All Black legend Colin Meads has fond memories=20 of the traditional rivalry between South Africa=20 and New Zealand
RUGBY: Mark Lamport-Stokes
IT IS a fact generally accepted that sport mirrors=20 life, and especially the society in which it exists. In=20 sport, there is heroism, disappointment, high drama,=20 even moments of embarrassment and sheer boredom. Sport=20 very rarely runs a smooth path to a pre-conceived plan.
Yet there is something poetically symmetrical about the=20 structure of Rugby World Cup 1995, and in particular=20 with its top and tail.
As for the top, those fortunate enough to have been at=20 Newlands on May 25 for the emotive rugby clash between=20 South Africa and Australia will speak of a memorable=20 day forever etched in the memory.
If that opening encounter was scripted close to=20 perfection, then the same can certainly be said of the=20 tail: this Saturday’s key final.=20
And for two reasons.
South Africa and New Zealand have always been the=20 traditional powerhouses of international rugby and the=20 rivalry between the two — usually to determine world=20 supremacy — knows no match. It is therefore entirely=20 fitting that these two sides have advanced to the final=20 of the third edition of the sport’s World Cup.
Furthermore, it has been these two sides, above all the=20 other leading contenders for the trophy, who have=20 produced the most watchable rugby during the=20
There is probably no man better qualified to speak of=20 the traditional rivalry between South Africa and New=20 Zealand than the legendary All Black lock Colin=20 “Pinetree” Meads. Now manager of the All Blacks, the=20 flinty Meads represented his country in 55 tests, 10 of=20 them against South Africa between 1960 and 1970.
“The rivalry was tremendous,” he admits. “It was a=20 traditional rivalry, something we had handed on to us=20 from our fathers and grandparents –they always used to=20 talk about the famous ’37 Springboks.
“I can remember sitting around the dinner table and dad=20 talking about the Danie Cravens and the Morkels and=20 saying that they were the greatest team ever to come to=20 New Zealand … that sort of thing.=20
“That was in the 1950’s we used to hear that. It was=20 something that was built into us, to play in South=20 Africa or to play against South Africa — it epitomised=20 what was great in rugby.”
Meads recalls vividly his first Test against South=20 Africa at Ellis Park in 1960: “It was a huge, huge=20 thing, the heart in the mouth type of thing. I enjoyed=20 it, I enjoyed the challenge, I enjoyed South Africa.=20 Just like we can quote other things throughout the=20 world: the first time on Cardiff Arms Park, the first=20 time on Twickenham, they were all tremendous occasions=20 and something you remember for the rest of your life.
“But that first time in a Test match against South=20 Africa was tremendous, despite the result. We duly=20 played poorly and it was something like the semifinal=20 between England and New Zealand at this World Cup –=20 they (South Africa) scored two quick tries and we were=20 out of the game right from the word go.”
Meads holds special memories of that first Test series=20 against South Africa: “I suppose, like a lot of other=20 young fellows, I fancied myself as a loose forward and=20 scoring a try in the second Test that year when I=20 played number eight was a great memory.
“But there were other memories of playing against some=20 great players — one of them was Johan Claassen. He was=20 a tremendous forward and one that was very hard to=20 upset, one that kept going for the ball and some great=20 tussles were had there. I also remember Martin Pelser,=20 the one-eyed player (we’ve become great friends Martin=20 and I) but he was one of the hardest and most rugged=20 men I’ve ever played against.”
As for the present, even though Meads cannot be drawn=20 on a score prediction for Saturday’s final, he agrees=20 that it is between the two most deserving sides: “South=20 Africa would obviously see us as beatable and we would=20 be of the same ilk. The final is obviously what South=20 Africa have wished for and, in many ways, it’s a=20 blessing for rugby that we have the winning teams=20 through to the final who have played a running game and=20 have moved the ball around.
“I think if the All Blacks have done anything at this=20 tournament, it is that they’ve exposed running rugby to=20 the world and I think a lot of teams will go back and=20 take heed of what New Zealand has done. In particular,=20 I think we’ve got to compliment our coach Laurie Mains=20 on his tactical approach to the game.
“We haven’t got the big, brute strength side of rugby=20 now that we used to always probably dominate years ago.=20 As a pack, we’d be one of the smaller ones that are=20 here and yet they’ve been able to compete in set play=20 and then still produce some exciting rugby.”
Although New Zealand are now set for their second=20 appearance in a World Cup final, Meads says the players=20 do not see themselves as world-beaters: “I think the=20 players rate themselves as just another All Black team=20 and we like to think we always have pretty good sides.
“But they don’t rate themselves as world-beaters, or=20 anything like that. They are fairly conservative and I=20 think the question they always keep asking themselves=20 is that we only had one player in a World XV last year=20 –so the other 14 feel pretty pleased with themselves=20 at the moment!”