Can South Africa’s original champions bring down their rampaging 2009 counterparts in the penultimate round of the quest to crown the greatest Bok team of all time?

South Africa hosted their first World Cup in 1995 and were ranked ninth going into the tournament. The Boks’ chances of winning the tournament looked slim, even more so given the form of the rampant All Blacks, boasting the breath-taking finishing ability of 20-year-old mega-wing Jonah Lomu.

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But the Boks had other plans. They swept aside Australia, Romania, and Canada in the pool stages before crushing Western Samoa in the quarters and edging France in a waterlogged semi-final, leaving the All Blacks for last.

With the scores level at 9-9 at full time of the final, the Boks and All Blacks headed to extra time, where Andrew Mehrtens and Joel Stransky exchanged penalties before the Bok flyhalf slotted his famous drop goal to win the match and the world title.

The most iconic moment arguably came post-match when former President Nelson Mandela handed over the Webb Ellis Cup to captain Francois Pienaar, signalling the return of the mighty Boks and a new united future for the country.

Two years after winning a second World Cup, the Boks were arguably at the peak of their powers, boasting a team stacked with superstars like Bryan Habana, Jean de Villiers, Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, Morne Steyn, and Jaques Fourie.

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And thanks to the Bulls’ grip over Super Rugby, the conveyor belt of new talent was running better than ever.

The victory over the 2009 British & Irish Lions may be what this particular Bok side is best remembered for, but arguably more impressive was their 3-0 whitewash of the All Blacks, a feat no Bok team before them had accomplished, an achievement that culminated in the Boks lifting the Tri-Nations trophy.