Kitch Christie - The Springboks

The Springboks

In 1994, Luyt was appointed president of the South African Rugby Football Union. The Springboks coaching position became vacant in mid-1994, after Ian McIntosh was sacked following a series defeat to the All Blacks in New Zealand. Luyt was convinced that Christie was the man to take over following his success at Transvaal, and in October 1994, Christie accepted the offer to take over from McIntosh.

Christie entered at what was arguably the most pressure-packed period in South African rugby history—the run-up to the 1995 Rugby World Cup, hosted by South Africa, and the first major competition for the Springboks after their return from international exile with the demise of apartheid. Christie had just nine months to transform the team into World Cup contenders.

Christie began his Springbok coaching career with back-to-back victories at home against Argentina in October 1994, followed by a successful tour to Europe in November 1994, when the team beat Scotland and Wales.

After a comfortable victory in a World Cup warm-up game against Samoa in April 1995, the Boks were finally ready to challenge for the title at home. The World Cup campaign got off to a flying start, with the team defeating defending champions and pre-tournament favourites Australia in the opening match in Cape Town. Victory in this game would prove crucial, with Christie referring to it as allowing the team to take the "High Road" to the final, avoiding teams such as England and New Zealand until the final.

They went on to win their remaining pool matches, but not without a brutal game against Canada in the final pool match. The Boks then defeated Manu Samoa in the quarterfinals, and eked out a dramatic semifinal win over France. South Africa's reward for defeating France would be a final with their old rival, the All Blacks, and their sensational wing Jonah Lomu, who had set the tournament alight with his tries, including four in their semi-final against England.

The Boks defence stood up to the challenge, keeping Lomu off the scoreboard (in fact, he would never score a try against South Africa in his career). The match ended in a 9-9 draw in regulation, sending the teams to extra time, after which South Africa won 15-12. The victory on home soil in 1995 touched people far beyond rugby's normal constituency, and will be best remembered for Nelson Mandela, wearing the captain's No 6 shirt, embracing the captain Francois Pienaar after South Africa's victory, a scene recreated in the movie Invictus.

Christie's final game in charge of the Springboks was a victory over England at Twickenham on a short tour in November 1995. By this time, his health had deteriorated from leukemia, which he had been battling since 1979. Francois Pienaar, in his autobiography, recalled how Christie joined the team huddle and stood between Pienaar and James Dalton. "The usual end to such a Springboks huddle is for the players to squeeze each other and shout 'Bokke'," said Pienaar. "James and I squeezed the coach and discovered later we'd fractured two of his ribs. He never said a word."

In March 1996, Christie stepped down from the Springboks due to ill health and was replaced by Andre Markgraaf.

Christie coached the Boks in 14 tests between October 1994 and March 1996, winning all 14. At the time, this tied 1960s All Blacks coach Fred Allen's record for the longest consecutive Test match winning streak for a coach. This record would later be broken by Boks coach Nick Mallett.