30 years on, and we've not built on our dreams

IT COMES as something of a shock to realise that this week represents the 30th anniversary of the 1995 World Cup Final ... and what a week it was with a decade’s worth of stories. I’m still exhausted thinking about it now.

- BRENDAN GALLAGHER

IT COMES as something of a shock to realise that this week represents the 30th anniversary of the 1995 World Cup Final... and what a week it was with a decade's worth of stories. I'm still exhausted thinking about it now.

The Boks escaping with a miracle win in slightly contentious circumstances from a drenched Durban; Jonah Lomu, the new rugby god, slaying England in Cape Town and reinventing rugby as we knew and understood it; Rupert Murdoch and his henchmen buying up the sport south of the equator and signalling the de facto arrival of professionalism; Jonah allegedly being pursued and signed by the Dallas Cowboys; England and France contesting one of the worst play-off games in history as they both nursed massive hangovers from their session the night before and then Joost van der Westhuizen and Jonah (again) allegedly being lured to Rugby League for squillions.

There were major injury scares for the Boks, Joost Lom பய not be M had torn rib cartilages apparently but would play, Andre Joubert-that Rolls Royce full-backwas struggling with a broken wrist but behind the scenes the Boks had been working on improvising the protective hurling gloves that had been flown over from Ireland and they came up with something that worked and was legal. Nobody asked too many questions to be fair. It would have been a brave man to deny Joubert his place in the final.

There was the Chester Williams story and then came Suzie-allegedly poisoning the All Blacks as they dined at their Sandton hotel although, party pooper that I am, I've got to tell you I and many others were also sick as dogs that weekend, there was a vicious winter bug doing the rounds on the veldt and I dictated my final two bits on the Sunday morning from my sick bed before spending the next 24 hours throwing up.

The ABs just got unlucky in my opinion.