Remembering the iconic Springboks duo of Joost & Chester
It is 25 years since the Springboks beat the famed Barbarians in Cardiff. Springboks icons Joost van der Westhuizen and Chester Williams were integral to the famous win. There would be no better way to remember them and celebrate them than with the first Springboks win against the Barbarians since that glorious Sunday, writes Mark Keohane.
I was privileged to be a part of Harry Viljoen’s Springboks management on this occasion. I did not for a minute think it would be the last win against the invitational Barbarians and that it would be 25 years later and we would be talking about the Boks getting a fourth win in nine matches against the Barbarians.
The late Joost van der Westhuizen was his cavalier and imposing self and Chester Williams signed off his Springboks career with two tries.
I was as blessed to author Chester’s biography and Chapter 16 is titled: 2000: A farewell to arms.
Chester, in this chapter, says: ‘I scored two tries … the second with Christian Cullen too late to stop my dive for the line. That’s a decent memory to keep. I walked from the field and the applause was thunderous. I felt honoured. I felt complete.’
Chester found the try line in that match. So did his opposite winger Breyton Paulse, who scored three tries. Percy Montgomery, playing at flyhalf, was accurate off the kicking tee, and Braam van Straaten would provide the finishing touches with a late penalty as the Springboks rallied from 31-12 down to win 41-31.
Former All Blacks coach John Hart and Wallabies 1991 World Cup-winning coach Bob Dwyer had taken charge of the Barbarians for the match and, over a dinner on the Wednesday night, had told Viljoen they had assembled a playing squad to win and not just to entertain Baabaas style. They felt the Boks physically and mentally had played their season and Cardiff was a match too far.
Viljoen used this as his motivation, just like the Springboks used the collective efforts of the pack to subdue the Barbarians in the second half.
The South African media on tour felt it was a carnival and festival match but within the Bok camp it was treated with the same respect as a Test match. The Boks had lost to England at Twickenham a week earlier and the only talk within the squad that week was to enjoy Christmas knowing the last match on tour was a winning one.
The occasion was fabulous, the likes of Cullen, Carlos Spencer, Brian O’Driscoll and Chris Latham lit up Cardiff and the forward pack, a blend of Irish, Australian, Kiwi, Aussie, Argentinean and Springboks hooker Naka Drotske came prepared for a rumble.
The post match dinner was of the highest quality and the final flurry was a closed event for players, management, families and friends at the notorious Walkabout pub. By the early hours of Monday morning, given it was a Sunday match, the Walkabout was full. The doors had at some stage been opened to plenty South African supporters. What a night.
The memory is so cool from that match, and never to be forgotten was Chester’s famous smile. He beamed that night, knowing his last performance as a Bok was as good as his first one.
Joost was supreme in his athleticism and the result was special.
This was the BBC’s description of the opening quarter: ‘At 24-12 with just 25 minutes on the clock the pace of the game was unbelievable. On show was rugby of the highest order, with phase after phase erupting from both sides, regardless of field position.’
The Boks scored six tries to four in a 10-try thriller that was lauded as champagne rugby of the very highest order.
SPRINGBOK RUGBY’S MOST CELEBRATED BARBARIANS
These were the Bok heroes from 25 years ago: Gaffie du Toit (Natal); Breyton Paulse (Western Province), Robbie Fleck (Western Province), Japie Mulder (Western Province), Chester Williams (Golden Lions); Percy Montgomery (Western Province), Joost van der Westhuizen (Blue Bulls); Andre Vos (Golden Lions, capt), Andre Venter (Free State), Corne Krige (Western Province); Mark Andrews (Natal), Albert van den Berg (Natal); Willie Meyer (Golden Lions), John Smit (Natal), Robbie Kempson (Western Province). Replacements: Charl Marais (Western Province), Ollie le Roux (Natal), AJ Venter (Natal), Warren Brosnihan (Natal), Dan van Zyl (Western Province) Grant Esterhuizen (Golden Lions), Braam van Straaten (Western Province).
And this is who they beat.
Barbarians: Christian Cullen (Wellington and New Zealand); Matt Burke (New South Wales and Australia), Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster and Ireland), Daniel Herbert (Queensland and Australia), Chris Latham (Queensland and Australia); Carlos Spencer (Auckland and New Zealand), Agustin Pichot (Bristol and Argentina); Ron Cribb (North Harbour and New Zealand), Lawrence Dallaglio (Wasps and England, capt), Jim Williams (Australian Capital Territories (ACT) and Australia); David Giffin (ACT and Australia), Norm Maxwell (Canterbury and New Zealand); Mauricio Reggiardo (Castres and Argentina), Naka Drotske (Free State and South Africa), Richard Harry (New South Wales and Australia). Replacements: Peter Clohessy (Young Munster and Ireland), Mark Hammett (Canterbury and New Zealand), Malcolm O’Kelly (Leinster and Ireland), Andy Ward (Ulster and Ireland), Byron Kelleher (Otago and New Zealand), Neil Jenkins (Cardiff and Wales), Iain Balshaw (Bath and England)
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