KEY POINTS:
The 1995 World Cup will forever be remembered for the exploits of Jonah Lomu and the attempt by media mogul Kerry Packer to hijack the sport.
Some Kiwis might also say the notorious Suzie - the alleged hotel worker who supposedly poisoned the All Blacks tea before the final - was a major feature.
But really, 1995 was all about Jonah and, right up until the final, it was all about the All Blacks. It was the All Blacks who played the spectacular rugby and it was the All Blacks who looked the team to beat.
Ian Jones, the 79-times capped lock who played in that tournament, says the squad got the first inkling they were on the right track when they attended a training camp in Queenstown at the end of 1994.
"Laurie Mains [All Black coach] had used a lot of players in 1993 and 1994, and by the end of 1994 we set the way we were going. At that Queenstown camp we knew that we were going to up the tempo, play with width and to do that we had to really work on our skill and fitness levels."
The All Blacks were fortunate that their mixed bag of results in 1993 and 1994 allowed them to travel to South Africa as an uncertain quantity. For once, they were not the favourites and being on the edge of the limelight suited the squad just fine.
As did the fact the tournament was being hosted by just one country.
"We had trained really well in the lead-up and we had a lot of belief," says Jones. "Once we got there, everywhere you went the tournament would be in the newspapers and on the TV and we really hooked into that spirit. That was very different to how it had been in 1991."
By the end of the pool rounds, the All Blacks had established themselves as favourites. They easily beat Ireland and Wales and then they hammered Japan by a record score of 145-17.
The French had been convincing in topping their pool ahead of Scotland and South Africa, having beaten Australia in the opening game, were growing in confidence.
England were the other serious threat. They had won a Grand Slam earlier that year and had weathered the surprisingly potent pool challenges posed by Samoa, Italy and Argentina.
New Zealand brushed past Scotland 48-30 in the quarterfinal to set up a semifinal against England, while South Africa cruised past Samoa to face a French side that was looking ominously good.
But no one was looking past the All Blacks for the simple reason that they had the most devastating asset on their left wing.
Lomu had got himself properly fit and as Jones said: "He just seemed to relish the environment and as the tournament went on he grew in confidence. A guy that big, fast and strong was something pretty special.
"You have to remember we also had a brilliant pairing in the midfield, Walter Little and Frank Bunce. Jeff Wilson on the other wing was a special talent as was Glen Osborne at fullback and the forwards were giving Andrew Mehrtens some quality ball."
There was talent throughout the team, but it was Lomu who destroyed England on his own with an extraordinary four-try effort that will live forever in the memory of those lucky enough to see the game live.
South Africa scraped past France at a sodden Kings Park and the organisers had the dream final they craved. The old foes would slug it out and slug it out they did.
The All Blacks couldn't get their wide game going and every time they tried to cut loose there would be a pile of green jerseys wading in to stop momentum ever being built.
Jones says the All Blacks were never complacent about the game. "We knew playing South Africa in South Africa was going to be a massive challenge. We didn't make the mistake of looking too far ahead or worrying what everyone else was doing.
"All tournament we focused on ourselves. The only bit of forward planning we did was at one of the training camps when we worked on a switch kick-off that we used against England. We trained well in that final week but, unfortunately, what happened happened."
What happened was the Springboks clinched an extra-time 15-12 victory with a Joel Stransky drop-goal.
