Rugby Rewind: The All Blacks, the Wallabies and the Greatest Game Ever Played

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at Internationaled.org

Published: January 28, 2011

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Over the past 150 years we have been treated to many memorable and some not-so-memorable games of rugby.

When discussing which one was the greatest, only a handful make the cut. Whether it be for a dramatic finish, a try-fest or a display of sheer guts and determination, there have been some games that will forever be remembered by those who saw them.

For me, though, one stands out above all the others, and such was its greatness that I feel compelled to tell the story one more time, so we can all relive the greatest game ever played.

The year was 2000 and the scene was set for a showdown of epic proportions. No fewer than 109,874 people packed the new Stadium Australia to witness a Wallaby team, fresh from their success at the previous year's World Cup, play host to a hungry All Black team, looking to take the first step to get their hands on the Bledisloe Cup for the first time since 1997.

The pre-game hype had been enormous and heading into the encounter the Wallabies were generally being seen as the favourites. 

What followed was the most remarkable 80 minutes of rugby you'll ever wish to see.

It took the All Blacks just three minutes to get the scoring underway after Tana Umaga crashed over via an Andrew Mehrtens kick to give the All Blacks a dream start.

But it didn't stop there as Pita Alatini and Christian Cullen both dotted down and a Mehrtens penalty saw the score go to 24-0 after just eight minutes. It was undoubtedly the best start to a test in the history of the game and came from great execution as well as some of that flair we have all come to associate with the All Blacks.

It seemed the game was over. No one told the Wallabies that, though, as they began one of the greatest fight backs in rugby history, spear-headed by their genius flyhalf, Stephen Larkham.

By halftime, the score was back to 24 all and the momentum seemed to have shifted t...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Rugby Union

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