World renowned referee Nigel Owens has labelled Tests between the All Blacks and Springboks as the most difficult match a rugby official can control in the game.
Owens, who holds the world record for most international Tests officiated, says he wasn't the first to make the analysis.
"I remember Derek Bevan, one of Wales' greatest referees, once telling me that New Zealand against South Africa is the toughest game you will take charge of – and he wasn't wrong," Owens for WalesOnline .
"It is a clash of two Goliaths, two huge rugby countries and rugby cultures."
Owens will referee the sides when they clash in Wellington on September 15 and while he officiated last year's shock 57-0 win by the All Blacks in Albany, it was a 2013 clash at Johannesburg that stands out the most for the Welshman.
The Welsh referee will be in charge of the All Blacks' Test match against the Wallabies this Saturday in Dunedin. (Source: Other)
The All Blacks claimed the Rugby Championship with their 38-27 win - a game Owens says is "one of the most remarkable games in the long history between the two great rugby rivals".
"It's a match that has been talked of as one of the greatest games of rugby played, with many pundits, coaches and players past and present even calling it the game of the century.
"To have played a part in that, a small part, is something I will always cherish and never forget."
Owens also penned his opinion on where the Rugby Championship stacked up against its northern counterpart the Six Nations after British rugby writer and All Blacks critic Stephen Jones called the tournament "inferior" .
"Obviously, people try and draw comparisons... which has the best quality? Which showcases the best rugby? Do the officials referee any differently?
"Honestly, I don't see a difference, rugby-wise or officiating-wise either. The weather tends to help down south, which contributes to a high-tempo, high octane 80 minutes.
"But for me the perception that there is a higher standard of rugby in the Championship compared to the Six Nations isn't true."
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