7 days ago
On this day: Springbok dirt-trackers struggle against Romania, joy for Ivory Coast and Samoa knock out Pumas
Springbok wing James Small played against Romania on this day at the Rugby World Cup 1995. Photo: AFP
Image: AFP
Looking back at the Springboks' second match of the 1995 World Cup — their dogged 21–8 defeat of Romania — you gain a deep understanding that this was still very much the amateur era.
Some 28 years later, the Boks would heavily experiment with their combinations against the same team at the France World Cup, winning 76–0 with their eyes almost closed. But in 1995, there was a clear division between the main team and the so-called dirt-trackers.
Rugby World Cup 1995 | In retrospective
Image: Independent Media
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At Newlands on May 30, Bulls No 8 Adriaan Richter captained a Bok side that had amassed just 71 caps in total, with James Small contributing 20 of them and fly-half Hennie le Roux 12.
Fringe players that day included centres Christiaan Scholtz and Brendan Venter, and fullback Gavin Johnson, while there were debuts for a youthful Krynauw Otto (lock), flank Robbie Brink, and tighthead prop Marius Hurter.
Following the spectacle of the opening win over Australia, this was a dramatic comedown. The Newlands faithful did their best to inject life into the match, but they were flogging a dead horse. This untested and largely inexperienced Bok side made blunder after blunder, and the harder they tried, the worse they got.
The crowd eventually gave up and entertained themselves with Mexican waves.
Romanian rugby was strong in this era, largely because it was the sport of choice in their powerful army, and they were the better team at the breakdowns. The Eastern Europeans' set piece was rock solid.
It was just 8–0 to the Boks at half-time, with Richter scoring a try and Johnson adding a penalty. After the break, Richter scored again, and the Boks' other points came from two more Johnson penalties and a conversion. For Romania, flank Andrei Guranescu scored a try, and fly-half Ilie Ivanciuc kicked a penalty.
There was entertainment later in the day when World Cup newcomers Ivory Coast delighted spectators in Rustenburg by scoring 18 points against France. The French won comfortably enough, 54–18, but it was a joy to watch the Ivoriennes celebrate the points they scored against their mentors and heroes — France having introduced rugby to the West African country.
