Rugby Resistance to the most hostile climates :: The coastline – News – Santa Fe – Argentina

World Cup 1995. South African volunteers draw their water from the Durban stadium, where, a few hours later, the locals will win France by semifinals to allow the decisive match to take place against the All Blacks. The final will also be organized by the Springboks, crowning the world champions for the first time.

Photo:Rugby World

The seriousness of Typhoon Hagibis has left the organizers only to cancel two games this Saturday (New Zealand – Italy and France – England, Ireland – Samoa played), and its consequences will determine if there are more interruptions in the 2019 RWC calendar. It remains to define what is happening with Japan and Scotland, decisive party, which would be played, in principle, tomorrow at 7:45 of our country. Hours before, they will make the decision.

But while most of Japan is preparing for the worst climate of recent years, we are witnessing other memorable moments in which sport has fought against these inclemencies, and Scotland is one of the protagonists, having played in one of the matches. in bad weather, the most famous of all time.

In 1975, his confrontation with New Zealand, at Eden Park, in Auckland, was known as the "water polo test" because it was taking place in so much flooded ground that it was feared that Someone drowned in the bottom of a scrum. Although 13 penalties were inflicted, none had the courage to hit the sticks. Even then, the magic of the All Blacks shone and they won 24-0, Bryan Williams backing two tries.

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When Scotland and New Zealand ended up in Murrayfield three years later, while the All Blacks were looking to get their first Grand Slam, the problem was not the rain, the snow or the wind but the darkness. There were no reflectors and, on a dark winter day, players could barely see them leave the field after the All Blacks 18-9 win.

Perhaps the 1961 match between the All Blacks and France is the most comparable to the situation that teams faced this weekend in Japan. Wellington was named after its Super Rugby franchise, the Hurricanes, when winds of 130 km / h hit Athletic Park. When Don Clarke threw a penalty 10 yards from the touchdown, he aimed for the corner flag, but the wind deflected him until he came out after the stick, in a win finally 5-3 for the All Blacks.

The Rugby World Cup encounter affected by the weather that overshadows everyone is the 1995 semifinal between South Africa and France, in Durban, when the torrential rain left the field of play under the form of a lake just a few hours before the match. The Springboks were at the limit: if the game was canceled, France would reach the final because it had a better disciplinary record in the tournament. However, the sky cleared for the hosts and they won a disordered 19-15 match, a similar result that Japan hopes to get tomorrow.