1995 Rugby World Cup

The extra bits of the story "Invictus" revolve around the actual rugby of course... Nobody could be sure the South Africans would win the whole thing... the story is all the more remarkable for that... it speaks to the intangibles of team sport and what motivates players and helps teams perform above expectations! I've witnessed paint stripping coaches talks, super hyped up team mates, quiet last minute smokers and those who get motivated by dismissing all of the above... no one method works for every team and I've often pondered how those last 5 minutes before a match or the half time rev up make any difference once you jog through the gate and the ball is kicked off... whatever the crowd, the new South Africa and the internal mental workings of the Springbok side, they did the job on France and New Zealand!
Second and untouched in the film [and left out of my review on purpose] are the rumours about 'Susie' the mystery waitress at one NZ All Blacks meals a day or so before the Final... as a team they would never allow an excuse but the story did the rounds that most of the team suffered very severe food poisoning for the Final... and there is legendary footage of Jeff Wilson coughing up all but a lung on ther field!!
Did it happen, was it a plot... could Luis Luyt actually have organised it? Dunno, but none of that is what the film's story is about... either way!!