Living His Dream

Withone ‘beautiful scrumball’, Joost proved his brilliance– andhelped to create South African rugbyhistory.

- Richard Van Rensburg

A PERFECT pass that led to the winning kick – and one of the most unforgettable moments in world sport. This was the feat that confirmed what rugby fans had suspected ever since 22-year-old Joost Heystek van der Westhuizen scored a try in his debut Test against Argentina in Buenos Aires: this was a guy with big-match temperament.

It was the Boks’ first Rugby World Cup and there was everything to play for. In extra time the Boks scrummed down against the mighty All Blacks on their 25 m line. With the scoreboard reading 12-12 it was make or break. 

Would Joost blow it if he was caught in possession by the now desperate Kiwis? A knock-on,maybe, a pass to the wrong manor a fumble?

Not a chance. After more than 90 gruelling minutes Joost was still 100 percent focused and there was a spring in his step as he fed the ball into the scrum, then moved around to his eighth man.

He avoided a frantic attempt by the Kiwi No 9, Graeme Bachop, to stop his pass and got the ball to Joel Stransky with an accurate pass.

Stransky took one step forward before executing a perfect drop kick and . . . the rest is rugby history – so special it was captured in the big screen epic Invictus, starring Hollywood heavyweights Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon.

“Beautiful scrum ball!” one commentator enthused.

It later emerged the Boks changed their plans at the last moment. They’d originally planned to attack with their loose forwards, Joel revealed to YOU 18 years later, “but I realised there was an opportunity for a drop goal.