Stransky - kicked South Africa to glory. (Getty Images)

By Duncan Bech, PA Sport

Jannie de Beer v England 1999

Just as England's 1995 World Cup hopes were ended almost single-handedly by Jonah Lomu, the red rose brigade met a new destroyer-in-chief four years later.

Springbok fly-half Jannie de Beer was the unlikely architect of England's heartbreaking exit from the 1999 tournament, only winning his place in the starting line-up after first-choice number 10 Henry Honiball failed to recover from a hamstring injury.

De Beer was a talented fly-half but he had his limitations - his kicking game was not matched by ability with the ball in hand and few predicted the damage he would do that day.

True to form, it was the player's boot which blasted England out of the reckoning, firing over five drop goals and setting a new world record in the process.

He also secured a record Springbok haul of 34 points as South Africa triumphed 44-21, setting up a semi-final date with Australia.

De Beer failed to reach those heights again as his international career faded into obscurity after the World Cup, although his stint at Saracens meant England fans were not allowed to forget him in a hurry.

Jonah Lomu v England 1995

No England fan will ever forget towering All Black winger Jonah Lomu and the damage he did to Will Carling's men in their World Cup semi-final.

Lomu had caught the eye during the pool stages with his explosive running, using his powerful 19-stone 6ft 4in frame to blast holes through disbelieving defences.

But the 1995 player of the tournament saved his best for England, ripping through the white shirts with contemptuous ease in a stunning display which prompted Carling to subsequently label the young New Zealander a "freak".

Mike Catt and Tony Underwood would certainly not disagree with that assessment after both players were given short shrift by the rampant winger - Underwood, his opposite number, was given a particularly hard time and must still regret his attempts to taunt Lomu by winking at him during the Haka.

His scoring spree made him the first All Black since 1905 to score four tries in a Test match against England and he went on to become the youngest player in the world to score 10 Test match tries.

At the time he was the youngest-ever New Zealander to represent his country - a remarkable achievement from a player who will always command a place in World Cup folklore.

Tim Horan v South Africa 1999

Tim Horan will go down as one of the greatest centres of all time, helping Australia win two World Cups and picking up the 1999 player of the tournament award.

He had few competitors for that accolade given his peerless performance at the heart of Australia's midfield and judges later revealed he was the unanimous winner.

Named man of the match in the pool clash with Ireland, Horan saved his best for the semi-final against South Africa, despite spending the previous day in bed with a stomach virus. He was still vomiting on the morning of the game.

But putting his obvious discomfort aside, he declared himself fit and went on to produce a magnificent display in a very tight match.

He repeatedly carved open a miserly Springbok defence and gave a lesson in the art of defence until finally leaving the field in the 74th minute.

The match went into extra time with the Wallabies finally emerging 27-21 winners but Horan had already played his part, providing the inspiration for a monumental Aussie effort.

Christophe Lamaison v New Zealand 1999

It is difficult to focus on any one player from the France team which dispatched New Zealand 43-31 in the 1999 semi-finals - Les Bleus gave a tremendous team performance which has justifiably been hailed as the greatest upset in rugby World Cup history.

The highly-fancied All Blacks - widely tipped to win the tournament - were overcome by a potent mixture of traditional French flair and some uncompromising forward play.

But one man pulled the strings for France at Twickenham that day and can be credited with inspiring a result which had scarcely seemed possible - fly-half Christophe Lamaison.

The number 10 was in action early on in the match, landing a nerveless penalty and bagging a fine try after an excellent break from winger Christophe Dominici.

Then two tries from All Black star Jonah Lomu saw New Zealand build a 24-10 lead early in the second half, a score which seemed to herald the end of France's World Cup hopes for another year.

Lamaison had other ideas however, knocking over two drop goals, booting a pair of penalties and then setting up tries for Dominici and Richard Dourthe as France claimed the lead.

New Zealand struck back with further scores but Les Bleus were still in control with Lamaison having a hand in his side's final try, capping a superb display from a talented player.

Joel Stransky v New Zealand 1995

New Zealand's convincing demolition job on England in the 1995 semi-finals suggested South Africa were in for a hard time when the two sides met to decide who picked up the William Webb-Ellis trophy.

But destiny was on their side as the Springboks - the host nation - could not be denied a result which had far bigger implications than a simple game of rugby.

The tensions that existed in the country were eased - if only temporarily - by South Africa's magnificent victory, a triumph which for a moment united a divided country.

The match itself was won the hard way, through determination on the pitch, but was eventually decided by Joel Stransky's late drop goal.

It was the sweetest of strikes - aided by a perfect delivery from his half-back partner Joost van der Westhuizen - which earned Francois Pienaar's men a place in the history books.

Stransky booted all of the Springboks' points in the final, but his all-round game was equally accomplished as he once again showed his big-match temperament.