#BokFriday: Springbok rugby legend shares RWC memories

THE 10th men’s Rugby World Cup is well underway with South Africa already securing two wins against Scotland and Romania. Northglen News will be interviewing rugby coaches, former Boks and fans of the game about their expectations and love for the game as the World Cup continues.

This week, we feature Sharks and Springbok legend and 1995 World Cup winner, Mark Andrews.

Andrews, who played as a lock and 8th man, represented the Boks in 77 tests and scored 12 tries. He also played in two world cups, namely the 1995 and 1999 tournaments.

Andrews was the 602nd Springbok to be capped in history.

What is your earliest Rugby World Cup memory?

“As a player, it was the 1995 RWC. The tournament for us began in Cape Town with the opening game against the prior Rugby World Cup champions, Australia, at Newlands. The week prior to the test was one I will never forget for a number of reasons. The first was that we were introduced to our VIP security detail who were there to protect us from any potential threats to our safety. I remember seeing these guys in the hotel dressed in our official Springbok tracksuits and wondering who the hell they were as only the players and management had our official kit. It turns out that these were the police VIP guys, and they had been kitted out like players – the only difference was, where we had boots and gum guards in our kitbags, they had machine guns and surveillance gear.

“It was always funny to watch when we arrived at training, and as we always had one of the security guys on the bus with us at all times, to see the guy get up and get off the bus with his tracksuit and kitbag, knowing that he had a machine gun in his kitbag while we had our boots and training gear. It was also funny to watch supporters ask for autographs, and so as to not break his cover, he had to learn how to sign rugby balls and jerseys from often very confused fans who could not work out who he was but as he was kitted like us and travelled with us, he must be a player. The other very memorable incident during the week was when we met the former president, Nelson Mandela, at our silver-mine training facility after a training session. It was a very humbling experience to see how Nelson Mandela carried himself without any semblance of grandeur or self-importance. It is a pity our current leaders never learnt how a true leader leads.”

What is your favourite Rugby World Cup memory?

“Before I answer this, I would like to pre-empt my reply with some background. Prior to us playing in the semi-final against the French in Durban, I had been called into the coach’s room and told that I was going to be playing 8th man in the match and not my preferred position of lock. The French had four recognised lineout jumpers, and we had one and half in myself and Kobus Wiese. The coaching team felt that unless we brought in another specialised lineout jumper, we would battle to get our lineouts which was then your best attacking platform from a set phase. Rudolph Strualie was dropped from the team as the normal 8th man, and Hannes Strydom came in as the second lock, and I was moved to 8th man. This move gave us a heavier scrumming pack and now two and half jumping options.

“Long story short, the ploy worked, and we won all our lineouts and managed to even steal a few of theirs, and so the coaching team decided that as we would have the same problem against the All Blacks in the Final, that I would stay at 8th man for the final. Now the last time I had played 8th man prior to that semi-final was as an U15 school boy at Selborne College, which effectively meant that I had never played 8th man in senior rugby in my life. The stress of having to play in a position that was completely unfamiliar to me, in the biggest game in South African rugby history was almost too much to bear. I actually asked the coach during the week if they could move me back to lock and was told no. So to go back and answer your question: My favourite moment of the 1995 RWC was when the final whistle blew and we had won, and I no longer had to play 8th man and carry the burden of the possibility of us losing and me being the possible cause of the loss.”

Who do you think is going to win this year?

“It is always hard to give a prediction on the Boks’ chances as I obviously have a very strong bias towards the Boks, and my emotional connection to the team as a past player, current supporter and very proud South African blurs my decision-making process. If I step back and try and shed myself of my inherent bias, one would have to first identify the teams with a serious chance of making the final and then winning the final. The teams, in my opinion, who are serious contenders are the Irish, the Boks, the All Blacks and France. If the Boks can keep their power game going and somehow Handre Pollard makes a surprise entry to the Bok team in the play-offs, then I think the Boks have what it takes to win the RWC.”

Where is the best spot to watch a Springbok game?

“That depends on the type of person you are. I, for one, cannot watch the Boks play with a group of people. I like to watch them play in front of my TV and alone.”

What is the best snack to eat when watching a Springbok game?

“Depending on what time the game is, a nice cold beer or glass of wine with dry wors and salted nuts is my go-to drink and snack.”

How many rugby jerseys do you currently own?

“Considering that we only received one match jersey for the first 30 test matches I played, and then received two for the last 47 tests, I would say that I received roughly 124 Bok test jerseys in my playing career. At the Sharks, we only received one Currie Cup jersey for the season and two Super 12 jerseys (home and away strip), so I probably received 25 Sharks jerseys in my 10-year Sharks career. I did play for the British Barbarians four times and a club in the UK and France, so in my total professional rugby career, I guess that I received about 250 match and training rugby jerseys. I have swapped a huge number of my Bok jerseys and given a lot of my test jerseys to sponsors, charities and family and friends over the years. I did keep two boxes of rugby jerseys that I deemed special for my children, and they now wear them.”

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