South Africa v New Zealand 25.08.23

If you closed your eyes you could have been at Loftus Versfeld or Newlands. In all likelihood, most of the South African voices belonged to a diaspora which had made the short hop from Wandsworth to Twickenham, turning the town green and gold on a fine late Summer’s afternoon.

Billed at rugby’s greatest rivalry, they had gathered in their thousands to witness the Boks play the All Blacks in the final ‘warm up’ match prior to the start of the Rugby World Cup in a couple of weeks time. To complete the Southern Hemisphere take over of Twickenham, they were joined by a respectable number of Kiwis looking to give there boys a decent send off too.

The occasion felt more than a rugby match, it was like a coming together of cultures and national identities which one could argue are largely defined by Rugby. For a neutral who had never seen these two countries face off against each other, it was fascinating to witness.

Down by the riverside

Pre-match, most fans had gathered in Church Street and along the riverside. Many of whom I spoke to, were blown away by the charm of the historic setting, which during summertime is a very special place to while away the hours. They had heard about Eel Pie Island and the Rolling Stones, wanted to know why a certain pub was called the Barmy Arms, of which there are three reasonably credible stories on how it got it’s name, and some were impressed I was once a choirboy at St Mary’s Church close by.

It was also a Friday afternoon and the start of the late summer bank holiday weekend, so most people had knocked off early from work and were ready to party. In front of the small beach at the White Swan pub smoke billowed from a communal braai, which like bees round a honey pot, attracted plenty of males to oversee this most South African of rituals.

This is one of my favourite spots for taking photographs. Looking upstream to Richmond provides a nice backdrop for fan portraits and with the late afternoon light falling at a favourable angle from the South West, I was quietly confident I had a few nice shots in the bag.

The walk to the stadium

As we made our way from the riverside to the stadium passing the world-famous Cabbage Patch, the crowds became thicker and there was a carnival atmosphere in the air. Continuing past the railway station, the road narrowed and the walk morphed into the usual slow shuffle before arriving at a place called the Scummery. By day it’s a regular ole caf but on rugby days, it transforms itself into an outdoor bbq, bar and disco (whoop whoop).

Along this little stretch of suburbia leading up to the stadium, the sheer variety of fayre served up by the small shops and from people’s front gardens is truly remarkable. It goes to show the English are still a nation of shopkeepers, albeit with a more exotic palate these days.

Once across the A316 and through the Toyota car dealership, we were there and could see people on the pretentiously name south stand ‘piazza’ performing the usual rituals of posing for selfies, or attempting line outs with their mates in front of the towering 27ft tall bronze statue. Erected for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, the statue’s arrival may have signalled a bad omen for England’s disastrous world cup campaign. Apparently, the delivery lorry bringing it to the stadium was stopped three times by the police. “Sarge, we’ve pulled over a driver whose got some giant rugby players on the back of his lorry”.

New Zealand get smoked

Inside the stadium in front of a full-house, South Africa put on a masterclass of forward power to thrash New Zealand 35-7 and inflict the biggest ever defeat on their old rivals. On this evidence the Boks will be sure to make mincemeat of one or two packs at the World Cup and one has to wonder what will happen if these two giants of the game meet again in France?

Whatever the coming weeks have in store, a remarkable day in Twickenham gave many thousands of fans born overseas the opportunity to see their teams in action and celebrate their unique identities together. Gesondheid!