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Cape Town - A New Zealand scribe says they are tired of hearing claims that the All Blacks were poisoned before losing the 1995 Rugby World Cup final to South Africa.
This comes after reports again surfaced that the All Blacks were laid low before the final at Ellis Park.
Rory Steyn, who was chief bodyguard to former president Nelson Mandela, has suggested that betting syndicates sought to poison the All Blacks in order to make huge money from an upset, with New Zealand
the favourites heading into the match.
On the Thursday before the final, which was on Saturday, they were poisoned.
About two-thirds of the squad got very sick, properly sick," Steyn told the New Zealand Heraldthis week.
However, Tony Smith - a columnist for the Stuff.co.nzwebsite -
said it’s time New Zealanders put the issue to bed.
“Who cares if the All Blacks were poisoned on the eve of the 1995 Rugby World Cup final?" Smith wrote.
“Why keep dredging up the distant past?
“Does it really matter, 21 years on, if there were nefarious reasons for the
vomiting and diarrhoea bug that ripped through the All Blacks like a double
dose of Epsom salts?”
“Rory Steyn, chief bodyguard to South African president Nelson Mandela,
first made the claim the All Blacks had been deliberately poisoned in a
book published in 2000. He blamed betting syndicates, who stood to make
millions from a Springboks win.
“The hoary controversy has resurfaced, 16 years later, because Steyn is in
New Zealand on a speaking tour.
“It's all a little tiresome.
"Everyone's entitled to an opinion, but Steyn hasn't produced any
incontrovertible proof. He's merely speculated someone could have got to
All Blacks' coffee, tea or drinking water.”
South Africa won the game 15-12 thanks to Joel Stransky's late drop goal,
sparking memorable scenes at Ellis Park as the Springboks celebrated a first
Rugby World Cup triumph, with the trophy famously presented to skipper
Francois Pienaar by Mandela.
According to Smith, South Africa deserve praise for upsetting the odds to
win their first World Cup.
“The Springboks deserved credit for devising tactics to defuse the All Blacks'
chief attacking weapon, giant wing Jonah Lomu.
“South Africa's victory seemed almost pre-ordained. It was a rallying point
for a nascent rainbow nation.
“In truth, the All Blacks' fate was probably confirmed when Mandela appeared
for the pre-match formalities wearing Springboks captain Francois Pienaar's No
6 jersey.”
