There was little chance of the four-Test series between South Africa and New Zealand, which reaches is climax on Saturday in Baltimore, slipping by without Rassie Erasmus pushing hard at the boundaries of convention and World Rugby’s regulations.

There were New Zealand going through their final drills ahead of last weekend’s second Test in Cape Town when they learned that the entire South African front row had been changed: an hour before the kick-off it was announced that the trio named on the bench had swapped places with the starters, a switch that came 24 hours after two changes to the te...