Former All Blacks playmaker Andrew Mehrtens has opened up about the infamous ‘Suzie the waitress’ incident, which occurred nearly 30 years ago during one of the most contentious weeks in Rugby World Cup history.
To this day, New Zealand rugby fans swear that a mysterious waitress played a role in the All Blacks’ defeat at Ellis Park in 1995.
Ed Griffiths, South Africa Rugby’s CEO at the time, has since told RugbyPass that it’s “certainly true” that up to six All Blacks had upset stomachs. But Griffiths, the Boks, and their supporters all deny any wrongdoing.
It’s a puzzle that might never be solved.
The Springboks went on to win the match in extra time, 15-12. South Africa’s 15 points were all scored by flyhalf Joel Stransky, who also scored the game-winning drop goal.
Former All Black Andrew Mehrtens has shed light on what happened three decades ago in Johannesburg ahead of the 2023 final between New Zealand and South Africa.
To this day, New Zealand rugby fans swear that a mysterious waitress played a role in the All Blacks’ defeat at Ellis Park in 1995.
“It comes up, and I’m careful to make two points,” Mehrtens explained to BBC Rugby Union Daily.
“I won’t deny that something happened on Thursday night. We’ve had a number of guys fall violently ill in a short period of time.
“I was never truly tested.” I was the first to become ill, so I was quarantined. I had no idea it had wiped out a large portion of the team.
“I was given a Petri dish and asked to provide a sample, but I couldn’t bear the thought of doing anything late at night.”
“The first thing I’ll say is that something happened, but we don’t know what.” We felt good by the time we got to the game on Saturday – we were a really fit team.
“We were attempting to ignore it and focus on the task at hand.”
“In the end, the fact that South Africa tackled us where other teams had not was the deciding factor in our failure to win that final.”
“I don’t want it to be in the context of this being the reason we lost.”
“It’s certainly not and we had to take our hat off to the South Africans.”
The All Blacks and Springboks are on the verge of becoming rugby legends. No team has ever won the ultimate prize four times, but that is about to change on Saturday night at the Stade de France.
Many predicted that New Zealand would be eliminated from the World Cup after the All Blacks suffered a record 35-7 defeat to South Africa just two weeks before the event.
But in Test rugby, two months is a long time, as is 28 years. As the two great rivals prepare to meet for the second time in a World Cup decider, All Blacks coach Ian Foster reflected on what motivates his team.
“Part of the challenge is figuring it out for yourself.” We get it from the jersey’s history and legacy, which is very important to us. “The people who have walked the same path we have are pretty special,” Foster
“The All Blacks have always held a special place in the hearts of New Zealanders.” The amount of support we’ve received from our country has been overwhelming. We are a conservative group, and we can be cynical at times. We show our love and support while criticizing, but that has shifted slightly. Our country is suddenly buzzing with excitement.
“It comes from the people we represent, our families, and our history.” When we close the door and form a circle, it is also that group of people who is extremely motivated to meet the standards we have set for ourselves.”
