As timing goes, few have nailed it as sweetly as big Jonah Lomu.

He arrived in South Africa as a little-known player for the 1995 Rugby World Cup. When it was over, he was a global superstar. The world was in thrall to the Lomu phenomenon, a frightening blend of speed and power and rampant defiance.

He played on for a few more years, but 1995 was his apotheosis. We were lucky to have him.

Lomu recently revisited South Africa, 20 years after his fateful rampage through rugby’s heartlands. This time there was a camera crew trailing him. You can see the remarkable results when the film Jonah Lomu Back to South Africa is repeated on SuperSport 1 on Friday night (10.15pm).

The most striking feature is how much Lomu has changed. The debilitating effects of a kidney ailment, which surfaced in 1995, have clearly taken their toll. He undergoes dialysis every other day for four to six hours at a time. He’s no longer the giant of old and his handsome face is now wizened.

But he’s still a legend, particularly here, where he was elevated to Superman status during the Rugby World Cup. Madiba even greeted him by name.

Somehow the Boks contained him, although his legend was long secure after destroying everyone else. He was the first player to transcend rugby, perhaps the only one to have done so.

There are many poignant moments in the film. One sees him visit a schoolboy game in Mitchells Plain. One of the players, a gangly forward, takes him to his modest house on the mean streets. Lomu likes it and says how much it reminds him of growing up in similar circumstances in South Auckland.

Later, there’s a warm reunion between Lomu and James Small, who stood on opposite sides that June day 20 years ago. “No job is too big for Small,” said one unforgettable banner.

The respect is mutual and the banter between the pair is heartfelt as Small walks him into the Ellis Park fortress.

“They should tear this fucking place down,” says Small on account of the stadium’s location on the wrong side of town.

Small was only ever straight-talking, and Lomu thanks him for it, saying he taught him the value of honesty.

As the sweep of Ellis Park comes into view, Lomu looks on, awestruck. As narrator of the film, he talks fondly of the World Cup and of Madiba. He understands that there was a bigger game being played that day. The greater good was served as the Boks swept to unlikely victory over the favourites. He is neither bitter nor disappointed not to have become a world champion.

Indeed, in another meeting with Joel Stransky, who broke New Zealand hearts with the most magical dropgoal of them all, you sense that he is entirely satisfied with having participated. That was enough, more so that Madiba knew his name.

One of the standout moments of that grand day was when Joost van der Westhuizen cut Lomu down with a brave front-on tackle. It was little against large with Van der Westhuizen exemplifying the South African spirit.

The scrumhalf, like Lomu, is no longer the force of old. He has also been hobbled by severe illness. Lomu seeks him out, too, and their meeting at Van der Westhuizen’s home is tinged with emotion. A friend who watched the premiere earlier in the week turned her television off at this point. “I just couldn’t,” she said.

It’s a powerful moment between two giants of the game and a stark reminder of how mortal even super heroes are.

Do yourself a favour and watch for yourself.