Home
Change
category
"

Rob Andrew: 1995 World Cup Quarter Final

So much history surrounding this match in the famous Newlands Rugby Ground in the shadow of Table Mountain in one of the worlds great cities, Cape Town.

England had toured South Africa in 1994, including the once in a lifetime meeting with newly elected President Nelson Mandela in Pretoria before the first Test in Pretoria. What followed was also historic as England beat the Springboks by a record score, and I had one of those very rare days when I went through card and came up with 27 points ( Try, 2 Con , 5 Pens, 1 Drop Goal) in a 32-15 victory. The following week we lost the second test at Newlands 18-9 in a very physical encounter.

The following year the 3rd ever Rugby World Cup was held in the new rainbow nation of South Africa and little were we to know just how dramatic and historic it would turn out to be.

On the basis we were able to win our group ( we were expected to in a group with Argentina, Italy and Samoa) we would then face second place from the group which had paired the hosts South Africa with World Cup holders from 1991 Australia.

And they were due to meet in the opening game of the tournament in Cape Town of course. This set up the tournament as South Africa (probably unexpectedly) came out of the traps and beat the world cup holders in a performance which gave the whole country belief ( including the President!).

This now meant we were destined for a world cup quarter final with our great rivals Australia. There was significant history between the two sides going back to the first ever World Cup in 1987 where we met in the group stages. We then toured Australia in 1988, the Lions toured in 1989, and England again in 1991 in the June before the 1991 World Cup. The likes of David Campese and Michael Lynagh were ever present opponents throughout all those years, and were still going strong into the 1995 tournament. Australia probably came into the tournament as favourites.

We duly topped our group without playing particularly well and with Australia coming second in their group we were set to meet in a World Cup for the third competition in a row.

It was to be a dramatic contest with very little to choose between the two sides. One try each and a penalty shoot out between myself and Michael Lynagh had the scores tied 22-22 going into the final minute. A World Cup semi final against The All Blacks and Jonah Lomu awaited.

We had one final opportunity from a line out on the Australian 10 metre line. I had been practising drop goals the day before with our kicking coach Dave Alred from all over Newlands and I knew if we secured decent lineout ball it was in range. I said to Will Carling that I was going to give it a go – I’m not sure whether he believed me or not ! Brian Moore threw in to the giant Martin Bayfield, the rest of the pack drove the Australian pack back about 10 days taking me to the 10 metre line and in range. Dewi Morris delivered a perfectly directed left to right scrum half pass and all I had to do was catch, drop and kick. Fortunately I struck it very sweetly and it sailed high between the posts. 25-22.

There was still time for Australia to kick off. All we needed to do was secure possession and Dewi Morris hammered the ball downfield and into touch. We were in the semi final and had got one over our great rivals who had inflicted such pain on us in the 1991 Final.

Memory added on June 23, 2014

Comments (Add your voice)

No comments have yet been added to this memory.

Add a comment

Mark as favourite