The sudden death of former Springbok Hannes Strydom, who started the 1995 World Cup final against the All Blacks in South Africa, has added another sad postscript to one of the greatest games played between the two teams.
That match, which the Springboks won 15-12 when first five-eighth Joel Stransky kicked a drop goal in extra-time, was played in front of 62,000 people at Ellis Park in Johannesburg and was capped off by South Africa President Nelson Mandela presenting the Webb Ellis Cup to captain Francois Pienaar.
Although no tries were scored in the 1995 final, it was never going to lack drama.
First-five Andrew Mehrtens scored all the All Blacks’ points, kicking three penalties and a drop goal. Stransky slotted three penalties and two drop goals
Now, 28 years later, there are only 10 survivors from the Springboks team that started against an All Blacks side captained by combative hooker Sean Fitzpatrick.
Strydom, who died in a car accident in Mpumalanga in South Africa on Monday (NZT), is the fifth Springboks player to die at a relatively young age. He was 58.
Flanker Kruger was 39 when he succumbed to brain cancer in South Africa in 2010.
Although captain Pienaar was propelled into the limelight after the win over the All Blacks, it would have been a major mistake to underestimate Kruger’s contribution to the Springboks’ cause throughout the tournament.
That match, which the Springboks won 15-12 when first five-eighth Joel Stransky kicked a drop goal in extra-time, was played in front of 62,000 people at Ellis Park in Johannesburg and was capped off by South Africa President Nelson Mandela presenting the Webb Ellis Cup to captain Francois Pienaar.
Although no tries were scored in the 1995 final, it was never going to lack drama.
