God saved my neck …

Jannes Labuschagne was about to send Jonny Wilkinson a message as he closed in on the rugby union star in front of a packed Twickenham.

The 6ft 5in, 18-stone South Africa lock clattered into Wilkinson, leaving the England poster boy holding his head, face down as the stands erupted. Message delivered. 

Red cards were rare in 2002, but as Labuschagne was sent off after only 23 minutes for the late and dangerous tackle, he was about to receive his own life-changing message.

It went back to the coach trip to the ground, when Labuschagne had a vision of being carried from the pitch with a broken neck. It was repeated from the previous day when, while mentally preparing for the game, he saw himself being stretchered off.

The born-again Christian, who gave his life to Jesus aged 14, told The Telegraph he began to pray: “Lord, if I need to break my neck because this is part of your purpose and your plan, then so be it. I’m OK with that. But if this is not from you, please will you protect me and help me.”

Becoming the villain to 70,000 baying rugby fans was a strange type of help, but Labuschagne was about to see God’s bigger picture.

In the dressing room alone, showering to rousing choruses of ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ from above, the Springboks lock heard something else.

He told The Telegraph: “I hear a voice speaking audibly out of the corner of the shower to me. And the voice says, ‘Jannes, I have just protected you from breaking your neck’. 

… story continues