2. Takudzwa Ngwenya: South Africa 64 – 15 USA – 2007 Rugby World Cup
A Rugby World Cup debut that has been long remembered for one moment of unadulterated speed. When the USA met South Africa in the final Pool A match of the 2007 Rugby World Cup, there were few who believed the result would be anything but a Springboks walkover victory.
The foregone conclusion came to fruition, however the match is best remembered for the World Cup debut of USA winger Takudzwa Ngwenya. The Zimbabwean-born star was also making his international debut for the Eagles, when he got the ball on the half way line following a United States counter-attack.
In a historic Rugby World Cup moment, Ngwenya stutter-stepped his way past legendary speedster Bryan Habana, and beat the soon-to-be Rugby World Cup winner on the outside with raw speed. And after outpacing the man who was heralded as the world’s fastest rugby player, nobody was catching Ngwenya on his way through to the try-line.
The famous score was subsequently awarded the Try of the Year accolade for 2007, as rugby fans and pundits alike were shocked to see Habana beaten for speed. Habana hype was at an all-time high in 2007, just five months before Ngwenya’s unforgettable debut, Habana had taken the headlines by famously racing against a Cheetah, and was a certifiable mega-star in the rugby sphere.