Boks still have a shot at replicating 1995 glory, but dark clouds are brewing

WHILE the rain pelted the Mother City on Wednesday, the sun was shining on the heroes of the 1995 World Cup at Ellis Park.

It was the 20th anniversary of South Africa’s biggest sporting triumph, and most of the protagonists who made that day special possible were there to relive the memories. Only the late Kitch Christie, Ruben Kruger and the Father of the Nation, Nelson Mandela, weren’t there to reminisce about that glorious day.

Watching the match again brought back a flood of memo- ries, happy memories of and laughter.

The country came to a standstill that day. The streets were quiet, and families were gathered together in the living room, glued in front of the television.

I actually had a brief cameo during the opening ceremony at Newlands, when I carried Japan’s flag into the stadium.

I was about 10 metres away from Madiba when he officially opened the tournament. I was just a kid, though, and I didn’t realise the significance of that moment.

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Watching the repeat of the final on television, you still feel the raw emotion of the occasion. There was nothing fake about the “Nelson, Nelson, Nelson” chants in the build-up or Japie Mulder nailing Jonah Lomu out to touch in the opening minutes.

In September this year, Heyneke Meyer takes his team to the World Cup, hoping to evoke the same emotions of that bright July day in Joburg.

But after a terrible Super Rugby campaign for the South African teams, who will be his heroes who will bring the country to a standstill?

I have an idea that Meyer already knows who his starting line-up will be irrespective of Super Rugby form.

With Jaque Fourie back in the mix, it is maybe only the flyhalf position where he must still make up his mind where Pat Lambie and Handré Pollard will slug it out for the No 10 jersey over the next couple of months.

For Meyer, Super Rugby was just a speed bump in the road as far as his preparations are concerned. He was just crossing his fingers that none of his key players suffered any serious injuries that could possibly rule them out of the World Cup.

Meyer recently said that he wasn’t too worried about the form of some of his key stars in Super Rugby because the players normally raise their game when they play for the Springboks.

But looking beyond the World Cup in September, and the exodus of players to the Northern Hemisphere and Japan, what’s going to happen to the Springboks next year?

The struggle is set to continue in Super Rugby, maybe even more so because four of the six franchises don’t have a coach. With The Kings also joining the fray, the player resources will be spread even thinner next year.

So, while the Springboks still have a massive shot at glory 20 years after their first World Cup title, they may struggle in the aftermath with many key players moving abroad. Remember, next season overseas players will be ineligible to play for the Boks.

The 2015 Super Rugby season might not have an impact on the Boks this year, but there are dark clouds brewing in 2016 and beyond.

AND DON’T FORGET TO WATCH

It’s the battle of the fullbacks tomorrow morning when two of the best No 15s in the world Ben Smith and Israel Folau come face-to-face in Sydney.

Highlanders ace Smith and Waratahs giant Folau are two very different players, but both are mighty effective with ball in hand. Smith is a more conventional runner with a lovely swerve, while the big Aussie uses his power and pace to beat defenders.

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