I have been privileged to report on and write about the Springboks since 1992, but SA Rugby magazine’s 30-year anniversary dates back to the April 1995 issue. So 30 in 30 it is, writes Mark Keohane.
In yearly chronological order 1-30
1.Springboks 27 Wallabies 18, Newlands, 1995 World Cup opener.
Hendriks rounds Campese and Stransky does the rest as the Boks beat the defending champions.
2.Springboks 19 France 15, Kings Park, 1995 World Cup semi-final.
Played in torrential rain; a storm nearly had the match cancelled.
3.Springboks 15 All Blacks 12, Ellis Park, 1995 World Cup final.
Mehrtens misses, Stransky doesn’t, Mandela, Pienaar and the birth of a united South African sporting identity.
4.Springboks 26 All Blacks 33, Loftus, second Test, 1996.
The most brutal, intense and classic of Tests. The All Blacks win a series in South Africa for the first time.
5.Springboks 15 Lions 18, Kings Park, second Test, 1997.
Guscott’s drop goal sealed the Test and series. Bok heartbreak but what an occasion.
6.Springboks 61 Wallabies 22, Loftus, 1997 Tri-Nations.
André Joubert majestic at 15, Montgomery thrilling at 13.
7.France 10 Springboks 52, Parc de Princes, 1997.
Nick Mallett’s magnificent Boks retire a generation of French icons and Rossouw bags four tries.
8. Springboks 18 England 0, Newlands, 1998.
Brutal Bok defence in typhoon-type conditions. England did well to score zero, Mallett’s Boks were exceptional to get 18 points.
9.New Zealand 3 Springboks 13, Athletic Park, 1998 Tri-Nations.
Monty nails the big kicks, Spencer misses his, Rossouw scores off a Honiball move and Muller makes 21 tackles.
10.Springboks 29 Wallabies 15, Ellis Park, 1998 Tri-Nations.
Teichmann leads Boks to first Tri-Nations title. Skinstad’s show-and-go dummy to beat Horan and score is a moment that will never get old.
11.Springboks 44 England 21, Stade de France, 1999 World Cup quarter-final.
De Beer’s five drop goals. I was sitting 40m away from where he struck nearly all of them. Bliss.
12.Wallabies 27 Springboks 21, Twickenham, 1999 World Cup semi-final.
The greatest Test I have watched in which no try was scored. Larkham’s extra-time drop goal and Burke’s late penalty the difference. One hundred minutes of the finest rugby theatre.
13.Springboks 46 All Blacks 40, Ellis Park, 2000 Tri-Nations.
No team had scored more points against the All Blacks before this electrifying afternoon.
14.Argentina 33 Springboks 37, Estadio Monumental, 2000.
The Boks did not kick the ball for the first 73 minutes in Buenos Aires on instruction from coach Harry Viljoen.
15.Springboks 33 Wallabies 31, Ellis Park, 2002 Tri-Nations.
Up 26-9, down 31-26 and Bolla’s pop pass finds Greeff. He scores and converts. Chaos of the most glorious order. One of the highlights during my time with the Boks as communications manager.
16.Springboks 26 Wallabies 22, Newlands, 2003 Tri-Nations.
Russell’s impact as an early substitute was immense. Matfield a close second.
17.Springboks 40 All Blacks 26, Ellis Park, 2004 Tri-Nations.
Marius Joubert three tries. Enough said.
18.Springboks 22 All Blacks 16, Newlands, 2005 Tri-Nations.
Memorable for Monty’s kicking and Jean de Villiers’ intercept. The All Blacks had whitewashed the Lions weeks earlier.
19.England 14 Springboks 25, Twickenham, second Test, 2006.
Pretorius’ four drop goals.
20.Springboks 36 England 0, Stade de France, 2007 World Cup pool match.
Any time England get zero, it is memorable. This was a special night to be in the press box in Paris.
21.Springboks 37 Fiji 20, Stade Vélodrome, 2007 World Cup quarter-final.
Electric atmosphere in Marseille when Fiji levelled the scores at 20–20 with 20 to go. Boks went into overdrive. Privileged to have been there.
22.All Blacks 28 Springboks 30, Carisbrook, 2008 Tri-Nations.
Januarie’s famous solo try and Frans Steyn’s conversion. History-makers as the Boks beat the All Blacks for the first time in Dunedin.
23. England 6 Springboks 42, Twickenham, 2008.
Peter de Villiers’ best Test as coach.
24.Springboks 28 Lions 25, Loftus, second Test, 2009.
Jaque Fourie’s try, Morné Steyn’s dramatic 52m penalty kick to win the series.
25.Wallabies 12 Springboks 38, Suncorp Stadium, 2013 Rugby Championship.
The Boks’ most complete performance under Heyneke Meyer. To do it in Brisbane made it even more remarkable.
26.Springboks 27 All Blacks 38, Ellis Park, 2013 Rugby Championship.
One of the greatest Tests ever.
27.Springboks 42 England 39, Ellis Park, first Test, 2018.
Kolisi and his transformed Rainbow Warriors turned a 24–3 deficit into a stunning win.
28.Springboks 32 England 12, Yokohama Stadium, 2019 World Cup final.
King Kolisi, Am, Mapimpi, Kolbe, Pollard and that Bok scrum.
29.Springboks 27 Lions 9, Cape Town Stadium, second Test, 2021.
Brutal in every sense. Power, precision and the boot of Pollard.
30.France 28 Springboks 29, Stade de France, 2023 World Cup quarter-final.
The greatest Bok Test I have watched in the past 30 years.
Src: keo.co.za
