MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
22 South Africa // England 27
Free State Stadium, 24 June 2000
CLIVE WOODWARD’S first away win as England coach against a southern hemisphere giant – and hailed as the point at which they realised they could win the Rugby World Cup.
It came a week after a controversial defeat in Pretoria. Jonny Wilkinson had missed that one, struck down by illness. But he climbed off his sick bed to kick a record eight penalties, plus a drop-goal to boot, as England bossed their hosts in Bloemfontein more emphatically than the scoreline suggests.
A contentious late try by Joost van der Westhuizen led to a moment of alarm but Austin Healey snuffed out the danger.
