Former South African president Nelson Mandela has been invited to Paris for Saturday's World Cup final with England as expectations mount in the "Rainbow Nation" of a repeat of their 1995 tournament victory.
Talks are under way between the South African government and Mandela to see whether the 89-year-old will be fit to travel to France to link up with the Springboks 12 years after he famously presented the team's then captain, Francois Pienaar, with the William Webb Ellis trophy.
Mandela's celebrations in Ellis Park - just a year after South Africa's first democratic elections - were among the most enduring images of Rugby World Cup history.
His joyful endorsement of a team that was almost entirely made up of white players was seen as hugely symbolic.
Many South Africans are now hoping for a repeat of the feel-good factor which both he and the home-soil victory brought.
South African president Thabo Mbeki is already confirmed to travel to Paris for the decider.
Deputy-president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka - who met the team in France last week - said she hoped Mandela would also make the journey for the final.
But not everyone in South Africa has been swept up in a feeling of goodwill. Many blacks still struggle to identify with a team that remains largely composed of whites. Such ambivalence was illustrated yesterday by the relatively muted response from the black-controlled media to the Springboks' semi-final win over Argentina.
The back page of the Johannesburg-based Sowetanwas taken over yesterday, not by coverage of Sunday's rugby match, but by a story about South African soccer coach Carlos Alberto Parreira hiring a new trainer for Bafana Bafana ahead of the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
Like other papers targeting a black readership, the Sowetancovered the Argentina game by focusing on the heroics of the Springbok's few "coloured" players, including try-scoring star Brian Habana.
In contrast, the Starsplashed a report of the match on its front page under the headline "Cup Glory Beckons". The Pretoria Newsgave the game similar treatment, concentrating on the contribution of players from the city's Blue Bulls Super-14s team to the victory.
The ruling African National Congress yesterday congratulated the Springboks on their "outstanding performance" so far in the World Cup. Party spokesman Tiyani Rikhotso said: "We call on all South Africans to put on their Boks jerseys as we cheer them to another victory and bring the cup home."
Meanwhile, radio shows across the country were flooded with calls about the match as rugby fever took hold in earnest - following a low-key opening to the tournament.
About 3,000 fans gathered in the Montecasino theme park just outside Johannesburg on Sunday night, cheering the Boks on with chants of "Ole, Ole, Ole" and "Shosholoza" - an unofficial national anthem - as they watched the game on large TV screens.
National electricity supplier Eskom, which has recently been struggling with city-wide power cuts, worked around the clock over the weekend to ensure there would be no outages during the 80-minute clash.
"We all got to enjoy a good game of rugby," said a relieved Eskom spokesman Fani Zulu yesterday.
South Africa coach Jake White said he hoped Mandela - best-known in South Africa by his clan name "Madiba" - would be available and fit to travel this weekend.
"These long trips are not too good for him so hopefully he's feeling up for it and if he's strong enough I'm sure he'll be here," said White, in Paris.
South Africa were banned from competing at the first two World Cups, in 1987 and 1991, because of apartheid, but made an emotional return in 1995.
Chosen to host the tournament, they rode a wave of national support to defy the odds and beat New Zealand in extra-time in the final.
Boks skipper John Smit said he hoped Saturday's match would have a similar impact.
"I watched the 1995 final as a boy, and remember how it generated a huge amount of energy in us as a nation."
