Recalling Scotland's World Cup of 1995 - the year the Springboks joined the party and stole the show

1995 was the third World Cup and the last amateur one.

The collapse of apartheid in South Africa and the election of Nelson Mandela as the first President of what was already being called “the Rainbow Nation” allowed the Springboks to participate for the first time, and indeed the tournament was staged in South Africa, prematurely, some thought. It would be memorable also for the first appearance of New Zealand’s fast and very powerful wing Jonah Lomu.

Scotland came off a good Five Nations, three matches won, losing only to England at Twickenham. The French match in Paris had been devilish close, won 23-21 in the last minutes when Gregor Townsend’s back-handed pass – to be remembered as the “Toony flip” – sent Gavin Hastings surging through to score under the posts.

Scotland and France were again in the same World Cup pool and both were all but certain to get through to the quarter-final, the others in the pool being Tonga and the Ivory Coast. Scotland indeed beat both comfortably. Heading the pool was however important, for the winner would meet either Ireland or Wales in the quarter-final, while the loser would face New Zealand.

Graham Shiel of Scotland during the Rugby World Cup, Pretoria, 11th June 1995. New Zealand beat Scotland 48-30. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

The match in Paris had shown there was little between the two teams and the line-ups in Pretoria were much the same, though Scotland were unfortunate to be without Townsend who missed the whole tournament on account of a knee injury. His replacement Graham Shiel was a fine player, the best passer of a ball in Scotland, but lacking Townsend’s ability to do the brilliant unexpected.

The XV that lined up against France was: Gavin Hastings (Watsonians) captain, Craig Joiner (Melrose), Scott Hastings (Watsonians), Graham Shiel (Melrose), Kenny Logan (Stirling County), Craig Chalmers (Melrose), Bryan Redpath (Melrose), David Hilton (Bath), Kenny Milne (Heriot’s FP), Peter Wright (Boroughmuir), Damian Cronin (Bourges), Doddie Weir (Melrose), Rob Wainwright (West Hartlepool), Iain Morrison (London Scottish), Eric Peters (Bath). Only Bath of these clubs would appear in international team-sheets in the professional era.

Scotland dominated the first half and led 13-3 at the interval with two Gavin Hastings penalties and a try by Wainwright converted by Hastings. The second half was more even, but after Hastings missed a couple of penalties, the French scrum-half Thierry Lacroix kiickd two. Further penalties were exchanged and, as full-time approached Scotland still led 19-15. France attacked again and again, until in what would have been the last move of the match, the great right wing Emile Ntamack (father of today’s brilliant fly-half Romain) broke through a tackle weakened by his side-step to score in the corner. Lacroix converted: 22-19.

Some said we had let victory slip from our grasp, others, more reasonably, that France had snatched it away.

The quarter-final against New Zealand was an entertaining match, but the All Blacks were on top throughout and never looked like losing. The final score was 48-30, the young Doddie Weir scoring two tries. It was the end of Gavin Hastings’ great career. He had captained both Scotland and the Lions, and was unquestionably one of our greatest full-backs, though where you rank him against Ken Scotland, Andy Irvine, Chris Paterson and Stuart Hogg is matter for argument.

After a comfortable win against Ireland, France after their last minute win against Scotland came close to repeating it in the semi-final against South Africa in a match played on a wet pitch after a thunder-storm. They seemed to have forced their way over the try-line and grounded the ball, but the Welsh referee Derek Bevan denied them the score and there was not yet any TMO to suggest otherwise. Bevan was later to be embarrassed when Louis Loyt, president of the South African Rugby Union, praised his refereeing and presented him with a gold watch.

So the hosts were in the Final where they found the All Blacks strangely subdued. No tries were scored, only penalties. The game went to extra time and Joel Stransky, the Springbok fly-half dropped a goal to win the Cup. It was a very emotional occasion, the sight of Nelson Mandela wearing a Springbok jersey and embracing Francois Pienaar, the winning captain, vivid evidence of the new South Africa – even if, as yet, there was only one non-white in the winning XV.