Rugby World Cup 1995 | On this day: Canada cruise, Scotland rampage and France battle past brave Tonga

After the Springboks had spectacularly beaten the Wallabies in the opening match of the 1995 World Cup on Thursday, May 25, several pool matches ensued the next day.

South Africa were in Pool A, with Romania, Canada and Australia, and on the Friday it was the turn of the eastern Europeans and the hardy Canucks from North America.

Canada had a handy team in that period. The game was still amateur and they could reasonably compete, as the Boks would discover later in the tournament when they had to fight for their lives in Port Elizabeth.

Canada had world class players — some of whom were based in Europe — in captain and lock Al Charron, prop Rod Snow and the very good flyhalf Gareth Rees. The latter two played for Newport (now the Dragons) in Wales.

They also boasted the Western Province centre Christian Stewart. He had been ignored by the Springboks but qualified for Canada via ancestry.

The Romanians were mostly tough soldiers. Rugby was big in the army in that part of the world and Romania took some big European scalps in the amateur era.

This match took place at the Boet Erasmus Stadium in Port Elizabeth and 8 000 locals watched the Canadians grind out a 34-3 win.

Charron, Snow and No 8 Colin McKenzie scored tries while Rees was in good form with the boot. He kicked two conversions four penalties and a drop goal.

In a pool D match, the unfortunate Ivory Coast side was hammered 89-0 by Scotland in Rustenburg. There was a good crowd of 20 000 at Olympia Park as the gallant but outclassed team from north Africa got a lesson in rugby from a Scotland side that had enjoyed a very good Five Nations tournament earlier that year.

This was the time of the famous Hastings brother, Gavin and Scott, the late Doddy Weir, the skilful flyhalf Craig Chalmers, and the tough flankers Rob Wainwright and Peter Walton.

Gavin Hastings had a field day. The fullback scored four tries, and kicked two penalties and nine conversions. Wing Kenny Logan scored two and so did flanker Walton. The other try scorers were wing Tony Stanger, prop Paul Burnell, centre Graham Shiel, and prop Peter Wright

In the third match, in pool D, the very good France side were given a tough workout by Tonga. About 22 000 Pretorians watched France win 38-10 at Loftus Versfeld.

For France, the mercurial flyhalf Thierry Lacroix scored two tries, and kicked three penalties and three conversions. Wing Phillipe Saint-Andre and scrumhalf Aubin Hueber scored a try apiece.

The scoring was completed by a drop goal by substitute flyhalf Yann Delaigue.

For Tonga, a try was scored by centre Unuoi Vaʻenuku while a conversion and penalty was kicked by fullback Sateki Tuipulotu.