What was the final score of the 1995 Rugby World Cup match Mandela watched in Johannesburg?

South Africa defeated New Zealand 15–12 in the 1995 Rugby World Cup final in Johannesburg.

The final was played at Ellis Park Stadium on 24 June 1995. Neither side scored a try, so the match was decided by goal-kicking. South Africa’s Joel Stransky scored all 15 of the Springboks’ points, including the decisive drop goal in extra time.

Nelson Mandela attended wearing a Springbok jersey bearing captain Francois Pienaar’s number 6. The image of Mandela presenting the Webb Ellis Cup to Pienaar became a major symbol of reconciliation in post-apartheid South Africa.

The match is remembered for its political and sporting significance, but the score itself is sometimes misremembered because New Zealand were heavily regarded as favourites and because the game went beyond normal time. South Africa won its first Rugby World Cup title.