Pieter-Steph du Toit became the first Springbok to celebrate his 100th Test with a victory over the All Blacks at DHL Stadium on Saturday.
From the moment the first SAA plane flew over Ellis Park ahead of the 1995 Rugby World Cup final between these two great rivals, South Africans have been entranced by jet fuel kicking off epic rugby matches.
On Saturday, there were not one, but two jets — one black and the other green — that came in low over Table Mountain, and for a moment the whole DHL Stadium bowl tipped its head back as one. Then the roof, drawn back to a bronze sky, seemed to lift again — this time on noise alone.
Cape Town cleared its lungs as it sought redemption for the chagrin of last week in Johannesburg. They had come in their thousands. From Sasolburg to Swellendam, and Potchefstroom to Paarl, they only wanted one result: to see their great hero Pieter-Steph du Toit celebrate his 100th Test with a victory over the mighty All Blacks.
No Springbok centurion had achieved it before. Percy Montgomery was the first to taste defeat after reaching a century at Newlands, followed by former captain John Smit suffering heartbreak before 90,000 fans at FNB Stadium, Jean de Villiers in Wellington, and Damian de Allende last week at Ellis Park.
