The 1995 Rugby World Cup winning Springboks were honoured at a reunion event at Emirates Airline Park (formerly Ellis Park) – the scene of their epic victory.
This win will forever be remembered with great pride by the South African public as it happened at a time when the citizens of the newly formed democracy needed something significant to celebrate together as a nation and it eclipses the euphoria of their 2007 Rugby World Cup win in France.
The Springboks were regarded as underdogs in the 1995 edition of the Rugby World Cup for a number of reasons. This would be their first attempt at a World Cup trophy, having being excluded from the 1987 and 1991 editions due to their international sporting isolation at the time. They were also relatively inexperienced at Test level compared to the rest of the rugby world and had to face a strong Australian side in their opening game as well as the old foe New Zealand in the final.
I was privileged to chat to six members of this champion team and below I have captured some of their comments and thoughts regarding that special day.
Francois Pienaar
I felt very emotional walking onto the field again today. It was actually a cocktail of emotions and you cannot wrap it up in one sentence. To preserve the romance of that Final I have never watched it, so the screening of the game this afternoon will be the first time that I see it. The World Cup win was so special to me because I could see what it meant to the country.
The Springbok team of 1995 was made up of 13 players selected from a strong Transvaal team, who had won both the Currie Cup and the Super 10, so we had the nucleus of a very strong team. World class players like Joost van der Westhuizen, Os du Randt and Andre Joubert were then added to that to make up a Springbok team that we thought really stood a chance of winning.
Kitch Christie also deserves a lot more credit than he received for this triumph and his 14 wins from 14 starts shows how important his role was. To motivate the team, I played Roger Whittaker’s “I don’t believe in if anymore” on the bus and I wish I had done the same again today.
When asked what the conversation was between him and Nelson Mandela when the trophy was handed over, he said that he had thanked Madiba for what he had done for the country, to which Madiba responded, “No Francois, thank you for what you have done for the country”.
The only ‘regret’ which Pienaar has is that no-one had though of arranging a celebration should they win the tournament, so when the team got back to the hotel they weren’t too sure what to do. Some players may have ended up in the hotel fountain with a bottle of bubbly though.
Kobus Wiese
When asked what winning the Rugby World Cup meant to him he had the following to say. We had worked hard to achieve a goal and we were not in the game to come second. I was humbled to become a part of rugby and South African history. His memory of the day of the final was the sheer volume of people on the streets and the people desperate to get into the stadium. The team the made a pledge to each other that against the All Blacks, they had no choice but to win.
Rudolf Straeuli
When asked on his over-riding memory of the Final, Straeuli stated that he had the privilege of working at the stadium every day and he can relive it every day. The camaraderie in the team was also special. On Rugby World Cup 2015, Straeuli feels that South Africa will meet up with the All Blacks in the semi-finals and he expects a big clash between Duane Vermeulen and Keiron Reid. On the hosting nations chances, he feels that England would be one of the favourites and Wales had a good, young side that is well coached.
Hennie Le Roux
Le Roux felt the tension on the big day as well as huge emotion. Every part of the field brought back memories for him and he is proud to be a part of rugby history. When asked on his opinion on the selection of players who ply their trade at overseas clubs, he said that we have to acknowledge that rugby is a professional sport and these players cannot be denied the right to earn a living. For a Rugby World Cup, every nation should be selecting their best team and these players should be included.
His opinion on Rugby World Cup 2015 is that the hosting nations will face a lot of home pressure, but they should do well with the massive home support that they will receive.
Chester Williams
The question of transformation was very much on the agenda during this discussion. Williams said that the number of black players playing at the top level of the game in South Africa had definitely increased. His only wish was that there could be one successful team with a large nucleus of black players playing winning rugby. This should not be pushed though as the time will come.
Williams was brought into the squad during the tournament and said the welcome he received was phenomenal. He also said that he felt a lot of nervousness off the field, but felt a lot better when he was actually playing as he was then in control as he was doing what he was used to. His special memory of the Final was looking up into the stands, to see people of very different backgrounds crying, hugging and celebrating together.
His player to watch in Rugby World Cup 2015 is Bismark du Plessis. Aside from his importance in the tight phases, his contribution in securing turnover ball should not be underestimated.
Joel Stransky
Stransky’s memories of the day of Final was getting up early and going for a run with the squad. It was then that they realized the level of support behind the team, with everyone around cheering them on.
On “that” drop kick, Stransky admitted that coach Kitch Christy had spoken to him about the possibility of using the drop kick so it was at the back of his mind. The Springboks had actually lined up a play to use the loose forwards and then bring Andre Joubert into the game on attack, but he saw that the All Blacks had read through the play and had lined up their defense to counter it, so he called for the ball and kicked the drop.
Once it was kicked, the Springboks were solely focused on getting the All Blacks back into their own half and keeping them there. It was only once the final whistle was blown that they realized what a wonderful journey they had been on and what they had done.
Stransky feels that the Springboks will do a lot better at the Rugby World Cup than some pundits think they will. There is a blend of young players that will providing some attacking edge, as well as the more experienced players that are necessary to do well. The players are backed up by a strong coaching team.
After having spent some time with these Springbok legends, it has become very clear to me that this team will forever be held together by the same bond that carried them through to winning that memorable final.
Photo Credit: Duif du Toit – Gallo Images
