WHY the Boks vs ABs game at Ellis Park was one of the best ever

[The Jones Boy]

Back on topic;
The game at Ellis Park was the best for several reasons;
The situation, the Boks could have won the RC if they did the business.
The AB's had been on the road for two weeks following on from Argentina.
It was up on the high veldt where the air is thin and as John Schmidt said, "We can make teams feel the blood in the back of their throats.'
The AB's were keen to back up on the abuse heaped on Liam Messam and his family over social media outlets by the Bokke hard core fan base and at the AB's in general over the Du Plessis sending off in the first game at the Garden of Eden.
The Bokke were keen to show they were a lot better than the showing at Eden park.
Winner takes all.
It was the single greatest test match I have ever witnessed.
The lead changed hands four times at important times of the match.
The pace and intensity was unparalleled.
The most incredible game of rugby I've ever seen and I've been watching since Brian Williams was an All Black.

 

[Kapa O Pango]

New Zealand vs Wellington XV at Newtown Park
Wellington, New Zealand
Thursday, 22 May 1884

 

[Jack Reacher]

As a Rugby fan in living in England, and a NZ supporter, I try and get my mates to come to games, albeit Sale matches or to go to a pub to watch a 6N match but they all claim its a boring sport (compared to football). Its boring because of the way its played here. Even at club level they are taught to stop opposition teams from winning rather than winning themselves. Just look at the way a crowd responds to kicking penalties etc.
I don't necessarily think the rules need changing because most Super Rugby and TRC matches are brilliant, its literally the attitude of the players and then the contagious affect it has on the officials in the NH.
Negative rugby will always dominate a match, if NZ went into the topic match with a defensive attitude we could have made it a 18-13 1-2 try bore, but we didnt. Thats what NH teams need to adapt. Ireland did it for 15 minutes on Sunday but then tried to defend a lead for 65 minutes!