Former All Blacks prop Craig Dowd says the thrilling Test between New Zealand and the Springboks at Newlands was a much-needed spectacle for world rugby.
In his column for Kwese.espn.com, Dowd suggested the contest in Cape Town highlighted the fact that the Boks’ 57-0 loss in Albany was one of those ‘once-in-a-blue-moon’ games that come along occasionally.
‘My first reaction after the All Blacks beat the Springboks 25-24 was: thank goodness, the Springboks are back.
‘That’s the sort of rugby we all want to see, competitive and hard, with the result going down to the wire. There were some fantastic touches from both teams, with guys pushing the boundaries, some of them to places they hadn’t been before.’
Dowd said the Boks should certainly be commended for the manner in which they responded after the heavy defeat in Albany
‘It just goes to show that with the right mental mindset and attitude you can change anything. Malcolm Marx and Eben Etzebeth threw caution to the wind and went for it in Cape Town.
‘That’s not something you can coach into players, it comes from within and they showed how powerful that internal force could be.’
Photo: @Springboks/Twitter
