Erasmus, ahead of a third international test rugby match between South Africa and New Zealand, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
New Zealand's players waves to supporters following following a third international test rugby match between South Africa and New Zealand, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
New Zealand's players perform the Haka ahead of a third international test rugby match between South Africa and New Zealand, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa's Jesse Kriel celebrates after scoring a try during a third international test rugby match between South Africa and New Zealand, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa's Springboks lead the series 2-1 and can win it with at least a draw. The All Blacks can level it with a win.
The drama will have a new audience and one, leavened by dispassionate locals, that may be less parochial and intimidating for New Zealand than those at the colosseums of South Africa which saw the All Blacks win the first test and South Africa the second and third.
A change may be as good as a rest for both teams who have pledged that some of the pugnacity of the first three tests might be replaced Saturday by more elegant rugby in the fall sunshine of Baltimore.
Among the more compelling plot twists, New Zealand has a new captain after injured Ardie Savea was forced to return home after the third test a week ago. And flyhalf Richie Mo'ounga returns for his first test since the 2023 World Cup final, displacing Ruben Love in a bold move in a must-win test.
Hooker Codie Taylor will captain the All Blacks in his 112th test match and in a completely overhauled front row. Ethan de Groot returns at looshead prop, hooker Asafo Aumua drops to the bench, making way for Taylor, and Fletcher Newell takes over from Tyrel Lomax, who moves back to the reserves bench.
De Groot has not played since he sustained a concussion in the first test.
New Zealand is significantly reduced in strength by injuries to Savea, fellow backrower Luke Jacobson and hard-working midfielder Quinn Tupaea.
Head coach Dave Rennie selected Patrick Tuipulotu to partner Sam Darry in the second row while Tupou Vaa'i moves from lock to the side of the scrum, joining Peter Lakai and Ethan Blackadder in a new-look backrow.
Josh Moorby will start on the left wing and Anton Lienert-Brown at outside center. Beauden Barrett is named on the reserves bench for his 145th test.
Midfielder Jordie Barrett expressed the whirlwind nature of the last few days for the All Blacks, who found themselves in Baltimore while the wounds of the third test loss were still fresh.
“We poured a whole lot of mental and physical energy into the (third) test in Soweto, come off second best and four hours later we're sitting across an aisle on a chartered flight with the Boks straight to Baltimore,” he said in a radio interview.
Scotland-born attack coach Mike Blair said the All Blacks had discerned from the third test key areas in which they must improve to beat South Africa: The holy grail, what they call LQB ... lightning quick ball.
“The key message from an attacking point of view is that we're creating a helluva lot and we're scoring tries but we're missing a lot of opportunities as well, so the message has been really positive in what we're creating,” he said. “We're also discussing how we can maintain pressure through our multi-phase and when we get those opportunities, being able to pull the trigger on them.
“Twelve line-breaks is a great stat for us. Four tries against South Africa isn't a bad stat; 13 tries in three games. We are scoring tries, we are creating line breaks. We want to convert another couple of them but we're aware you can't convert every one. Our ability to turn pressure into points is important as well.”
South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus had a lighter selection approach.
Damian Willemse returned to fullback for the injured Cheslin Kolbe, and scrumhalf Morné van den Berg will make his first start in the series, dropping Cobus Reinach to the reserves.
Of most importance, the forward pack which has given South Africa an edge over the All Blacks in the last two tests is unchanged.
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See AP’s full rugby coverage here
South Africa's head coach Rassie Erasmus, right, shares a light moment with New Zealand's head coach Dave Rennie ahead of a third international test rugby match between South Africa and New Zealand, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
A fan holds a placard with South Africa's head coach Rassie Erasmus, ahead of a third international test rugby match between South Africa and New Zealand, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
New Zealand's players waves to supporters following following a third international test rugby match between South Africa and New Zealand, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
New Zealand's players perform the Haka ahead of a third international test rugby match between South Africa and New Zealand, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa's Jesse Kriel celebrates after scoring a try during a third international test rugby match between South Africa and New Zealand, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
The longest road trip in NFL history has brought the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams to Melbourne, Australia, for a season opener before more than 100,000 fans packed into the Southern Hemisphere’s largest stadium.
The NFC West rivals are playing at Melbourne Cricket Ground, a longtime home to Australian rules football, only with two starkly different approaches to the epic 16-hour journey.
The Niners have spent the past week in Australia. The Rams joined them just 28 hours before kickoff.
Stick around for live coverage as we count down to their debut Down Under.
Here's the latest:
NFL MVP Matthew Stafford and the Rams’ offense return to action at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with essentially every significant contributor returning from last season’s top-ranked unit.
The Rams led the NFL last season in yards per game (394.6), yards passing (268.1) and points (30.5) with a dynamic attack orchestrated by the 38-year-old Stafford, who finally won his first MVP award.
With such success last year, the Rams ran it back: Every player who caught a pass for Los Angeles last year is on the roster again — even Tutu Atwell, who left as a free agent before returning in a preseason trade.
Every player who attempted a rush has also returned except for backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who has been replaced by Stetson Bennett and rookie Ty Simpson.
The entire starting offensive line returns intact. Coach Sean McVay also has five tight ends on his roster to run the three-tight-end sets he unveiled last season, including rookie second-rounder Max Klare.
Roger Goodell said on Netflix’s broadcast that he’s “never met a culture that loves sports more than this.”
“I think we always had a high expectation that this would be successful,” Goodell said. “This exceeded it in every way. Think about this: We’re on Friday at 10:30 in the morning and 100,000 people are going to be in a stadium watching an NFL game. That speaks volumes about the passion of these fans.”
Goodell said the league is probably still several years away from expanding with a permanent international team.
“Our ambition here is to make it a global sport,” Goodell said. “The NFL deserves to be and it’s a great game. We all believe in it passionately. I think our work here is to get to (18) regular-season games, then we’ll be looking for the next stage to grow.”
Goodell ended the interview by wearing a kangaroo-head jacket with an NFL logo.
San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors last month after being arrested in Ohio following a prostitution sting. He was credited with time served and paid a fine, but the NFL is deciding whether he should be punished under the personal conduct policy.
“When we get (the investigation) completed we’ll make an announcement at that point in time,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said on the pregame show on Netflix.
San Francisco managed to win 12 regular-season games and one playoff contest last season despite several injuries to key stars.
Former All-Pros Fred Warner, Nick Bosa and George Kittle were all sidelined when the Niners lost in the divisional round last January in Seattle, but all three are expected to be back in the lineup.
Warner took part in all of training camp, while Kittle and Bosa only recently resumed practicing with the team. But all three will be crucial to any success the 49ers have this season.
The one key player missing is receiver Ricky Pearsall, who underwent season-ending knee surgery this summer.
Today’s Rams-49ers game kicks off the NFL’s nine-game international schedule, which includes games in seven different countries and on four continents.
Here’s a look at the rest of the league’s games that will be played outside of the U.S. this season:
Even though the Australian Football League postseason is in full swing this month, the NFL is on center stage in Melbourne this week ahead of the Rams’ historic meeting with the 49ers.
The state of Victoria and the NFL are heavily invested in making this “gridiron” game into a success, and the American version of the sport is highlighted on trams, buses, billboards, murals and entire buildings. The historic Flinders Street Station and City Hall are both alive with moving light displays welcoming the teams.
Fans wearing gear supporting both teams have been everywhere in the Central Business District all week. Thousands of Americans made the trip from California and elsewhere to join the expected sellout crowd of roughly 100,000 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The game is a top story on newscasts and sports pages around the country as well. The 49ers dominate those reports since they’ve been in Australia all week while the Rams waited until midweek to travel, and many Australian fans and reporters clearly appreciate the Niners’ decision to make the most of the historic occasion.
Although Aaron Donald isn’t traveling to Australia, the rest of the Rams’ revamped defense will make its debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The Rams lost the NFC championship game to the Seattle Seahawks last season when their No. 1-ranked offense couldn’t make up for the shortcomings of a defense that struggled against the league’s best attacks.
So, in typical Rams fashion, they went out and swung bold moves to acquire two of the NFL’s best defensive players and a third high-caliber starter.
Los Angeles’ cornerback group was a clear weakness all season long in 2025, so the club acquired star cornerback Trent McDuffie from Kansas City, acquiring its first elite cover defender since Jalen Ramsey’s departure. Shortly afterward, the Rams signed McDuffie’s longtime Chiefs teammate, two-time Super Bowl champion cornerback Jaylen Watson, as a free agent.
The Rams then traded rising star Jared Verse and three high draft picks for Myles Garrett, the reigning AP Defensive Player of the Year. The Rams’ pass rush was already strong with Verse and Pro Bowl selection Byron Young, but Garrett has no equal at defensive end.
The rest of LA’s defense largely remained intact. Its first chance to play together comes against the 49ers in Australia.
The first gridiron fans have already reached their seats inside the massive Melbourne Cricket Ground just after 8 a.m. local time.
With tunes from Men at Work and Midnight Oil blaring from the sound system, several Rams players were already checking out the field, which appears to be in excellent condition seven days after the most recent Australian Football League postseason match on the turf.
Only the footy 50-meter line is vaguely visible in the grass within the red zones of the American football field. The large oval field leaves large wedges of empty space behind each NFL sideline, but the area behind the north sideline has been filled with a large hospitality area featuring chairs, couches and a big bar.
The 49ers are set to start the season following a tumultuous summer of offseason news.
Coach Kyle Shanahan got into a car crash a little more than a week before the start of training camp that left him with several injuries, including a concussion that limited what he could do early in camp. Shanahan is mostly back to full health and is expected to call plays along with the rest of his duties.
Last month, owner Jed York was arrested in a prostitution sting in Ohio. He pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors and hasn’t been around the team all summer.
The Jonas Brothers — featuring Nick, Joe and Kevin — will be the halftime performers during the NFL’s first regular season game in Australia.
The NFL announced the headliners for the mid-game show last month, giving them the major entertainment assignment to start the league’s international schedule this season that includes nine games in seven countries and four continents.
The Jonas Brothers have sold more than 20 million albums and recently landed a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“The Jonas Brothers are global entertainers whose music connects across generations, making them the ideal artists to help us celebrate this historic game in Melbourne,” said Tim Tubito, the NFL’s senior director of global game presentation and entertainment. “We look forward to delivering a memorable halftime performance for our fans in Australia and those watching around the world.”
Rams coach Sean McVay is a strong advocate for sports science, and he also likes his players to stay in a consistent routine. That combination has led the Rams to make an extraordinarily short trip to Australia.
The Rams practiced at their training complex in Los Angeles all week, finishing their workouts on Tuesday afternoon, before getting on a plane that arrived in Melbourne roughly 24 hours before kickoff.
They’ll turn around and go back to California immediately after the game, which means it’s possible they’ll spend more total time in the air above the Pacific Ocean than on the ground in Australia.
McVay has become convinced that short trips are ideal for athletes’ circadian rhythms, body clocks and overall alertness. He employed the same strategy last year when the Rams flew from the U.S. East Coast to London one day before their blowout win over Jacksonville at Wembley Stadium — but that flight is roughly half as long as the 15-hour trek to Melbourne.
The Rams missed out on the week of practice, sightseeing and community involvement enjoyed by the 49ers, who traveled to Melbourne a week earlier, but McVay is convinced his strategy is the best way to beat a rival that has regularly topped the Rams during his parallel career with San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan.
One reason the NFL’s first game in Australia will be played tonight before the bulk of Week 1 is to give the event the one-of-a-kind treatment it deserves.
Another main reason: It should give the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers more time to rest in the aftermath.
One of the fascinating subplots to the first regular-season contest Down Under will be how teams react to the roughly 8,000-mile (12,900-kilometer), 16-hour flight from the West Coast. The Rams and 49ers had vastly different plans to stay fresh for the game despite the lengthy travel, and they’ll also need a plan when they return home.
The fact that the game is played on a Thursday night in the U.S. means both teams will have a full weekend at home to rest and recuperate before getting back to the grind of the NFL’s 18-week regular season.
The NFL hopes that today’s game between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers will be the first of many regular-season games played in front of its growing Australian fan base.
The league is also determined to play those games at Australia’s biggest stadium during the first week of the NFL’s regular season — even with a major scheduling problem obstructing that goal in 2027.
The 100,000-seat MCG could be unavailable to the NFL at this time next year because it will be occupied by the Australian Football League postseason, which begins in early September. The AFL accommodated the NFL this year, but doesn’t intend to do the same in 2027, according to Australian media reports.
NFL Executive Vice President Peter O’Reilly downplayed the potential for disruption caused by this scheduling conflict during a recent conference call to highlight the league’s upcoming Australian debut.
“We have great partners in the MCG and the AFL, and I know we’ll work to a good solution there that allows the NFL to continue to play in Australia on an ongoing basis,” O’Reilly said.
Melbourne Cricket Ground — known by many locals as MCG or just The G — is a jumbo-sized venue fit for the NFL’s debut game Down Under.
The Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers will be playing today’s game at a stadium in Melbourne, Australia, that holds roughly 100,000 people and has hosted the Olympics, Cricket World Cup finals, some of Taylor Swift’s biggest shows and even a Papal mass.
“Melbourne as a city really stood out, having a huge stadium of that size, that caliber, that historical nature, in the middle of the city,” Charlotte Offord, GM for NFL Australia/New Zealand, told The Associated Press. “It just felt like a bit of a no-brainer.”
Established in 1853, The G has developed a revered place in Australian sports and cultural life. Australia’s premier venue is hosting the first of the NFL’s nine international games this season.
One of the biggest challenges for two U.S.-based NFL teams playing a game in Australia has always been the time difference and sheer length of travel.
Today’s Rams-49ers showdown will kick off at 8:35 p.m. EDT — standard for a big game in the U.S. — but will actually begin at 10:35 a.m. in Melbourne on Friday because of the 14-hour time difference.
The two teams are taking vastly different approaches to the nearly 8,000-mile trip.
The Rams left Southern California on Tuesday night and arrived in Australia on Thursday, roughly 24 hours before the game.
The Niners have spent a week in Melbourne, having arrived last Friday for what is expected to be the first of several NFL regular-season games in a country and venue traditionally associated with cricket and Australian rules football.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, center, during a practice session for an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers., in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026.(AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Los Angeles Rams outside linebacker Myles Garrett, centre, works out during a practice session for an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers., in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026.(AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
