KEY POINTS:
DURBAN - It's almost five years ago but the memories are still vivid for Richie McCaw and Aaron Mauger.
August 10, 2002. Their first rugby tests on South African soil, at Durban's Absa Stadium before 52,000 screaming fans including one particularly angry character. Remember the name Piet van
Zyl?
"It was a bit of a shock and we were a bit worried for him really. We didn't know what the guy's agenda was but he got sorted out pretty quick," said Mauger, referring to van Zyl's attack on Irish referee David McHugh.
Middle-aged van Zyl, clad in jeans and a faded Springboks jersey straining to hold in its contents, lumbered onto the field and lunged at McHugh.
McCaw and Springbok AJ Venter rushed to McHugh's aid and wrestled the giant Boer free, but not before the referee suffered a dislocated shoulder. He was carried off on a medical buggy, and an unrepentant van Zyl, nose bleeding, led away by police to face a lifetime ban from South African rugby grounds.
"It was my first test in South Africa so it was pretty special, then that added something a bit different. I guess you always remember it because of that incident," McCaw said.
Was he difficult to bring down?
"He was -- it was a bit of a bizarre thing to happen really. I didn't know what was going on."
Chris White took over the whistle and the All Blacks regrouped better after the 10-minute delay as everyone came to terms with what had just happened.
Mauger, playing his 11th test, broke the deadlock with the matchwinning try as the All Blacks won 30-23.
"I remember the try and I also remember the ref being attacked, those two things stand out," Mauger said.
"It was an exciting game, only my second year as an All Black. I remember thinking during the game 'this is what it's all about'."
Venter recalled the irony this week, perhaps the only time a fan has robbed the Springboks of a test win.
"The really annoying thing is that Piet probably cost us the game. We had the momentum at that stage, we were in a good rhythm and feeling good," Venter told the Mercury newspaper.
That was the last time the sides met in Durban, a city with largely unhappy memories for the All Blacks.
The teams have played here six times, with the All Blacks winning just two.
It took the All Blacks 68 years to win in Durban after their 0-17 loss in 1928. That breakthrough victory happened on the 1996 tour, 23-19 in the second test of the All Blacks' historic first series win in South Africa.
A disputed late try from hooker James Dalton snatched a 24-23 win for the hosts in 1998 before Mauger's late score got some revenge four years later.
HISTORY
Results of All Blacks rugby tests in Durban:
1928: South Africa 17 New Zealand 0
1949: SA 9 NZ 3
1976: SA 16 NZ 7
1996: NZ 23 SA 19
1998: SA 24 NZ 23
2002: NZ 30 SA 23
Summary: played 6, SA won 4, NZ won 2.
- NZPA