World champs climb to top
From courtrooms to consecutive wins, Springboks made news
Posted: Thursday December 31, 1998 05:18 PM
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South Africa needed one more victory for a grand slam tour of Britain but fell 13-7 to a determined England David Rogers/Allsport |
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- South African rugby has risen above the turmoil of bitter infighting to reach the summit for the first time since winning the World Cup in 1995, and heads into 1999 as favorite to defend its title.
South African government officials were canvassing international boycotts of their rugby team at the start of 1998 over a court battle between the country's president Nelson Mandela and rugby leader Louis Luyt.
Mandela won out, Luyt resigned and boycotts were averted. The Springboks celebrated the reconciliation by continuing a winning streak to 17 matches, equalling New Zealand's record before surprisingly falling to England in the final match of the year.
New Zealand, beaten by the South Africans in the 1995 World Cup final, had been peerless since that defeat, until this year when it slumped to a worst-ever losing run which t has yet to end.
The All Blacks were hit by the retirements of several experienced stars, most significantly long-serving captain Sean Fitzpatrick and loose forward Zinzan Brooke.
After opening with two shaky victories over a hapless England touring team, New Zealand lost twice to South Africa and conceded the Bledisloe Cup series against Australia 3-0 - the first time since 1929 that the Wallabies had scored a whitewash in the series.
Coach John Hart faced increasing pressure as the All Blacks lost five straight for the first time in a proud history, but he has survived to lead the team to the World Cup, hosted by Wales, in Oct. 1999.
England's international season was shaped by its clubs, who were blamed for keeping star players off the tour to Australia and New Zealand, which began with a then record 76-0 loss to the Wallabies in Brisbane and barely improved.
England's decision to send a squad missing 13 internationals was attacked Down Under, with then Australian Rugby Union chairman Dick McGruther describing the visitors as "the worst prepared Englishmen since the First Fleet."
South Africa topped Australia's record scoreline by pasting Wales 96-13 at Pretoria in June, but the Southern Hemisphere giants found the northern hemisphere teams to be more resilient in their own neighborhood.
England's team was back to full strength when Australia visited in November and fell 12-11 to a penalty by John Eales in the last few minutes.
Wales, with New Zealander Graham Henry taking the helm, led the Springboks by 14 points in their return match at Wembley Stadium, and were unlucky to lose 28-20.
South Africa also had wins against Scotland and Ireland and needed one more victory for a grand slam tour of Britain but fell 13-7 to a determined England.
Still, considering the tension of March, when politicking cast a shadow over the entire season, the South Africans were proud of their achievements.
"Our record speaks for itself," said captain Gary Teichmann. "We won 17 games and the team still has to reach its full potential. There is no doubt in my mind that the best is yet to come. We've got a six-month break and we will be back stronger than ever."
South Africa had a hectic year while the New Zealanders decided to keep their commitments to a minimum in a bid to avoid burnout ahead of the World Cup.
But Hart, who wanted the light season, admitted he could have done with more games for a team unsettled by the loss of established players and the plunging form of some others.
Hart described the criticism he received as "like a public execution."
"I understand just how committed this country is to the game, how important the All Blacks are. It's only natural there will be a lot of debate and conjecture."
In contrast, South African rumblings were about off-field matters as a political struggle followed Mandela's approval of a judicial commission to investigate charges of racism, nepotism and mismanagement within SARFU.
Autocratic SARFU president Luyt and the Union sued, claiming there was insufficient evidence to start a probe, and they won an appeal in April. The suit resulted in Mandela being ordered into court to testify, enraging critics.
Luyt held on until May when he reluctantly stood down, allowing the new SARFU leaders to apologize to Mandela, the man who galvanized the country behind the team by wearing a Springbok jersey to the 1995 Cup final. In September, SARFU elected unopposed Silas Nkanunu, a black, as the new president.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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