NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Rugby / All Blacks

Rugby World Cup: A Captain's Cup podcast, part 3: Francois Pienaar and the 1995 Springboks

NZ Herald
20 Sep, 2019 12:00 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

'A Captain's Cup', episode 3 features 1995 World Cup-winning captain Francois Pienaar.

'A Captain's Cup', episode 3 features 1995 World Cup-winning captain Francois Pienaar.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

'A Captain's Cup' - an exclusive eight-part Radio Sport podcast series every Friday in which Louis Herman-Watt and Daniel McHardy interview every Rugby World Cup-winning captain. In episode 3, Francois Pienaar discusses the events which marred the Springboks' 1995 success, how Jonah Lomu was kept in check in the final, and the impact of former president Nelson Mandela.

A Captain's Cup episode 3: Francois Pienaar

Former Springboks captain Francois Pienaar has revealed how the historic Rugby World Cup triumph in 1995 was overshadowed by post-match events - forcing him to lead a walkout of his team from a celebratory dinner.

In Episode 3 of Radio Sport's exclusive eight-part series A Captain's Cup, Pienaar, whose Boks won an epic final 15-12 after extra time, lifts the lid on former South African rugby boss Louis Luyt's acrimonious comments - that his country would have won the 1987 and 1991 tournaments had it not been for their international ban over the apartheid atrocities - ruffled a few feathers.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"There were no true world champions in the 1987 and 1991 World Cups because South Africa were not there. We have proved our point," Luyt said.

Luyt also presented Welsh referee Derek Bevan - whose controversial call handed South Africa victory in the semifinal against France - with a gold watch worth $2000 at the same banquet.

Speaking to Radio Sport's Daniel McHardy, Pienaar confirmed the Boks team had left the banquet after Luyt's comments.

"It [Luyt giving Bevan a watch] was wrong. It definitely pissed me off. And also what happened after the final, the evening. I was embarrassed by it," Pienaar said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

When asked if he led his team out in protest, Pienaar said: "I did" before jokingly adding, "Can I draw a line in the sand with that one, please?".

A Captain's Cup, part 1: David Kirk and the 1987 All Blacks
A Captain's Cup, part 2: Nick Farr-Jones and the 1991 Wallabies

The Boks claimed victory through a Joel Stransky drop goal late in extra time, after a large number of All Blacks had mysteriously fallen ill a few days earlier from a suspected bout of food poisoning.

According to Pienaar, the Boks' plan to counter an "insane" Jonah Lomu in the final was devised last-minute.

Discover more

Sport|rugby

Exclusive new podcast: Why All Blacks really won 87 World Cup

06 Sep 12:00 AM
Rugby World Cup

Captain's Cup: McCaw reveals how All Blacks overcame 2007 despair

17 Oct 11:00 PM
All Blacks

Exclusive new podcast: How All Blacks helped Wallabies win the World Cup

13 Sep 12:00 AM
Rugby World Cup

Captain's Cup podcast: The English dropgoal that stunned the rugby world

03 Oct 11:00 PM
Former South African president Nelson Mandela, Springboks captain Francois Pienaar and the Webb Ellis trophy. Photo / Photosport
Former South African president Nelson Mandela, Springboks captain Francois Pienaar and the Webb Ellis trophy. Photo / Photosport

Though Lomu announced himself to the rugby world with seven tries during the tournament (including four in the semifinal against England), he was unable to penetrate the South African defence.

"Jonah Lomu is one of the greatest athletes to ever play the game. I don't know if we'll see the likes of him again. He became the first international rugby superstar. What he did in '95 was just incredible," Pienaar said.

"You were just gobsmacked that this guy was so big, so fast, so skilfull ... and he's going to play against you.

"The team, I think Brendan (Venter) and Hennie (le Roux), chatted quite a bit about this. We realised because of his (Lomu's) speed and strength if you give him the outside gap, he's gone. We had to force him into traffic and that was our gameplan, to force him into traffic and to stop him from scoring tries.

"The respect we had for Jonah Lomu in South Africa relayed onto the rugby field – he never ever scored against us."

Pienaar famously lifted the Webb Ellis trophy with iconic former South African president Nelson Mandela by his side.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mandela's impact on the team - and a divided country on the brink of civil war - was absolutely pivotal, Pienaar said.

Yet, it almost had a detrimental effect on the Boks.

Jonah Lomu terrified opponents during the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Photo / Photosport
Jonah Lomu terrified opponents during the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Photo / Photosport

"Through the tournament, there was this interaction with greatness, with Madiba. That had a tremendous effect but when he walked into our changeroom [moments before the start of the final] … I'm going through strategy, keeping the guys calm, and there's a knock on the door.

"He walks in and he's wearing the Springbok [jersey]. That was just the most emotional time. When he turns around I see my number 6 is on his back. When he left we had to refocus the side - we had to become more calm, more focused."

The All Blacks knew they were in trouble before the kickoff, Pienaar claims.

"Later [All Blacks captain] Sean Fitzpatrick said to me he saw the tears running down the [South African] guys' cheeks and he thought: 'This is going to be a tough one'."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Love your rugby? Subscribe now to NZ Herald Premium for unlimited access to premium content, including our exclusive, first-class rugby coverage. Check out our special rugby offer here

Save

    Share this article

Latest from All Blacks

Premium
All Blacks

'Exceeded my expectations': Barrett on transformative Irish rugby journey

04 Jul 09:00 PM
Premium
All Blacks

Where the test will be won: Why France's rookies give All Blacks an edge

04 Jul 07:01 PM
All Blacks

All Blacks captain says inexperienced French team will ‘fire everything at us’

04 Jul 06:23 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from All Blacks

Premium
'Exceeded my expectations': Barrett on transformative Irish rugby journey

'Exceeded my expectations': Barrett on transformative Irish rugby journey

04 Jul 09:00 PM

Jordie Barrett will seek to showcase his Irish intelligence for the All Blacks on Saturday

Premium
Where the test will be won: Why France's rookies give All Blacks an edge

Where the test will be won: Why France's rookies give All Blacks an edge

04 Jul 07:01 PM
All Blacks captain says inexperienced French team will ‘fire everything at us’

All Blacks captain says inexperienced French team will ‘fire everything at us’

04 Jul 06:23 AM
Premium
Why switching Ioane and Vaa'i could redefine All Blacks' strategy

Why switching Ioane and Vaa'i could redefine All Blacks' strategy

03 Jul 06:01 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP