2003: Bitter disappointment
For South Africa the 1995 World Cup was glorious triumph. The 1999 World Cup was a missed opportunity. The 2003 World Cup was bitter disappointment – bitter – and shame, as expectant South Africans dropped their heads in embarrassment.
Before the World Cup even got under way, what happened on the field of play was bad enough; what happened off it was even worse.
The Springboks suffered their worst-ever Test defeat and they did so in South Africa, at Loftus Versfeld, when the All Blacks beat them 52-16. Add to that a haphazard selection process in which 49 players were used in 2003, 71 in all in 2002 and 2003.
But there was worse.
Geo Cronje, the Springbok lock, stood accused on racism for refusing to share a room with fellow Springbok lock Quinton Davids on the grounds that he was 'black'.
The matter was investigated by SARFU (as SARU was know back then) and the evidence was found to be inconclusive.
In their last Tri-Nations match of the season, the Springboks lost to Australia, had two players yellow-carded and an accusation of biting.
And when the Springboks returned home prematurely from the World Cup, tails between legs, there were the monstrous revelations of Kamp Staaldraad and the eventual suicide of Dale McDermott, a Durban schoolmaster – who was the Springboks video analyst who filmed the bizarre humiliation of the Springboks at Kamp Staaldraad.
He gave (sold?) the information to a reporter, which led to the broadcast of the news of the happenings throughout the country.
SARFU dropped McDermott, who apparently became depressed and shot himself.
Then by the end of the year the CEO, Rian Oberholzer, and the coach, Rudolf Straeuli, were gone from SARFU as well.
Defeat was bad enough, but all that added to it made it probably the blackest year in South African rugby.
Black for South Africa, but bright white for England – as they became the first and, till 2015 the only, Northern Hemisphere team to win the World Cup.
England were in Pool C, along with South Africa, Samoa, Uruguay and Georgia.
Obviously the battle for top place and a quarterfinal match against Wales was the priority for England and South Africa – for the team coming second would, in all likelihood, play New Zealand.
South Africa and England met in the second round of pool matches at Subiaco Oval in Perth on 18 October 2003, by which time England had thrashed Georgia and South Africa had thrashed Uruguay.
It was 6-all at half-time, but then Lewis Moody, the England flank, charged down a Louis Koen kick some 40 metres from the goal-line and Will Greenwood toed ahead to score and England eventually won 25-6.
There were two memorable incidents when South Africa played Samoa.
During the match Brian Lima, regarded as the hardest tackler in the world, smashed into Derick Hougaard, a tackle which may just have been Lima's hardest ever and remains the hardest seen at a World Cup. And afterward Hougaard rose up and scored in all four rugby ways – try, conversion, penalty and drop-goal.
The second incident was on the field after the match when Springboks and Samoans formed a large circle with Springbok next to Samoan, arms around each other, as the two teams knelt in a prayer of thanksgiving for the opportunity.
South Africa played its quarterfinal against New Zealand on 8 November 2003, again failed to score a try, lost 9-29 and went off home.
The next day England did not have it all their own way against Wales, winning 28-17 – though Wales scored two tries to one. Greenwood again scored England's try and Jonny Wilkinson did the rest with his left boot.
Both semifinals looked clear-cut, astonishing though the first one was when the Wallabies beat the All Blacks 22-10 in Sydney, a try apiece. The England score looks comfortable – 24-7 over France but Serge Betsen scored the only try while Wilkinson kicked five penalties and three drops.
And so the Final and a Telstra Stadium in Sydney packed with 83 000 passionate spectators in swathes of yellow and white, like Namaqualand in spring.
It was a gripping match – all-square at then end of 80 minutes, extra time and the winning score less than 30 seconds before the end of full-time.
It was just the second time the World Cup Final had run into extra time and it came close to being the first to be decided by sudden death and perhaps even by a drop-goal shoot out. Mercifully Wilkinson's right boot saved the world from that.
South Africa did have a say in the Final for the referee was André Watson.
The Wallabies scored first when Stephen Larkham kicked a high diagonal to his left and tall Loti Tuqiri rose above short Jason Robinson to grab the ball out of the air and fall over.
But then the Wilkinson boot took it to 9-5 in England's favour and just before half-time Lawrence Dallaglio went on a looping run outside Stirling Mortlock as Mortlock tackled him and Wendell Sailor left his wing to approach Dallaglio. The England No.8 gave inside to Wilkinson who in turn gave to Robinson on an overlap and he sped for the corner diving early and surfing in for a try in the left corner – the right wing in the left corner.
At the break England led 14-8 but they failed to score in the second half and it was Flatley's turn to kick penalty goals, the last one at a collapsed scrum on the stroke of full-time to make in 14-all, and extra time.
Nerves were on edge. Wilkinson kicked a penalty. Flatley kicked a penalty. 17-all after 99 minutes of play.
England were in the Wallaby half. There was a ruck, and suddenly Matt Dawson broke. He was tackled, but Martin Johnson carried it on. The ball came back to Dawson who passed to Wilkinson who, with his right foot, dropped the winning goal with 27 seconds left to play.
The second time the Final went into extra time, the winner was decided by a drop-goal.
When England got to Heathrow early in the morning three days later, there were thousands to cheer them home.
On 8 December there was a holiday of celebration, as the team went through London on open-top buses with an estimated 750 000 people coming to London to celebrate.
The team drank champagne at 10 Downing Street and went off to meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
The coach was knighted – Sir Clive Woodward – the captain became Martin Johnson CBE and the rest of the squad were made MBE. That included Jonny Wilkinson, the youngest player who had scored the most points.
By Paul Dobson
@rugby365com
