Underdogs turned the rugby world upside down to beat the odds-on All Blacks and create one of the greatest games in the history of the tournament
In these dark days the unscripted drama of live sport feels more important than ever. The second World Cup semi-final at Twickenham in 1999 seems like yesterday to me even though Émile Ntamack, France’s left-wing on that autumn day, now watches his son play for their country. No one in the stadium will ever forget it. At the end, and I kid you not, I turned round from my seat in the East stand press box and grown men were actually weeping.
Context is all. This wasn’t just an astonishing spectacle. It came, like so many French performances in World Cups, completely out of the blue. The All Blacks were so far ahead of everyone it wasn’t true. Jonah Lomu was in his pomp and their backline, with Christian Cullen, Tana Umaga and Jeff Wilson operating outside Andrew Mehrtens, were cutting other teams to shreds.
Related: My favourite game: Wales v England, Five Nations 1999
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