‘The Glory of 1995’

Du Plessis, a former Springboks captain, was adored the world over as a rugby ambassador. He led the Springboks during apartheid but he also managed them post-apartheid.

Du Plessis was the ideal rugby statesman for the Springboks at the 1995 World Cup. He was also perfect for the role of manager because his rugby pedigree allowed him to speak with authority about the game.

Du Plessis would relieve a lot of the pressure from coach Kitch Christie and captain Francois Pienaar.

He would address the rugby media and they wouldn’t mind that they were listening to the manager of the team. For the likes of myself, a young rugby reporter, I was engaging with one of the icons of the Springboks.

Du Plessis also displayed incredible humility whenever he addressed the media. He was so respected globally in the rugby community and this came to the fore throughout the week.

Du Plessis marveled at the rugby talents of Lomu and his impact on the tournament. Then he reminded everyone about the young men who would be wearing green and gold in the final. He said he would go to war with those young men. He wanted the people of South Africa to know they were being represented by warriors, who would make them feel proud at the final whistle.

The Bok players, in their interviews, were calm. They also spoke up the All Blacks, but it was more a case of respect than awe. They sought out the discussion on Lomu and said he represented the most challenging defensive effort. But each player was consistent in saying that it was not one player against Lomu, but Lomu against 15 Springboks. If the first one didn’t get him, the Boks were sure there would be teammates lining him up.

My week was spent between Johannesburg’s northern suburbs and Pretoria as France and England were playing for third place at Loftus on Thursday, June 22nd.

The match was a 17H00 kick-off and it was a match that had very little merit. The players from each side tried to talk up the rivalry of an England versus France contest, but the match would prove to be as limp as I have ever seen when it comes to France and England. The players from these two teams were the conquered. They just didn’t want to be playing a match five days after losing a semi-final. They’d come to the World Cup to win. When they lost, they just wanted to go home.

There was no intensity in the eyes of the French and English players during the interviews. It was very different when speaking to the Springboks and All Blacks.

The All Blacks players were super confident. They spoke about their teammates and they spoke about