As everyone knows, I am a Springbok partisan. One big fact is looming for South African rugby. To win the World Cup, Heyneke Meyer’s men will need to win three straight Test matches on three consecutive weekend afternoons in October at Twickenham.
You will notice an assumption baked into that statement: I am banking on the ‘Boks besting Samoa, Scotland, and Japan in pool play. If South Africa does top its pool, the three-step campaign will involve a quarter-final against England, Australia or Wales and then a semi-final against New Zealand, and lastly some finalist yet to be known will be waged exclusively at “Twickers.”
This grand old stadium has regularly been referred to as the “Cabbage Patch”. Actually, that’s what it was, in 1909. The Rugby Football Union bought the 10.25 acre cabbage farm southwest of London for a little over 5,500 pounds sterling, attracted by the concept of exclusive rights to big game gate revenue.
The grounds also became the headquarters of the RFU, and for many years, the global game of rugby union. In many ways, this was the spiritual home of rugby union; today it could be argued that the soul of rugby is south of the equator, but not back in 1909.
The first rugby match at Twickers was Harlequins versus Richmond in 1909. The first Test match staged at “HQ” was England versus Wales on 15 January 1910.
Photographs of this dire struggle depict a muddy paddock with bemused and stationary players. The “stands” were tiny; indeed, it was only in 1921 when capacity increased to 12,000 that you could say Twickers had real grandstands.
It should come as no surprise that England used this rich soil in World War I as grazing for horses, cattle, and sheep. It was more suitable for agriculture than scrums.
Now, of course, Twickenham is well-drained and very big. RFU claims it is the biggest rugby-only venue in the world, with an official capacity of 81,605.
A few observations:
1. It is not true that only rugby is played here. Lady Gaga plays here, too; and U2.
2. Against both the All Blacks and Springboks in 2014 more than 82,000 crowded into HQ.
3. Apparently, although I cannot swear to it, the Jehovah’s Witnesses rally there.
Twickenham stays busy. For instance, in the last few months the World Club Sevens was held there, as was Oxford v. Cambridge, the QBE Internationals, and a couple of Harlequins games. After the Six Nations Tests, various finals of English schools competitions will be held at HQ, the Champions Cup final will be played in May, Under-20s finals, Army v. Navy, and finally the Aviva Premiership final.
All this history and reminiscing leads us to a vital question, what was the greatest game ever played at Twickenham?
From an English perspective, it must be the 2012 thumping of the All Blacks, who had been unbeaten in 20 matches but were annihilated by a relentless England boasting just 206 combined caps of experience. Only their seventh win over New Zealand in history, the 17 point victory was the largest ever by England over the All Blacks.
What made the victory even more significant was that it was completely unexpected. South Africa and Australia had beaten England in the preceding weeks and New Zealand had steamrollered everyone since their World Cup win in 2011.
Stuart Lancaster and all of England’s redoubtable rugby community will be hoping for some of that magic to inure once more to the 2015 Sweet Chariot. Once again, any foe will face a strong pack, devoid of a true openside flanker, but full of English roast beef, red-cheeked and rampant when going forward in tight spaces. There is a lack of invention in the backline, but then again, maybe England will have too much mustard for the Wallabies and Welsh, and find a way to the final.
For the Springboks, it will almost certainly involve three straight wins at Twickenham against three of the world’s top teams.
One of those wins will need to come at New Zealand’s expense; and Meyer has shown in Wellington and at Ellis Park in 2014 that he has an idea of how to keep the ‘Boks in the game until the last minute. Being in the Northern Hemisphere, with players like Francois Louw having more of a home-field advantage than any All Black, should skew the ‘Boks’ chances to be greater than in New Zealand, but even in Africa, beating the All Blacks is the most difficult task in rugby.
One of the other wins may need to be over England on their own patch. Lately, that has not proved as problematic. It was 2006 when England last beat South Africa, a two point victory, and since then, there have been 9, 48, 33, and 36-point wins by the ‘Boks, resulting in a five-Test win streak at Twickenham.
The best thing for Meyer’s men to do is fall in love with Twickenham. To adopt it.
Finish above Samoa and Scotland in pool play, and then go win three rugby games at Twickenham.
