Ten best memorable Joost moments
South Africa v Argentina, 6 November 1993
The 22-year-old scored a try just 11 minutes into his debut in this Test match in Buenos Aires. He was anything but an accomplished scrumhalf, but coach Ian McIntosh had described him as “rough and ready” for international rugby. The Boks struggled to a 29-26 win and young Joost’s try was decisive in the outcome. He would add 37 more tries to that first one.
Scotland v South Africa, 19 November 1994
The Boks beat the Scots 34-10 at Murrayfield and Joost scored two brilliant tries out of the team’s five. One was a blindside burst just before halftime, the second a side-stepping jink through half of the opposition for a score under the crossbar.
South Africa v France, 17 June 1995
The monsoon conditions at a flooded Kings Park made this a game from heaven for a player of Joost’s attributes. It was trench warfare and he was one of the most courageous defenders ever to wear the green and gold. He had a terrific game in trading blow after blow with the French loose forwards in what was close-quarter combat from start to finish. The Boks slid home 19-15.
South Africa v New Zealand, 24 June 1995
Nick Mallett controversially once said that in some cases you can get away with fielding a player with an injury. He was right. Joost had a numbing prematch injection on a rib injury and then played the game of his life in the 1995 World Cup final, inspiring his team with a legendary tackle on the sensation of the tournament, Jonah Lomu. Joost was huge in the 15-12 win, and Joel Stransky will always beg to differ with the criticism that the scrumhalf had a suspect pass after he received a perfect delivery for his match-winning drop goal.
England v South Africa, 18 November 1995
Joost regarded his finest try as the one he scored at Twickenham on the World Champions’ end-of-year tour. He darted blind and chipped over advancing wing Rory Underwood, gathered and scored. The home of rugby was instantly silenced. It was a fine solo effort in a 24-14 victory.
South Africa v New Zealand, 31 August 1996
Few Springboks could tolerate losing more than Joost. He was mortified when a week before this Test his country had lost their first ever home series to New Zealand, and it had been at his home ground of Loftus Versfeld. In the “redundant” third Test at Ellis Park, Joost refused to accept a whitewash and, in scoring two tries, inspired the Boks to a face-saving 32-22 win.
Wales v South Africa, December 15 1996
Joost was at his irrepressible best in this emphatic 37-20 win over a good Wales team in Cardiff. He simply could not be stopped whenever he got the ball in the Welsh 22 and bulldozed over for a hat-trick. The Welsh have had more than their fair share of legendary scrumhalves over the years and that day Joost showed an appreciative Cardiff Arms Park crowd that he was up there with the best of them.
New Zealand v South Africa, 25 July 1998
This was the last ever Test match at the historic Athletic Park in New Zealand (it was soon after demolished for the current “Cake Tin” in Wellington) and the Boks ruined the All Blacks’ farewell to the ground with a 13-3 win in which the half-back pairing of Joost and Henry Honiball out-muscled their opposition. Joost played a skilful part in the match-winning try that saw him feed a lateral ball to Honiball, who gave an inside pass to Pieter Rossouw for a famous try and victory.
South Africa v Australia, 14 August 1999
Mallett had shocked South African rugby by dropping Gary Teichmann (in favour of Bob Skinstad at No 8). He turned to Joost to lead the side at the World Cup. On 7 August, the Boks got walloped by the All Blacks in Pretoria. They desperately needed a morale-boosting win in their final game before the World Cup later that year, and at Newlands Joost was Captain Courageous as the Boks scrapped to a 10-9 win over the Wallabies (who later won the World Cup). The Boks tackled their way to victory in atrocious conditions and spearheading the defensive effort was a captain covered in mud from head to foot.
South Africa v New Zealand, 4 November 1999
The World Cup was lost for the Boks and the All Blacks after both had suffered dramatic semi-final defeats to Australia and France, respectively. It was a play-off for third place, famously described by Mark Andrews as being asked to “kiss your sister”. Well Joost was interested more than most that evening in Cardiff and, in what would be his last Test as Springbok captain, motivated his team to a 22-18 win. It was fitting that the gutsy Joost had the final say in his short, 10-Test tenure as captain.