Habana's heroics illuminate World Cup

Just like New Zealand great Jonah Lomu did in the 1995 World Cup, dazzling South Africa flyer Bryan Habana lit up the 2007 tournament from the left wing.

Habana topped the try-scoring charts by touching down eight times in France over the past seven weeks – a record-equalling achievement in the competition.

And the 24-year-old was the one player who consistently brought the crowd to the edge of their seats whenever he received the ball.

He was unstoppable from the word go, bringing defences to their knees with his pace, power and finishing ability.

It started with his four-try salvo against Samoa in the Springboks’ opening game. It was a devastating display that was a sign of things to come.

He added braces of tries against the United States in the final Pool A game and Argentina in the semi-finals to go clear in the charts, but was unfortunately unable to break the record in the final against England. That did not bother him, though.

“I just wanted to help the team effort,” he said. “Everyone in the squad made a contribution from number one to number 30.”

What makes Habana even more appealing is his demeanour off the pitch.

He is happy to talk to any journalist after the game, and despite the constant barrage of public interest in the team hotels and in the street, he still managed to wear that famous smile. And it was a genuine one at that.

In the build-up to the final, he was the player everyone wanted to speak to. Deflecting praise away from himself, he spoke of being a cog in the Springbok machine insisting he was not the star of the team.

But that is clearly not the case.

South Africa captain John Smit knows what it is like to be on the receiving end when Habana gets going.

“It’s incredible to have him on your side,” said the hooker. “I’ve been on the other side to him and met him in a final as well.

“Playing against him put me to tears that night.”

His right-wing opponents in this World Cup can vouch for that.

England managed to prevent the Blue Bulls wideman from scoring on the two occasions they played South Africa – in the 36-0 defeat in the group stages and the 15-6 reverse in the final.

But defensively he was a rock while he remained a constant menace in attack, and at times Brian Ashton’s men would have deliberately kept the ball away from his wing.

He showed on England’s tour of South Africa in the summer how he has perfected the art of the interception try, and he showed it again in the World Cup. The clinching try against Argentina was scored via that route.

Others came from bullocking charges through would-be tacklers, collects from chip-and-chases or just the simple finish from five yards out. He can do it all, and nearly always does it in style.

The worrying thing for the rugby world is that he has two more World Cups left in him and he is desperate to improve all the time.

There is little to improve on, though.

Smit summed Habana up when he said: “The thing I like about him is as good as he is on the field, he’s as normal a South African as you’d meet off the field.

“I think that’s the beauty of his talent and of how grateful he is for it.”