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Japan’s try in the 84th minute to beat the Boks 34-32 in the Rugby World Cup has rightfully been rated one of the biggest upsets in world sport of all time.
The Boks, ranked third in the world rankings at the time, can be forgiven for being gobsmacked at how the 16th ranked Japan could play such sensational rugby.
It made me think of other major sporting upsets on the world stage during my time, listed below in chronological order.
1950 – USA beat England 1-0 at the FIFA World Cup
Englishman Stanley Matthews was rated as the world’s best footballer at the time, but was rested for the “tougher” games when the Americans were at 500-1 odds to win.
1953 – Australia’s 18-year-old tennis twins beat Americans
Lew Hoad and Ken Rosewall defeated Tony Trabert and Vic Seixas, two of the best and most experienced players on the planet, to win the 1953 Davis Cup final on the Kooyong grass.
Down 2-1 after the doubles, Hoad came out in the reverse singles to win an epic five-setter over Trabert 13-11, 6-3, 2-6, 3-6, 7-5, before Rosewall sealed the sensational victory win in four sets over Seixas 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. There has never been a finer hour in Australian tennis.
1955 – Jack Fleck defeated Ben Hogan in an 18-hole play-off for the US Open
Journeyman Fleck was nine shots off the pace after the opening round, but in the tournament of his life he ended up beating an all-time golfing great by three shots. One telling putt late in the round was decisive – Fleck borrowed at least 20 feet left to right and downhill. The putt went straight in the front door.
1972 – Soviet Union beat the USA 51-50 in Olympics basketball final
The USA had won every gold medal since basketball had become an Olympic sport in 1936, with the Soviet Union ending the American’s 63-game winning streak.
1973 – Tonga beat the Wallabies 16-11 at Ballymore
For their first and only victory against the quality Australians, Tonga scored four tries to two. For Wallabies halfback Eric Tindall it was his only cap, and the shock loss genuinely hurt him for the rest of his life. ‘Nooky’ Tindall died last year, aged 69.
1978 – Leon Spinks beat Mohammad Ali
The world heavyweight title was decided in a 15-round split decision. The headlines of the day raved how on earth could Spinks ever beat the great Ali?
1990 – James Douglas knocks out Mike Tyson
But there was an even bigger boxing upset when unknown ‘Buster’ Douglas knocked out the unbeaten and fearsome Tyson in the 10th round of their world heavyweight boxing title in Tokyo.
1991 – John Daly’s PGA Championship win
Another unknown in John Daly was the ninth alternate starter for the PGA Championship at Crooked Stick in Indiana. By some sort of a miracle, Daly got a start, and proceeded to over-power Crooked Stick with booming drives and irons that had never been seen before.
‘Grip it and rip it’ won his first professional tournament by three shots over Bruce Lietzche, that just happened to be a major.
1994 – George Foreman regains world heavyweight title
At 45 years of age, the last time Foreman had held the title was 20 years prior, but he knocked out unbeaten defending champion Michael Moorer with a 35-0 record in the 10th round. Foreman became the oldest heavyweight champion in history, and dedicated his success to “all my buddies in nursing homes, and all the guys in jail”.
2009 – Tiger Woods overshadowed by YE Yang
Yet another unknown, Yang beat the undisputed world number one golfer Tiger Woods to win the PGA Championship and become Asia’s first major champion. Woods led by two shots over Yang going into the final round, but Yang beat Woods by three shots, ending with a famous quote – “I’ll probably never win another event”. So far he’s right.
2009 – Soderling beats the undisputed ‘King of Clay’
Journeyman Robin Soderling defeated Rafael Nadal in the fourth round of the French Open, which opened the door for Roger Federer to win his only major at Roland Garros. Nadal’s won the French nine times and has a 70-2 win-loss record, with Novak Djokovic beating the Spaniard this year in the quarters. But there’s no shock in that.
2009 – Juan Martin del Potro wins US Open
The Argentine shocked the tennis world by beating Roger Federer in the final of the US Open for his only major. Federer was in magnificent form at Flashing Meadows, but del Potro flushed him off the court in a huge upset.
There are many more shocks over 60-plus years, but the above are the standouts.