Kobus Wiese on that '95 World Cup Final punch
WATCH as Kobus Wiese, the 1995 World Cup-winning Springbok lock, speaks about one of the game’s most infamous punches.
In the dying moments of South Africa’s celebrated and historic 15-12 win over New Zealand at Ellis Park (on June 24), as a scrum broke up, All Black lock Ian Jones lashed out at Wiese – who took the punch without flinching.
Wiese retained his silence for more than 25 years, but this week – in an interview with TheYellowCap – opened up about the punch and the reason behind it.
Wiese, who played in 18 Tests for his country and 130-odd first-class games for the Lions (previously Transvaal), said it relates to the infamous incident between Bok prop Johan le Roux and All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick in a Test in Wellington, New Zealand, a year earlier.
Le Roux was hung out to dry by South African officials and banned for 18 months, after giving into Fitzpatrick’s well-documented baiting and nibbled on the Kiwi hooker’s ear in a mid-match snack.
(Continue reading below interview … )
Wiese told TheYellowCap that he had made Le Roux a promise that if the opportunity for ‘payback’ ever presented itself, he would take it.
Wiese did not elaborate on what the true nature of the ‘redress’ was, but added that he ‘took one for the team’, while he and Jones had a ‘cold lemonade’ together after the game.
Source of the interview: TheYellowCap
