Sneak peek: 1995 Rugby World Cup - 20 years on

South Africa celebrate as John Kronfeld and Graeme Bachop look dejected. Photo / Herald

Over the next three days, Herald rugby writer Wynne Gray looks back on the 1995 Rugby World Cup - an entertaining tournament that culminated with one of the memorable matches of all time. Ahead of the series, Gray talks to the referee of the final, Ed Morrison.

He might have won the World Cup for an expectant nation but Springboks first five-eighths Joel Stransky has never watched a replay of the famous 1995 Rugby World Cup final won against the All Blacks in extra time.

Referee Ed Morrison hasn't watched it, either.

"I wanted this memory to stay in my mind and I did not want anything to cloud that and that might sound cowardly but it is not meant to be," said Morrison, who has a famed photo of the match in his house. "I don't talk about it often, only when people ask me questions and this might be the longest I have spoken about it."

Morrison is reflecting 20 years after the event, and which will be part of a special three-part Herald series looking back on the 1995 Rugby World Cup held in South Africa.

He had the most intimate view of the final between the All Blacks and Springboks. As the world's most celebrated rugby rivalry surged through 100 minutes of extra-time tension, Morrison, in his grey jersey with blue, black and red horizontal stripes stayed in focus.

The 63-year-old did his job on Saturday, attended the infamous after-match dinner that night in Johannesburg and was back home in Bristol on Monday.

"It was a privilege for me to witness people playing rugby in that way and it was a delight to watch it from a privileged position," he recalls.

Morrison was puzzled about the condition of a couple of All Blacks but remains grateful All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick never mentioned his side were battling illness.

They disagree on one pass which freed All Blacks dangerman Jonah Lomu into space.

Morrison was in line and ruled it forward, All Blacks coach Laurie Mains is adamant it was legitimate and Fitzpatrick stirs the debate when he regularly sees Morrison in the UK.
"There are not many days I don't think about it and what we could have done differently but, apparently, I will get over that eventually," Fitzpatrick quips.

The Springboks were the All Blacks' greatest rivals and the 1995 World Cup final was an epic match in that lengthy conflict.

"I don't think we will see a Springbok-All Blacks final at this year's World Cup," Fitzpatrick says. I" think it will be a semifinal which will be a travesty."

In a range of video interviews on nzherald.co.nz and a written series starting in tomorrow's NZ Herald, the All Blacks campaign manager Brian Lochore, manager Colin Meads, coach Laurie Mains, team doctor Mike Bowen, captain Sean Fitzpatrick, Springbok Joel Stransky and referee Ed Morrison give us their insights into events surrounding the 1995 RWC.