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2007 South African World Cup-winning captain John Smit: "I’m not sure you can put it in to words. We’ve only won it twice before. For me, even as a guy who won it, this was a far bigger occasion because of where we've come from and where we're going. I always thought, was it too much of a fairytale to see Siya lift that trophy? It couldn’t have come at a better time. This will have a significant impact on our country.

"For us in South Africa, it means so much more than just a team of 23. To 57 million people who are in a brand-new South Africa, for a team that used to represent segregation and now represents unity to be led by a black African man for the first time is more significant than anyone could imagine.

"I never in a million years imagined a margin and performance like that but this team has handled this rollercoaster so well. They acknowledge the responsibility they had and came out firing. Today was magical.

"Rassie Erasmus needs a lot of credit. This group has responded really well to him and his messages. The job that he’s done in a short period of time is quite a miracle."