Du Randt ready for quiet life

South Africa prop Os du Randt was happy to call time on his distinguished career just moments after joining a select band of players to have won two World Cups.

The 35-year-old was a member of the Springboks side that defeated New Zealand 15-12 at Ellis Park in the 1995 final.

Twelve years on, the popular Du Randt repeated those exploits by playing the full 80 minutes in his country’s 15-6 defeat of England in Paris last night.

Australia trio Tim Horan, Jason Little and John Eales are the only other players to have two World Cup winners’ medals in their collection, following the Wallabies’ successes in 1991 and 1999.

Having joined such exalted company, Du Randt will hang up his boots.

“I don’t remember the first one, it’s too long ago, but I’m going to enjoy this one,” said the man nicknamed the ’Ox’.

“It’s great to have won. All the guys put the hard work in and it was just great to be out there.

“I’m very fortunate to win again, so I have to thank the boys.

“But this is my last game. I’m going to go back to my farm to see my boys growing up and enjoy my family.”

The South Africans join the Australians in having won two World Cups, and they will aim for a third in the 2011 tournament in New Zealand.

The squad will now go through tumultuous change. Jake White is set to leave his coaching post, while a host of players are making their way over to the cash-rich French and English leagues.

The likes of Francois Steyn, Schalk Burger and Bryan Habana will still be around in 2011 though, and captain John Smit believes there are good times ahead.

“We have a really colourful country, a diverse culture and 11 different languages,” said the hooker, who is moving to up-and-coming French side Clermont-Auvergne for next season.

“The amount of forward momentum we have gained in the last 12 years, since the last time we picked up this cup, has just been incredible.

“I hope it will create a scenario where everyone buys into it and celebrates together.

“It’s a great step forward for us to celebrate as 45 South Africans when we get home on Tuesday.”

All the pre-match talk before last night’s showdown was of the contrasting styles of the two teams.

England ground out wins over Australia and France in the knockout stages through bludgeoning forward power and the boot of Jonny Wilkinson.

South Africa, on the other hand, had dovetailed their strength up front with finesse in the backs, and looked to be the more potent team.

As it turned out, it was England who ran the ball more, but they could not penetrate a suffocating Springboks defence.

Only one time was it pierced, Mathew Tait slicing through Steyn’s tackle and sprinting 50 metres in a break that preceded Mark Cueto’s dive over in the corner.

He appeared to have grounded the ball but after a long consultation, the video referee adjudged the Sale winger had put his left leg into touch as he was tackled by Danie Rossouw.

That moment was not lost on White.

“Danie’s try-saving tackle on Mark Cueto in the corner sums it all up – a number 8 on a winger,” he said.

“When you get that, that’s probably why you coach, because you want 15 guys who are all in it together.”

Steyn’s long-range penalty in the 62nd minute put South Africa 15-6 ahead, and England ran out of ideas in the final 15 minutes.

However, Burger admitted: “We were only confident when there were two minutes left.

“Before that, we were too nervous and we were trying to buy time because we knew our defence was good and so there was no worry for them attacking.”

Fourie du Preez, the tournament’s stellar scrum-half, was able to add the world title to the Super 14 crown he picked up with the Blue Bulls earlier this year.

“It will be difficult to get a better year in my whole rugby career,” he said.

South Africa face an uncertain future, at least for the next couple of years between the two World Cups, but Du Preez is confident it will be sorted out in time.

“We are very unsettled at the moment and we don’t know what is happening in South African rugby,” he added.

“Lots of contracts finish this year and there is a lot of uncertainty. We will deal with it at home, though.

“Hopefully, common sense will prevail in South Africa rugby.”