An article by Colin O' Hanlon :
1: MAX BRITO INJURY: THREE minutes into their 1995 pool game against Tonga, Ivory Coast winger Max Brito was trapped beneath a forest of bodies after making a powerful run out of defence.
The 24- year-old shattered two vertebrae and was left quadriplegic for life, an injury that shocked the rugby world and raised serious questions about rugby safety and the role of smaller nations in rugby’s showpiece event.
2: SUZIE WHO?
THE 1995 tournament was also responsible for rugby’s greatest conspiracy theory. The All Blacks were streets ahead of the opposition and had obliterated all-comers on their drive to the final. However, against South Africa in the decider, New Zealand were clearly below par, allowing the Springboks to snatch glory courtesy of an injury-time drop goal from Joel Stransky. Afterwards, it emerged that, less than 48 hours before the final, the majority of the All Blacks were struck down by food poisoning. New Zealand manager Colin Meads attributed the illnesses down to dodgy milk but over the years, the blame has variously been placed on chilli sauce, tea, chicken burgers and, most famously, prawns served by the mystery waitress/secret agent ‘Suzie’.
3: HUMAN BULLDOZER
NO PLAYER in rugby history has had as great an impact on the game as Jonah Lomu. Going into the 1995 World Cup, only rugby anoraks were aware of the giant youngster who had played a bit of sevens and been exposed by the French in the All Blacks’ Test series defeat the year before. However, after his devastating display in New Zealand’s opening pool clash with Ireland, Lomu’s name was on everyone’s lips and his four tries against England in the semi-final created rugby’s first global superstar and the game had changed forever.
4: INCROYABLE!
FRANCE’S 43-31 defeat of favourites New Zealand at Twickenham in the 1999 semifinal is generally regarded as the greatest World Cup contest and one of its biggest upsets. After finishing bottom of the Five Nations, France stuttered into the semi-finals where they were expected to be obliterated by the All Blacks. Blown away by Jonah Lomu and referee Jim Fleming in the first half, things appeared to be going according to script, but then the French burst into life and plunged New Zealand into four more years of regret and depression.
5: WESTERNPROMISE
WALES had finished third in 1987 and went into the 1991 tournament with the advantage of playing their matches in Cardiff. Western Samoa were supposed to fall into the ‘happy to be here’ category. However, with players of the quality of Pat Lam, Steve Bachop, Brian Lima and Frank Bunce in their ranks, the Samoans stunned the Welsh 16-13 in their opening pool clash and went on to reach the quarter-finals, while Wales received nothing but the sustained abuse of disgruntled supporters.
6: AMATEUR HOUR
IRISH rugby’s darkest hour (until 2007) arrived on a grim night in Lens in 1999 when an Argentina team of amateur club players and various journeymen from the French leagues dumped Warren Gatland’s men out of the tournament on a 28-24 scoreline. The quarter-final play-off defeat brought about a revolution that switched the emphasis to home-based players from 2000 on, and it forced Ireland to suffer the ignominy of having to qualify for the 2003 tournament, which included a trip to Russia.
7: GEORGIA ON THE LINE
IRELAND went into the 2007 tournament as one of the favourites but, after an uncertain opener against Namibia, they came within minutes of one of the greatest shocks in rugby history as the Georgians took them on up front, dominated possession and refused to buckle. A try-saving tackle by Denis Leamy and Girvan Dempsey’s touchdown were enough to see Eddie O’Sullivan’s side squeeze home 14-10, but their campaign was officially in crisis.
8: ENGLAND EXPECTS?
THE English were a powerful outfit in 1991 and, aided by playing in front of their own supporters, made their way into the final on the back of a game plan that revolved around a giant pack of forwards and the precision kicking of Rob Andrew. In the build-up to the decider, Australian winger David Campese goaded the ‘Poms’ by calling them boring and unimaginative. Whether his words got under English skin or not, Will Carling’s men abandoned their established procedures and began to move the ball wide, much to the chagrin of their grizzled forwards. While some of England’s moves came agonisingly close to fruition, playing away from their strengths allowed their opponents to gain a foothold and Tony Daly’s close-in try helped the Wallabies secure a 12-6 win.
9: RAIN AND PAIN
THE 1995 World Cup semi-final was a washout of biblical proportions. The Kings Park Stadium in Durban where South Africa and France were to face off was unplayable, but the hosts were determined that the match would go ahead because cancellation would see the French qualify for the final by default. After a match that more closely resembled water polo than rugby, the Springboks made it through on a 19-15 scoreline but it was a match France should, and would, have won if a perfectly good try by Abdelatif Benazzi had not been disallowed. . . . And one for 2011:
10: BLACK IS THE COLOUR
THE Kiwis are incredibly precious about two things – the Haka and their black jerseys – and England’s decision to commission an allblack alternative strip provoked a furious reaction in New Zealand. The controversy even excited a response from New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, who took time out to call the English “a bunch of wannabes”.
COMPILED BY COLIN O’HANLON
