Bok in Style - World Cup 1995 Results Here South Africa marked their return to the sporting arena as victorious host nation of the 1995 tournament. The Springboks proved they hadn’t lost their touch during their years of isolation as they beat defending champions Australia 27-18 in the opening match and clinched a thrilling extra-time victory against New Zealand in the final. England and France provided the main challenge from the Five Nations contingent. But despite a quarter-final victory over Australia, the English were no match for the All Blacks as 19-year- -old superstar Jonah Lomu virtually demolished them single-handedly in the semi-final. Meanwhile France claimed they were as much beaten by the South African weather as by the Springboks in the other semi-final, insisting that a certain try was disallowed. Wales had recovered from the depths of despair of 1991, but once again a change of management on the eve of the tournament didn’t help. Despite victory over Japan, heavy defeats at the hands of Ireland and the All Blacks ensured another early exit for the Welsh. Even so, the return of South Africa and a record number of teams in the qualifying rounds had guaranteed the success of the Rugby World Cup as a truly global