23/10/2007 13:13

Johannesburg - "Awesome", "unbelievable", "like a fairytale" is how the Springboks described their welcome home at OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg on Tuesday after winning the Rugby World Cup.

"We expected it to be pretty busy, but what we walked into was far bigger than we ever imagined... seeing people going crazy makes everything just more special," said Smit, the coveted Webb Ellis Cup in front of him.

He said that when the final whistle blew against England, "I dropped to my knees and thanked the Lord above."

Showing their cool nerves during interviews that at times resembled a scrum, flanker Schalk Burger said he was still getting used to the idea of being a world champion.

"I don't think we really know how to feel, I think it will sink in during the next few days, but at the moment it feels fantastic."

"Over the next few days I'm going to let my hair down and have a few beers," said Burger.

With his return coinciding with his girlfriend's birthday, he planned to have "a lekker braai with friends" when he got home and then it was back to the usual rugby season.

Humbling

Flyhalf Butch James said while the Springboks made South Africa proud, the supporters made the players proud.

"It was very humbling; it makes you proud to be a South African," he said.

Flyhalf Andre Pretorius said: "I thought the atmosphere was great at the game. It's much better to be here, to be quite honest."

"We love you," said forward Danie Rossouw.

Star wing Bryan Habana said it was great to come back to 45 million proud South Africans.

"Words can't describe the emotions."

Asked what he had planned for the evening he said, "I'm going to sleep!"

"It was awesome man," said a limping fullback Percy Montgomery. "I'm very happy.

Paying tribute to the team he said: "We have got a happy team, the guys got on well - you could see it on the field. The guys were putting their bodies on the line for each other."

He said he could not wait to get home to spend time with his two daughters.

"I can't wait to give them their presents - I'm longing to see them."

Excited

Lock Johann Muller said he was looking forward to speaking some Afrikaans and was excited by the way the sport had brought the whole country together.

"I'm excited, really excited, the last two or three days - I don't think they have really sunk in," he said.

"Seeing what is happening in the country is just unbelievable. It's great that sport can bring a whole nation together. We are really happy."

Centre Francois Steyn said the team had become very close and would remain "life-long friends".

Coach Jake White, bolstered by support from his old school Jeppe Boys High, said: "It was like having the birth of your second child," in reference to South Africa's win in 1995.

He said when he "had tea" with President Thabo Mbeki before the game, the president told him to "just go out there and win the World Cup".

"And if the president speaks, you listen to him."

Play like world champions

Afterwards Mbeki had joked about being scared of heights when he was hoisted onto the players' shoulders, but said he was so proud to be holding the World Cup.

"That to me sums up the World Cup," said White.

Looking ahead he said: "The challenge now is whether we stay world champions, and whether every time we play we look like world champions."

He paid tribute to Smit saying: "You can be the best coach in the world - but if you don't have a good captain you cannot be a good coach."

He also praised the two senior players in the team - Percy Montgomery and Os du Randt. "They are going to be remembered in the history books as legends of the game," he said.

Asked if he was any closer to a decision about his future plans as a coach he quipped: "He's sitting two seats away from me," referring to SA Rugby managing director Jonathan Stones.

Stones said: "These are giant shoulders that future generations will stand on... the pride of being South African was absolutely amazing, let's build on that."

Bheki Khumalo, group communications manager for sponsor Sasol, said of White: "Here is a son of the soil, an African son, winning the World Cup with his team of players."

Deputy Sports Minister Gert Oosthuizen said: "You not only united us, you filled us with pride, you made us winners."

Throng of photographers

Thousands of fans wearing Springbok jerseys or draped in the South African flag had descended on the airport to welcome the team, some having spent the night.

When the Boks appeared on the stage they could hardly be seen through the throng of photographers.

Toddlers sat on their parents' shoulders as schoolboys in uniform rushed around excitedly for a glimpse of their heroes and an autograph.

"The whole school has been pretty electric in the last couple of weeks," said Jeppe Boys High teacher Kevin Leathem.

White, who was a pupil, teacher and hostel master at the school wrote in an essay as a boy that he would love to coach the Boks one day.

A large group of supporters from Merafong in the North West said they had left at 02:00 to meet their heroes.

"It had united us and made us proud as a nation," said Slums Magodielo as he and his colleagues toyi-toyied with a huge banner welcoming the Boks back.