Sean Fitzpatrick, Eric Rush and Frank Bunce tell sportasylum.com about the bout of food poisoning that hit the All Blacks on the eve of the 1995 Rugby World Cup final
In 2001, Nelson Mandela's former Chief of Security and appointed Security Liaison for the New Zealand All Blacks during the 1995 Rugby World Cup, wrote a book. In it, he claimed that the All Blacks were indeed, poisoned.
France were also robbed in the 1995 semi final against SA when the ref disallowed a try which would have won them the game. Check it out on youtube. It should have been France v NZ in the final.
+Andrew T South Africans would rather forget about things like that, no way their precious Rugby Team could lose to a Country like France, no way in hell lol.
I'm a Brit, yet the Kiwis were cheated out of that world cup. Fucking Bokks. Food poisoning, then last minute, the ball goes wide to Lomu, he has one man to beat and the ref blew it as a forward pass. It wasn't forwards!! The embarrassing thing is, the match still only came down to a drop goal.
Well, bet you didn’t see Sean Fit doing a Hollywood to try to milk a penalty in front of the posts. Pathetic- the very epitome of bad sportsmanship fro the so called captain - and then a captain’s choice in 2023 (by the great Sam Cain ) to forget how to tackle. Wind your neck in - AB’s were just incapable of winning on the day. Toughies
I agree, "... maybe it was closer in the amateur days but in the professional era...". Like I said, before 1992, the Boks had a >50% win ratio against the Blacks.
Probably fans or gamblers who wanted to make sure of their money's worth. I think the Springboks are clean and had nothing to do with it, but I agree the food poisoning must have affected their performance.
Dude, we were top for 80-odd years - having a positive win ratio against all international teams before we were banned. When we came back in 1992 you guys slowly overtook us. So your no. 1 spot is actually fairly recent. This year we've won 2, lost 0 against the blacks. You guys had our number most of the time in the past 15 years or so, but right now we're on top. Give credit where credit is due.
To this day, everyone knows the real winners were the All Blacks. They were an amazing team, far superior to the South Africans and, despite the result, they lit up the tournament. Everone realises that. Who gives a fuck about the stats? Being rugby virgin at the time, and living in Scotland, I can still remember most of the All Blacks players. The only Springbok player i remember is Matt Damon. I think he played in the back row
As a Nation South Africa needed to win. None of the interviewed all blacks blame the food poisoning on the loss. No bad losers there. It's a world cup. sometimes the best teams don't win. South Africa are the best team in the world right now. they deserve it. 1995 possibly but probably not, Australia probably was the best team the year England won. Roll on the next world cup:)
Have the All Blacks ever lost a world cup with grace - why does there always have to be an excuse? Is it really so hard to admit that the better side won?
NELSON MANDELAS bodyguard has released a book CONFIRMING that the poisoning did happen! So NZ i hope will win the 2011 and 2015 world cups (that way won away from home) then justice will be done and we can prove that we are really the best team, nt just in between world cups. Also be even better if one is against SA and the other against france haha.
Still full of excuses? Suzy this and Suzy that.We won the 95 RWC despite having an obvious try disallowed. Granted, the Blacks have a better track record since readmission, and they will always be a quality side, but right now the Boks are tops. They are the better team. No gloating involved - it's just a fact. I know it must sting, but beal with it!!
We don't have any. We out-played you in Dunedin, and you out-played us in the other 2 games. No excuses. Do you have any excuses for this years Tri-Nations? Or are you willing to admit you were beaten by a better team?
Oh, I forgot, we poisened all the team munchies of those we beat. Especially the Limeys...I mean, 36-0 is pretty bloody amazing. Must have been the food. Bunce is a dunce!
NZ also had their little tricks - like drafting boxers into the national team. So don't come moaning now that the ABs are looking shakey, and the Boks are dominating! What I said may be considered crap where you come from, but over in SA we also talk about biased NZ officials. Remember the infamous "Let's get the Japies" letter from a few years back? SA match officials were possibly biased in the old days (as were their NZ counterparts). The difference is that NZ refs are still crooked!
did it happen???? in a Country of corruption, ignorance, bigotry & racism???? yes it probably did. did south africa win probably the greatest world cup final to date??? yes they did. one of lifes mysteries that will never ever be proven.
I don't know what happened, but the All Blacks performance on the day was well below what they had produced in the tournament. If you watch the game, they hardly ever got into the SA 22, and never really looked like scoring a try. They never had periods of sustained pressure. Now, obviously full credit to the Boks'' defense which was awesome. It just seems like the fall off in performance between the semi and the final was massive. But I guess that can happen even without food poisoning....see 2019 for England's performance in the final which was dire.
They played so well considering.one off the great all black teams,the way they handled the situation was great,no winching or pointing the finger just took it on the chin,bring on 2011.
In this age of global media there are no intentionally crooked referees, the whole of NZ was pissed off at Wayne Barnes for missing the forward pass in the 2007 quarter final, but no one thought he had missed it deliberately. SA was a different case back in the day, ive seen the games with my own eyes there were some shocking calls. To be fair, SA was a violent country then. who would you rather piss off, 15 tourists or thousands of angry Jarpies. Can hardly blame them really
Unfortunately the match will always be clouded in suspicion, but the final result was the best thing for a rebuilding South Africa. The All Blacks were apart of something bigger then rugby that day. The 2011 All Blacks may have won the world cup, but 1995 All Blacks were far superior, even though they losted they played rugby I have never seen before not even today. From 1 to 15 they were virtually unmatched. Congratulation Boks, you were better then us on the day
Wat do u mean far superior in 1995 compared to 2011,there were more professional players in 2011 then in 95,that was 16yrs after 95,the players in 2011 and now are way bigger way faster way fitter more skillfull and they are now clocking up way more test caps then the All Blacks of yester year,the 2015 RWC team were rated as the best All Black team of all time in the most successful era in All Black rugby world cup history when they were the first eva All Black team to win back to back RWC tournaments,the gap between other countries in 2015 had closed bigtime and now 2019 it has fully shut closed,with the harder competition now I'm really not convinced 95 team were far superior.
The guy admits that the coach had them on 'rabbit' food the entire time but the team decided to go to Pizza Hut on the day of suspected poisoning. Then blames the dinner instead of the junk food pizza they all ate?
Bro thats the Bro not the guy ..yeah Rushy is saying he snuck off ate pizza hut earlier , turned up to dinner time full up from pizza hut...so ate hardly any dinner food-therefore missing the poisoned dinner food
mmkay.. my point is wherever and whoever this came from. it had nothing to do with the average SA rugby fan. Spitting vitriol 15 years after the fact and having arguments about it wont get anyone anywhere except for creating animosity where there is no need. I always thought SA & NZ fans & players have great respect for each other, pity about some of the comments on here...
If anyone who knows anything about Rugby have seen the 95 final you will know that neither team gave an inch, not a single NZ player looked "off" his game. The game was won in over time with a drop goal, it was an epic match between arguably the world's 2 greatest teams. Deep down we know how lucky we were but as Gary Player said; "the more i practice, the luckier i get" In the end the event was much more important than anyone realised but that doesnt take anything away from an epic game
Didn't you listen to the video. They went to some dodgy pizza place after eating rabbit food for a few weeks. No wonder they got the shits. That was just plain stupid on their behalf. They were beten fair and square - even with Ruben Kruger's try being dissallowed.
There's no doubt about the food poisoning, I wouldn't be surprised if the order came from the top SA needed it politically and socially at the time. You can see that SA would resort to that as some of the players were on the roids any advantage would be taken by SA cold and clinical.
Oh yeah... Nowhere do i see "Jonah Lomu-Steroids Usage". No wonder he scored five tries against England. And yet South Africa managed to pillage him wherever he went. Thats true courage and a team of true rugby players. We will wait and see for the excuse that comes out when New Zealand lose 2011.
I think the All Blacks are looking good for next year, they are speeding up the game and not many teams will be able to last 80mins with them next World Cup. South Africa are peaking but their dominance may come to a halt this year. The Wallabies will be dangerous if they fix their scrum, they have a very dangerous backline. Come on ABz!
Anything is possible and i would never put it past any politician to sink that low hwever i dont think you can question the integrity of people like Mandela, Francois Pienaar, Kitch Christie (coach) or Morne Du Plessis-Manager (i.e. Springbok Team & politicians) by suggesting there was a South African conspiracy. More likely i would think that it was a bunch of bookies who wanted to fix the game as Rory Steyn said. Whatever happened, it didnt stop the AB's from playing in the final did it?
Pfft. thats bullshit. South Africa was noted as the worst place to play away. it was impossible to beat them at home against 16 players. Once TV cameras and neutral referees were introduced the All Blacks began to beat South Africa at home more and more.. i wonder why that was... The 68 lions test was a classic example. Transvaal players kick the shit out of a player unprovoked, the player is then sent off. The "99" call was derived directly from the terribly biased SA refereeing.
Surely you don't mean Kevin Skinner? He was a brilliant rugby player that also happend to be a boxer. One of the best props NZ has ever produced, you act like the only reason he was in the team was because he could box. And the ABs aren't looking shakey mate we're just fine. How old are Matfield, Smit and Du Preez? 30ish? They arent going to be around forever. NZ have blooded alot of new players lately. And you must be taking the piss if you think there are still crooked referees
@jmanistheman12345678 Can't you read? I'm English. Everyone seems to go on about the Kiwis finding excuses, but i only know about this and France in 07. And they have every right to complain, they were disgraceful matches.
@T3rminat0r2020 So not that big of a load of trash then? I'm sure most of the guys didn't really make excuses about the loss. Personally I don't think it would have made a difference in the outcome
Good to see them come out and tell it how it was and not being all PC and sweeping it under the table for fear of offending someone. SA won that world cup and good on them! But why would you make up something as random as food poisoning if it wasn't true. More jealousy towards the best team in the world
Yeah I know what you mean....how close have the irish ever got to the winning the world cup. At least people actually interview the AB's about this sort of stuff.
We had the upper hand for 60-odd years pre-isolation. You have had the upper hand since readmission, but that seems to be changin. To be honest, I think looking for excuses to justify AB losses makes you the "sad little man". Yes, SA wasn't a violent country. At least the SA rugby watching public or "Jarpies" you were refering to didn't live in a violent country. The violence happened in the black areas. Only since the end of apartheid has it spilled over into what were previously white areas
You are a sad little man if you still think the referees are all plotting against you. I dont believe suzi exists, that was merely a shoddy PI making a buck. Mandellas chief of security seemed to think she did however. And also, Just throwing some names out there, George Nepia, Wilson Whineray, Ben Couch. Just a few greats of the game that we werent allowed to field pre isolation because they were too Maori. Nepia is in the hall of fame. im sure he could have helped out a bit.
All world cups that ABs have lost they have deserved to lose EXCEPT the 1995. 1991 too arrogant and players too old, 1999 too arrogant and nt gd enough when copunts, 2003 shit coach and gameplan was not gd enough.2007 not any backup plan for when things go wrong (such as shit ref or carter getting injured). That just leaves 1995, NZ were robbed through FOOD POISONING, if you still dont believe that then why was Jeff wilson shown puking on sideline also
If we're making fun of accents then all I have to say is fush en chups! ;) Hope your "record" keeps you warm at night. I'm happy to just hang on to all the silverware.
Correct, "best sides doesn't always win do they". But good side don't make excuses either. P.S. The sides that lost to the club sides where ANC Bok sides - that's far from the real thing.
It was kinda hard to win in south africa with those "neutral" referees.. i saw a few of the cavaliers games. Absolutely shocking baised refereeing, by all accounts it was even worse before tv cameras were watching.
I'll watch the game again. Maybe I remember only the good stuff however I have no "guilt" about winning 95. We had a bloody and hard road all the way to the final and deserved to win. What happened with the All Blacks had nothing to do with SA, its team or supporters. We have won it again since so i feel we've been vindicated as "proper" World Champions whatever happened in the final. AB's have been winners once and that was in a year that SA wasnt allowed to play. :-p
Abs should have had 4 by now if the south africans didnt cheat, it was a close game against a poisoned team. Lol thats just pathetic if you are proud of it.
firslty you guys wernt at all top for 80 years the days of the all black invincibles- 1920's etc. In the 50's the all blacks went unbeaten for something like 2 years. the positive win ration for nz has has been recorded since something like 1900. NZ this year is chasing a 5th consecutive tri nations title (9 overall) sa only has 2 titles to their name. maybe it was closer in the amateur days but in the professional era the All Blacks are undoubtedly the best team.
@duncandohnut1993 ye well i mean the food could have been off,which is unfortunate..noone knows and noone will ever know.its just stupid looking at stuff u cant change
Well Kiwibasher it sounds like your not good at this either, if all I did for a living was bash birds all day and all night, then obviously my bank balance would not be worth meditating upon wouldn't it...
I had enjoyed the movie INVICTUS and was truely inspired by what I believed was a great victory? In my research, I am shocked to learn of the AB's misfortune. What I thought to be a series of excuses are actually undocumented facts. Food poisoning 48hrs before a game and dining the AB's in a seperate room only to have 30 out of 35 turn up with stomach cramps? (to coincidental 4me) Was Mandela a man of freedom also willing to be unfair, unjust and stoop down this low to achieve his aim? GO FIGURE
@duncandohnut1993 ye i read the english thing after i commented my bad.07 maybe they can complain but not 95..as people get food poisoned all the time,and i doubt it was deliberate.they just were'nt used to the food.they played a good game of rugby and lost.every team in the world who loses never make excuses,except they criticise their own team.nz should stop looking in the past and start looking at what they can do next year.
@watawatan0w I'm assuming you're talking about Botha headbutting Cowan.... He provoked him?? Cowan tugged on his jersey.. that doesn't really warrant getting the back of his head smacked like that. Botha's the dirtiest player in the game so it's ironic that he'd get pissed off at someone pulling him back slightly. SA fans are just as bad as Kiwi fans... get over it
All good we won’t back to back tittles 2011 and 2015 let’s just get over it.. the way the bokks are playing they might get back to back titles this year but I’m never going to count the all blacks out even though foster has ruined the all blacks under his rain
@jmanistheman12345678 haha, don't need to. Already number 1 :P I just thought it seemed fairly coincidental the food poisoning would occur a few days before the final and not at any time before that. I mean they were in the country for a month or so for the world cup. Ah well. SA played well in that match. Not many teams can prevent Lomu from scoring. But still...
@LionsRoamFreeHaydnG haha, lomu steroids? your kidding right? there will be none. lets hope rsa even get to the semis yeah? your team is ageing under high ball tactics that have been left behind. nzl and australia will demolish the springboks back to rsa mate. excuses? haha, there not excuses, there what happened.
if anything its humiliating for the springboks...even with food poisoning it took a drop goal in xtra xtra time at home just to beat that ABs team....everyone knows who the best team at the tournament really was
Frank Bunce tells it like it is.......SOUR GRAPES. The springbok team of 95 was superior, man for man, to the all blacks.... it was fairly obvious that the only gameplan of the mighty kiwis was to give the ball to the giant and let him score the tries. Lomu was worked out by then and taken out, even james small our normal sized winger flung him off the fieldat one stage. We scored a perfectly legal try that day as well. Springboks : Played 4 won 2
Eric u should tell the story of you trying to build a Resort in Fiji and you tried to use the tax payers money in Fiji to build.Not a smart qualified Lawyer are you to cover your tracks 😏🤫🤭
South Africa wouldn't of had a chance beating us in that final if not for the food poisoning, A well Lomu would of blown them off the park they know that. To me South Africa are really only 1 time RWC Champions... their Cricket team are still bigtime chokers too in cricket world cups lol.
+Luke Hill lol your team still only beat us by a measly 3 points and most of our team were sick as dogs, Thats why they had to have our team poisoned cause they knew they couldnt beat a healthy all blacks team on that day. France couldn't get the Job done against us I will admit they played very well and we took them too lightly but they still come up short their time will come to win a World Cup but I dont see it happening at this years WC, I see it being an All Blacks vs England World Cup Final TBH, your team got beaten by Pumas recently who have never beaten us once,QQ more LMAO. Also I find it hilarious how Ireland are even ahead of SA in the current world rankings, 4th place ... HAHAHA.
+Tombstone416 I love how salty south africans get about their precious team man, they just got their ass beat by Japan in the world cup we all know Japan is a minnow team hahaha, their team sucks balls now. and the last World Cup they won was boring as fuck just mostly penalty kicks and drop goals lol.
+Luke Hill fact of the matter is we still have never been beaten by Japan, back in the 95 world cup we demolished them 145-17 this was when the AB's werent sick , another stat for you salty South Africans All Blacks: Ranked No 1 in the world, a position they have held more than all other nations combined. it must bother you guys that the Japan team that beat you has NZ Born players playing for them too lol
+Cameron du toit hope you guys ready for this Sunday, your team looks so average compared to ours, Beaten by Japan, just scrape past a average Wales outfit, lol good luck you gonna need it. ;)
