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Subscribe to RSS FeedThe moment of magic!
The expressions speak for themselves!
Can someone please pinch me so I know I'm not dreaming?!
Actually, I can't be, my celebratory Castle lager is still cold and the fire from my mate's braai is still going strong. Everything seems right and - just like we had hoped it would be - the moment is ours to savour.
My phone has been flooded with an overflow of texts from friends, colleagues and even my boss with the same sort of message: "Bokke forever!", "I told you so!", "Phew, that was closer than I thought!", "Worrlldd Cuuup is coiming hone (hic!)".
Yes, the World Cup is coming home to South Africa and the rainbow nation couldn't be more colourful with delight.
For a few hours, we can put our troubles behind us and celebrate as a united Springbok nation once again. It's been twelve long years since Francois Pienaar and Nelson Mandela brought 43 million South Africans together, but after tonight's match - it was well worth the wait.
Tonight we have a new Francois Pienaar in the form of John Smit, whose legacy will live on in Springbok history just like the World Cup-winning skipper before him. Now we have a new goal-kicking hero to succeed Joel Stransky: arise Percy Montgomery, statistically the greatest ever Springbok!
And how delightful and incredibly lucky we are that Mandela, or Madiba as he is more commonly known around these parts, is still around to re-live the heart-warming moment of his country lifting the Webb Ellis Cup.
Mandela wasn't there, but wherever he may be, the country knows he will be wearing a Bok jersey with a number two on the back of it.
We were told to wear green and gold, and we will keep wearing our jerseys throughout the nigh. Thank goodness I spent that extra half an hour hunting down my old Bok top .
It's hard to hold back the emotions for fear that I will get caught by my girlfriend shedding a tear, but I don't care. If anything I can blame it on getting poked in the eye from the dozen South African flags waving in my face.
The years of promises have been kept and what an incredible feeling that the boys did not disappoint.
It's almost surreal that just 47 days ago we were heading into the World Cup with a hope and a prayer to at least make the finals - never mind win the thing!
We've watched them all the way from Butch James' very first kick-off against Samoa to Alain Rolland's final whistle against the defending champions England to officially declare us, South Africa, as world champions.
The Kiwis will say it would have been different if they were still there, the Aussies may say the same and England might point at a couple of moments that turned the game. We would!
But we'll take whatever people have to say on the chin knowing full well that we deserved to be there through our own hard work and determination.
So for the next few hours we'll crack open whatever is remaining in the fridge and if that runs out, it won't be hard to find more parties to show up at and join in on the celebrations.
Tonight, strangers will be friends. Your friend will be your best friend and your girlfriend will be... important - or your future wife if you agreed to propose if South Africa won the World Cup. Gulp!
Tomorrow we'll wake up with a welcomed hangover from hell, while some people won't even have gone to sleep. But the new day will be extra special - we are the new world champions after all - it doesn't get much better than that!
By Dave Morris
