Codie Taylor describes All Blacks loss as a ‘good stepping stone’ and reflects on ‘elevator’ encounters with Springboks fans

Codie Taylor has put a positive spin on the All Blacks’ defeat in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, suggesting it has set Dave Rennie’s team up for a successful 2027 Rugby World Cup.

Axed from the third Test team last weekend in Soweto, the veteran hooker was recalled to the starting side for Saturday’s series finale in Baltimore and named as captain.

Trailing by three points at the interval, New Zealand couldn’t do enough in the second half to close the gap, and they were beaten by a margin of 15 points (43-28).

It was a disappointing outcome for the All Blacks