People brought camping chairs, cooler boxes and picnic baskets to Canal Walk.
Hundreds sat on the floors watching through shop windows. Escalators were deactivated and became seats.
For the entire time, the crowds were so thick, you couldn’t move.
At many points in those two hours, the screaming and cheering, in unison, became ear-splitting. And throughout, the vibe was beyond electric.
This was some of my experience watching the World Cup final on Saturday, after I promised last week that I would make the effort.
It was impossible to ignore after a week-long build-up on social media that was impossible to avoid.
So I allowed myself to be swept up by the excitement and anticipation.
And boy, was I happy that I did.
There was something energising and inspirational about the togetherness on Saturday night.
If someone can please just tell the Boks to stop winning by just one single, heart-stopping point, that would be great.
It was an emotional exercise to watch South Africans come together like that again. And it reinforced everything I said in this column last week.
But a few other thoughts also struck me.
Firstly, it’s clear that rugby holds a very special place in our hearts.
Cricket also gets people’s blood pumping and soccer supporters are always able to shake the foundations of a stadium with their emotional chanting.
But rugby is clearly on another level.
It became our little beacon of hope; an example of the potential we have as a nation and what is possible if we work together.
I see all the criticism of our team on social media, and I get where it comes from. But if you set all of that aside and use them as the cheerleaders of our collective hope and dreams, then it takes on new meaning.
Let me explain.
In 1995, the Springboks were used as a social glue, succeeding where politics couldn’t.
It was obvious to people like Nelson Mandela that the game had the potential to bring warring citizens with strong opposing views together in one space peacefully.
It was simply using what was already there to the benefit of peace and togetherness.
On many fronts, we are in a worse place now, compared to 1995, and the Springboks were able to provide us with a moment’s reprieve.
We could forget all our problems and just bask in the euphoria of the moment.
This is unique for a country that is so terribly divided about so many things.
We weren’t being manipulated by religious propaganda; misled by bias algorithms; or lied to by greedy politicians with hidden agendas.
Rugby was the ultimate example of absolute transparency, where determination to succeed got our unwavering support.
And the outcome had us all on our feet.
I hope Cyril Ramaphosa, who was in the stands in France on Saturday, was taking notes.