Louw's argument is straightforward: the manner of the comeback — back-to-back wins in Cape Town and Johannesburg after the Ellis Park horror show — is reason enough. What gives it analytical weight is the context around home advantage. The All Blacks had won eight of the last 10 Tests at the Highveld venues and both previous matches at FNB Stadium, so the Boks weren't defending friendly turf — they were overturning a genuine statistical disadvantage. The piece also frames Baltimore not as a dead rubber but as a World Cup dress rehearsal, noting that 3-1 carries far more psychological currency than 2-2 heading into a tournament where South Africa and New Zealand are on a collision course from the quarterfinals onward. A series win also breaks the historical pattern of results alternating between the two sides — making it a statement beyond the trophy itself.
Why the Boks deserve to close out the RGR series 3-1
Despite the Ellis Park loss framing this as anything but a home series, the Boks overturned genuine All Blacks dominance at Highveld and Cape Town venues. Louw argues the comeback earns them the series, and that Baltimore matters more than a dead rubber — 3-1 sets a psychological tone ahead of a World Cup where these two sides could meet from the quarters onward.
- FNB Stadium
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