1995 Rugby World Cup Final

The 1995 Rugby World Cup Final was the final match of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, played in South Africa. The match was played at Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg on 24 June 1995 between the host nation, South Africa, and New Zealand.

1995 Rugby World Cup Final
Event1995 Rugby World Cup
After extra time
Date24 June 1995
VenueEllis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
RefereeEd Morrison (England)
Attendance63,000

South Africa won the encounter by three points in their first Rugby World Cup Final, which was also the first to require extra time. Unusually, the points were scored by only one player from each team, with Andrew Mehrtens of New Zealand scoring all 12 of the All Blacks' points (three penalties and one drop goal) and Joel Stransky tallying all 15 points (three penalties and two drop goals) for the Springboks, including a drop goal in extra time, which sealed the victory and their first Rugby World Cup title.

At the end of the match, South African President Nelson Mandela, wearing a number 6 Springbok rugby shirt and cap, presented the Webb Ellis Cup to South African captain François Pienaar.

Path to the final

The final was contested by the hosts, South Africa, and New Zealand. Both teams finished at the top of their pools, both undefeated in the pool stages. South Africa defeated Western Samoa in the quarter finals, and then France in the semi-finals to reach the final; the All Blacks defeated Scotland in the quarter-finals, and England in the semi-finals, a game in which Jonah Lomu famously scored four tries.

Going into the final, New Zealand had led the tournament in points scored, outscoring their opponents 315–104, while South Africa had outscored their opponents 129–55. The high scoring All Blacks had been led by a then World Cup record 7 tries each by Lomu and Marc Ellis.

Match summary

First half

No tries were scored during the match but this did not diminish the tense atmosphere and climactic finish. The South Africans played a largely defensive game. Due to the strength of flanker Ruben Kruger and No. 8 Mark Andrews plus scrum-half Joost van der Westhuizen, the expansive attacks from New Zealand were repeatedly closed down. Andrew Mehrtens opened the scoring with a penalty after six minutes to give New Zealand a 3–0 lead. A Joel Stransky penalty put South Africa on the scoreboard after 11 minutes. Mehrtens and Stransky swapped successful penalty kicks. Following a period of pressure, Stransky landed a 32nd minute drop goal to give South Africa a 9–6 lead at half time.

Second half

The All Blacks levelled the scores at 9–9 with a Mehrtens drop goal after 55 minutes. Though All Blacks fly-half Andrew Mehrtens almost kicked a late drop goal, the score remained unchanged at full time, forcing the game into extra time for the first time in a Rugby World Cup final.

Extra time

Extra time began with South Africa needing to take the initiative, due to the ruling that if extra time finished with scores still level with no side having scored more tries than the other, then the team with the better overall disciplinary record during the tournament would win.[1] But early in the first half, the Springboks were penalized for chasing a Stransky kick from an offside position.[1] From just inside the half-way line, Mehrtens kicked truly to give New Zealand a 12–9 lead. As half-time approached, Stransky put a high kick for his teammates to chase, and from the resultant play referee Morrison penalized the All Blacks for diving to the ground near the tackle, and right on the stroke of half-time Stransky levelled the scores at 12–12. Seven minutes from time it was Stransky who scored the final points of the match. From thirty metres out he struck the drop goal, securing South Africa's victory and the Rugby World Championship crown.

Inspiration

What happened after the match would become an iconic moment in the history of sport. Nelson Mandela, wearing a Springbok rugby shirt and cricket cap, presented the William Webb Ellis Cup to South African captain François Pienaar to the delight of the capacity crowd. The moment is thought by some to be one of the most famous finals of any sporting event in recent years.[2] Mandela's presentation was listed at number 70 in a list of the 100 Greatest Sporting Moments on a British television programme.[3]

However, the after match mood soured considerably during the end of tournament banquet when South Africa's rugby president, Louis Luyt said in his speech that "There were no true world champions in the 1987 and 1991 World Cups because South Africa were not there." This claim that South Africa were the first "true world champions" led the New Zealand team to walk out of the dinner.[4]

Match details

24 June 1995
13:30 UTC+2
South Africa  15–12  New Zealand
Pen: Stransky (3/4) 10', 22', 90'
Drop: Stransky (2/2) 31', 92'
Report Pen: Mehrtens (3/3) 5', 13', 83'
Drop: Mehrtens (1/2) 55'
Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Attendance: 63,000
Referee: Ed Morrison (England)
South Africa
New Zealand
FB15André Joubert
RW14James Small 97'
OC13Japie Mulder
IC12Hennie le Roux
LW11Chester Williams
FH10Joel Stransky
SH9Joost van der Westhuizen
N88Mark Andrews 90'
BF7Ruben Kruger
OF6Francois Pienaar (c)
RL5Hannes Strydom
LL4Kobus Wiese
TP3Balie Swart 68'
HK2Chris Rossouw
LP1Os du Randt
Replacements:
HK16Naka Drotské
WG17Brendan Venter 97'
FL18Rudolf Straeuli 90'
SH19Johan Roux
PR20Garry Pagel 68'
FB21Gavin Johnson
Coach:
Kitch Christie
FB15Glen Osborne
RW14Jeff Wilson 55'
OC13Frank Bunce
IC12Walter Little
LW11Jonah Lomu
FH10Andrew Mehrtens
SH9Graeme Bachop 67' to 70'
N88Zinzan Brooke
OF7Josh Kronfeld
BF6Mike Brewer 40'
RL5Robin Brooke
LL4Ian Jones
TP3Olo Brown
HK2Sean Fitzpatrick (c)
LP1Craig Dowd 83'
Replacements:
WG16Marc Ellis 55'
FH17Simon Culhane
SH18Ant Strachan 67' 70'
FL19Jamie Joseph 40'
PR20Richard Loe 83'
HK21Norm Hewitt
Coach:
Laurie Mains

Touch Judges:
Derek Bevan (Wales)
Joël Dumé (France)

Depictions in media

Mandela and Pienaar's involvement in the 1995 World Cup became the subject of Clint Eastwood's Oscar-nominated 2009 film Invictus, featuring Morgan Freeman as Mandela and Matt Damon as Pienaar (and including Chester Williams, a member of the 1995 champions and the only black player on the 1995 Springbok squad, as a technical consultant), with the final as the climactic scene and filmed on location at Ellis Park.

References

  1. Jones, Stephen (25 June 1995). "One team, one nation, one kick". The Sunday Times (8913). Gale FP1802922177.
  2. "Rugby World Cup history". BBC. 7 October 2003. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
  3. 100 Greatest Sporting Moments
  4. Donegan, Lawrence (26 June 1995). "Afrikaans arrogance sours Springboks' taste of victory". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
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