This is an interesting comparison because they played almost the same amount of tests. Steyn played a few more but came up in his first two tests as a reserve. For this comparison I am using the first 9 matches Steyn played as first choice namely started the match. Considering the modern tendency that players are subbed –which did happen with Morné in his first matches- this comparison is quite revealing. Being subbed means of course that he missed out on opportunities to kick penalties, conversions and so forth.

Now Gerald Bosch was not considered the best running flyhalf but was definitely regarded as a man who could win a match for you. I don’t think Steyn is in the same class as a tactician or manipulator of match outcome but he certainly is outscoring Bosch in every department.  

English and Afrikaans newspapers’ reactions to the 2^nd Test were slightly varied. English media’s primary response was to give NZ credit for a well deserved win, while the Afrikaans media accused the AB of aggressive, malicious and angry behaviour with emphasis on what they called dirty tactics.

Danie Craven was overheard to say, immediately after the match, that “this is the roughest bloody test I ever saw.”

“NOW IT’S SQUARE!” was the headline of the Cape Argus; A.C Parker described the game as: “Tremendously hard and drama-packed”. In the ensuing days after the test, Parker also indicated that the type of game NZ played could damage to their image as a country that played hard but honourable rugby.

The Sunday Times headline was: “ALL BLACKS SNATCH WIN IN THE LAST GASP!” and sports columnist Barry Glasspool’s primary thrust was that NZ deserved to win because they were more focused, active and creative and scored two tries against South Africa’s one.

Fred Labuschagne, form the Johannesburg Sunday Times focussed primarily on the Sid Nomis and Piston van Wyk incidents; he stated that there were incidents in the match that could only bring discredit to the game. The feeling among the NZ media was that Labuschagne was trying to imply in a not entirely subtle way that the Springboks lost was mainly attributable to dirty play by NZ.

In the Cape Times Chris Greyvenstein has retained his post with the heading: “BRUTALITY MARS TENSE SECOND TEST”, and warns that the class of brutality cannot be repeated in the following tests. Greyvenstein also highlights the Nomis incident which he described as “A Cold Blooded Felling.”

Gerhard Kirsten, sports editor of the Burger chose a word which according to Terry McLean rapidly entered into all discussion about the tour. He feared, said Kirsten, that “unless the All Blacks change their attitude, the third test could turn into a bloodbath.” “It is not a word,” said Kirsten “that anyone likes to use about a rugby test; but the possibility is there.”

In the ensuing days, reactions from former players, referees, journalists and rugby board members were literally milked for weeks by the media for sensation with comments on reactions type articles. The Sid Nomis incident in particular was blown-up out of all proportions, mainly by the Afrikaans press. This elicited an emotional response from the South Africa rugby public to such an extent that Fergie McCormick received hate mail and telephone calls. David writes as follows about the letters that McCormick received:

Fergie has been under great emotional and psychological stress the last week. He received some poisonous letters and one night in a hotel bar was threatened with violence by four South Africans. One letter addressed to “Our hero” and bearing McCormick’s photo on the envelope had a different tale to tell on the inside. The letter had a picture of Nomis lying in pain on the ground and the words printed above “You are a rat, McCormick.” A hostile crowd noted every move made by the All Black fullback during the Western Province match.

David, interesting enough, never use the word foul play when he writes about the Nomis/McCormick incident but prefers the word “Obstruction” whenever he writes about it. The word choice is likely resultant from an article which appeared a week or so after the test in the Sunday Times. David writes:

South Africa’s biggest circulating Sunday paper, the Sunday Times, carried almost a full page apology to Fergie McCormick this morning. The paper claims that a study of the film strip of McCormick’s alleged stiff arm tackle of Nomis proves that Nomis ran into McCormick’s elbow and all that the fullback was guilty of was obstruction.

Sid Nomis, however, had a totally different take on the whole event and this is what he had to say during an interview with Dave Gemmell:

Sid Nomis at the time of the interview.

Gemmell:  The rugby incident people always associate you with, is Fergie McCormick’s (AB fullback) illegal tackle on you. Talk me through it.

Nomis: Yes, we were on our 22 meter line and I intercepted a ball and what went through my mind in a flash was, ‘I’ve just got McCormick to beat and I’m through’. I chipped the ball over his head and made to run around him. Instead of chasing me, he just turned around hundred and eighty degrees and smashed me in the mouth with his elbow. In fact in his biography he says he would have done anything to stop me – and he did! (Laughs). I was down and, for a few seconds, completely out. When I came around the referee, Dr Wynand Malan sat me up; coincidently he was a dentist and he straightened my teeth for me. Two actually came out in his hand, the rest were all bent and there was blood going down my throat (laughs).

Did you go off?

No – I stayed on. There was quite a bit of the game left and it wasn’t actually that sore. More numb.

In the next test did the Springboks target him?

He was one of the dirtiest rugby players I ever played against. Even some of his own team didn’t like him. If you tackled him or if he tackled you, he would somehow manage to kick you, elbow you or punch you, it was amazing. He was unofficially targeted. The coach said, ‘Look there is somebody we don’t like here,’ and we knew who he meant. They found him in the third test and he in fact never played in the fourth test.

What happened?

In the first three minutes I got the ball on the right wing and I put in a cross kick, which turned into a perfect ‘up and under’ and Jan Ellis, Piet Greyling and Hannes Marais all hit him at the same time. It took him quite a while to get up, but hell he was a strong bugger. He then ended up at the bottom of lots of loose scrums and he had a very difficult time. But to his credit, as I said, he was a tough boy.

How were your teeth for the rest of the series?

Well they transplanted the ones that came out, back into my mouth – interestingly they lasted another four years – but they gave me a gum guard made out of plastic and a type of rubber for the next test, which was in Port Elizabeth. So in a way I started the whole gum guard thing, because up until then no one used them (laughs). In that test Fergie punched me again – you can’t believe it. But I got him; I punched him a number of times, before the ref intervened. Nothing happened, I wasn’t penalized, but afterwards at the cocktail party the ref came across and asked me, ‘Did I give you enough time?’ then he smiled and walked off.

Sid Nomis and McCormick fueding during the third test. By the look of Fergie’s head, Sid has just given him a really good lick.

By all accounts the 1970 series against the All Blacks was quite dirty.

The second test at Newlands was the dirtiest game of rugby I have ever seen or been involved in. Alex Wyllie (AB flank) said the same thing to me; he said he wouldn’t like his son to watch or play in a game like that. Dawie de Villiers had nine stitches in his ear; Piston van Wyk had twelve stitches; I had my teeth knocked out and in the doctors room afterwards, Alan Sutherland (AB no 5) was also being stitched up. That was the most hideous test match.

The All Blacks management were silent about the whole incident and accusations that NZ used dirty and illegal tactics. David writes:

The All Black manager, Mr. Burk, has refrained from making any statements about the test but uttered a profound remark last night when he commented that one of the basic laws of the game is that a player going down on the ball must immediately clear himself from it. “The players here in South Africa are not doing it”, Mr. Burk pointed out and left it at that.

For me as a South African, it is clear that Burk is trying to play spin doctor here with a suggestion between the lines that the Springboks and the referee are actually to be blamed for the whole mess. The Springboks had deliberately slowed down NZ’s second phase momentum; referee did not apply the rules and New Zealand were simply trying to clean up at the breakdown. David as kiwi journalist was obviously impressed with Burk’s “sharp” comment.

Some action was -so it seems- taken against McCormick. David wrote as follows when he writes about the lead up to the game against the WP.

There’s a suspicion that the incomparable Fergie McCormick has been censured by the All Black management.  He was surprisingly left out of the team to play the strong Western Province side on Saturday and Wellington’s Gerald Kember was named fullback. Kember played a fine game against SWD but it was still surprising to see him selected ahead of McCormick for this important Saturday match. Was the management adopting this method of reprimanding Fergie for his obstruction of Syd Nomis in the second test? In any event, Kember had to withdraw with a badly twisted ankle and McCormick went back into the team. Still, the point was made, one imagines.  

Built-up and teams

It was a test of missed opportunities. A test of controversy. A test almost won, against all odds, by South Africa.

True to form Athletic Park in Wellington was a swamp on test day. The weather was heavy and overcast on test day; the field was a mud bath after two days of sustained rain; a gale force, 50 mile per hour cold southern wind, was blowing to top it off. The Springboks -after their series defeat in Australia and one lost out off 8 matches in New Zealand- were given no change to win. Five of the Springboks in the test side played in the 1960 series against the All Blacks in South Africa, namely Lionel Wilson, John Gainsford, Keith Oxlee, Lofty Nel, and Abe Malan.

Sakkie van Zyl was appointed captain of the forwards (vice captain) ahead of Abe Malan (former Springbok captain) who only managed to get into the test side after Don Walton the first choice hooker injured his hamstring during a practice run two days before the test.

There was good news for Tommy Bedford, a medical follow-up examination showed that his scaphoid bone had healed completely; there was no more sign of the fracture. Bedford did not play again on tour.

Truter, Nomis and Bedford studying a x-ray of Tommy’s wrist.

The All Blacks selected no newcomers in their original team to play in this first test but injuries to Malcolm Dick and Waka Nathan opened the door for rookie Bill Birtwistle on the right wing and the return of Dick Conway (No. 6) which last played test rugby in 1960. Wilson Whineray was brought back to captain the side after he only played club rugby in 1964. Whineray, Conway, Colin Meads and Tremain all played for the All Blacks in the 1960 series against South Africa. Brain Lochore – destined to captain the 1970 All Blacks touring to South Africa- was on no 8 and Chris Laidlaw who would also tour to South Africa in 1970 was on scrumhalf. Colin Meads and his brother Stan was on lock for the All Blacks. The New Zealand side for this test can be seen here.

All Blacks 6, South Africa 3

De Villiers won the toss and decided to play against the wind in the first half. With the wind from behind the All Blacks were on the attack from kick-off. After only 5 minutes of play Laidlaw fed Murdock (No. 10) on the blindside after a scrum on the Springboks goal line. Willament slipped into the line from fullback to create the man over and Birtwistle darted over to score in the corner. Willament missed with the conversion.

Birtwistle try first test

The All Black forwards were in total control from the beginning and with the wind from behind most of the game took place in the Springboks half of the field. Gainsford and Roux’s defence was, however, rock solid. Gainsford in particular had the All Blacks centres at sixes and sevens with the quality and vigour of his tackling. McLean writes as follows about Gainsford role in this match:

If New Zealand had its heroes, so, too, did South Arica. Greatest by far was Gainsford. All attacks by the New Zealand backs were thwarted by the stupendous ferocity of his tackling. When the All Blacks played to the right, it was Collins who was stopped by this big, powerful man racing in at maximum speed. To the left, it was Rangi who stood the charge. The timing was perfect, the stopping power phenomenal.

All the way through the tour till this stage, Gainsford had not quite measured up to his reputation, though his ability was patent. His answers to the challenge now exemplified the value of experience. Once, after a tackle, he stayed down and flopped about in agony from a twist of the shoulder. The hurt look serious. In no time, he was up and crashing into men as vigorously as before. If the Springboks had happened to win this game, it could have been said that Gainsford’s deadly tackling was the simple cause of victory.

In the 10th minute Willament failed with a drop kick and shortly thereafter with a penalty. Despite forward dominance and spending most of the half in the Springboks half the All Blacks were unable to put any more points on the scoreboard, until just before halftime.

The second try started when Conway picked up a ball thrown to the back of the lineout and charged for the line. It looked as if he scored when he was forced to the ground by the defenders on the Springboks goal line. The referee, however, decided he fell short and from the ensuing scrum, the All Blacks attempt to repeat the move which produced the earlier try.  This time de Villiers saw it coming and he tackled Willimant when he joined the backline; the ball spilled forward in the tackle. Tremain (No. 7) was first to gather the ball and plunged over the Springboks try line near the right hand corner. Despite the fact that Willament clearly knocked the ball forward and that Tremain was in an offside position when he played the ball the try was awarded by referee Pat Murphy. Willament was unsuccessful with the conversion and the All Blacks went into halftime with a slender 6-0 lead.

Tremain clutches the ball inside the Springboks in-goal-area while referee Pat Murphy confirms the try. Brynard, McLeod and Malan looked on in total astonishment; Malan appears to be on the verge of objecting.

With the wind from behind the Springboks were able to start put pressure on the All Blacks in the second half; seven minutes into the second half Oxlee landed a drop kick following a five yard scrum right in front of the New Zealand posts. He missed a further attempt after 16 minutes and with a third attempt after 22 minutes. The Springboks were camping in the New Zealand half of the field but the All Black pack, playing into the gale, was outstanding limiting the Springbok opportunities and the Springbok backline saw very little ball. Naude was short with a long penalty kick and Roux knocked a pass from Ellis with a clear run to the goal line.

Keith Oxlee in first test

The Springboks looked dangerous whenever the ball went to the backline but the All Black forwards were so much in control that Conway (No. 6) was despatched to the back as a second fullback to help with the defence. It was Conway who dragged Brynard just short of the New Zealand goal line over the sideline to prevent a certain try after a brilliant line break by Gainsford.

Conway with the blond hair providing the man extra to stop Brynard just short of the All Black goal line.

Malan (right) and De Villiers (left) trying to topple “Pinetree” Meads in the first test.

In the final minutes with the Springboks on the attack, Gray and Whineray brought the crowd to their feet with spontaneous and sustained applause when they combined in a burst upfield from a line-out gaining 50 meters before being stopped. It was a fitting end to a match dominated and won by New Zealand forward superiority; the strength, structure and cohesiveness of the New Zealand pack were the difference between the two sides.

Ken Gray making ready to pass to Whineray -with de Villiers hanging on for dear life- after he burst through the last lineout of the match -in the All Blacks 25 yard area- to initiate a 50 meter charge down field which brought the crowd to their feet with spontaneous and sustained applause.

Whineray with Colin Meads next to him at the end the a 50 meter charge started by Ken Gray in the final secnds of the match. Whineray was bundled into touch shortly here after to bring an end to the first test.

The general feeling -despite the controversy regarding Tremain’s try- was that New Zealand were the better team and deserved winners.

Terry McLean in his book “The bok busters” ends his piece on this test as follows:

And there, my masters, was the ball game. It was fought in almost the worst conditions and yet it had the trill and violence and terror, of melodrama. For Birtwistle there was for the glimpse of heaven when he ran in his try. For Laidlaw, the praise was bounteous, for this was a magnificent display of courage, coolness and, most conspicuously, confidence. Gray’s catches at No. 2; Whineray’s drives with him; Stanley Meads’s overpowering of du Preez; Lochore’s expert catching at the back; Tremain’s opening phase; all were superb parts of the instrument Whineray used to probe at the Springboks.

Subtle, yet intense the pressure mounted in the All Black camp. Winston McCarthy – a former New Zealand rugby commentator- forced the pressure right into the AB camp with his weekly newspaper report, published in New Zealand; his information was that were dissatisfaction in the AB camp with coach Ivan Vodanovich. The players “Were getting on top of their coach” he wrote in classical New-Zealand cut-down-the-tall-poppy style.

Brain Lochore strongly denied these allegations indicating that the players -as on any other stage on tour- were willing to die for the coach. “There is no truth whatsoever in the allegations that we are getting on top Ivan”, said Lochore. Ron Burk – AB-team manager- saw it for what it was and noted that the article isn’t worth replying to.

Kiwi supporters were everywhere to be seen in Cape Town and there were reports of incidents where some were attacked and robbed, and word was out that tourists should move around in groups. The mental games was in full swing; the Springboks again had their training sessions within a high security area, namely the Pollsmoor prison. There were rumours that Lofty Nel was brought in to replace Piet Greyling. NZ issued confusing media statements regarding when and where the All Black team is going to prepare for the test.

The Springbok team for the second test was unchanged while NZ made five changes, namely Sutherland (No. 5), Wylie (No. 4) and Thimbleby (No. 1), Kirton (10 to replace Cottrell) and Davis at centre in place Thorne which were moved to the wing in place of Malcolm Dick. There were concerns over the fitness of Thimbleby, Sutherland and Wylie and Muller, all of swere struggling with soft tissue injuries (muscle injuries). Thimbleby were not able to recover in time and did not play. The New Zealand team can be seen here.

South African sport journalists generally predicted a win for the Springboks if they were able to repeat their performance of the first test.

New Zealand 9, South Africa 8

Newlands rugby stadium where the second Test was played.

Test program

The second Test at Newlands will be remembered for the raw, uncompromising rugby and the ruggedness of the match; no doubt emanating from the critical importance of the test, for both teams. NZ had to win at all costs in order to stay in with a change to win the series and the Springboks wanted to eliminate any risk of losing the series.

The forwards, fought like devils among themselves and some of the rucks were so furious that it left the spectators in the pavilion upset. Piston van Wyk was led off the field after one such ruck -were players were cleared out with the rugby boots- with blood streaming down his face. Sid Nomis was knocked unconscious by Fergie McCormick and there were times during the match were the players openly laid into each other with the knuckels, knees, elbows and boots.

Piston van Wyk on the receiving end of a Alan Sutherland punch with Hannes Marais already on the way down.

A bloodied Piston van Wyk being led off the field.

Robbie Barnard who replaced Piston van Wyk. This was the only test Barnard played in his career.

NZ clearly wanted to dominate at the breakdowns and South Africa refused to allow it. Physical presence and intimidation at the contact point was essential. It was war and all conceivable methods; rucking with the rugby boots; late tackling; jersey pulling; barging; bullying and punching was used to obtain dominance at the breakdowns.

It was a dramatic game in which the Springboks hang onto a slender lead after edging ahead on the scoreboard in the middle of second half. Mannetjies Roux, however, eventually went off-side to prevent a certain try with three minutes left on the clock and McCormick kicked a dramatic penalty and NZ won with one point. The excitement was intense when McCormick lined-up for the kick and there were rumours that an older Afrikaner (Erenst Grundelingh, according to Terry McLean) dropped dead from a heart attack in the crowd as McCormick kicked.

Several former Springboks, SA rugby board members as well as the majority of the many rugby journalists voiced their dissatisfaction in no uncertain terms with the manner in which this test was played. David writes as follows about the game:

It was a match of raw, uncompromising rugby and the ruggedness of it restricted the basic qualities of fast, open attack. “They asked for it,” one All Black stated simply. It was quite obvious that New Zealand was not going to pussy-foot their way through today’s eighty minutes as they did in the first test at Pretoria. There was a robust, even angry approach from the first ruck.

The late tackling was shocking. It came from both sides, but was started by the Springboks.  It was rugby in the raw and it was perhaps unfortunate that the match was never a spectacle. But try telling 55,000 people that it wasn’t a game that entertained. It was thrilling, chilling and suspenseful. It held complete interest until the final whistle. At times it was primitive rugby, but it was a test that will be remembered.

NZ, according to David, deserved to win, and they were in his opinion at least 10 points better than the Springboks. Lochore was brilliant and Kirkpatrick had without a doubt, according to Gabriel David, demonstrated that he was the best flanker in world rugby. Just as few paragraphs later he contradicts himself, however, when he wrote that Jan Ellis was the best loose forward on the field.

Ian Kirkpatrick who proved in this test that he was the best flanker in world rugby, on the run, in the second test.

Regarding individual performances David writes as follows:

Wylie was a success although some of his off-side play almost lost the game. Sutherland, probably more by habit, was inclined to hang round the back of the rucks but he was certainly no failure at lock. Strahan helped Lochore to win the lineout dual, 20-12 while Muller, Hopkinson and McLeod made sure the rucks went New Zealand’s way, 20-6.

New Zealand’s seasoned tactical combination of Laidlaw and Kirton went into operation today and played a major role in the ultimate victory. Kirton played judiciously and made one brilliant break that would certainly have provided a try had there been someone in support. MacRae took a battering from Jansen and Roux but absorbed it all. Davis did not handle the pressure well, one dropped pass, throwing away a certain try. Williams and Thorne were virtually unemployed on the wing because of the tactical nature of the game.

Jansen was the most penetrating backline player on the field and scored South Africa’s only try. Visagie draw both MacRae and Davis on him with angled run after a solid scrum by the Springboks and made a clever inside pass to Jansen who came in sharp and fast from deep and crashed through two defenders for his try.

Smart play by Piet Visagie created South Africa’s only try.

Boks’ points scorers in this test. Ian McCallum on the left kicked a conversion and a penalty; Joggie Jansen on the right crashed through two defenders after a scissors move with Piet Visagie, to score the Springboks only try.

Laidlaw scored for NZ after 10 minutes when Piston van Wyk fumbled at a lineout close to the Springboks goal line and knocked the ball backwards. Laidlaw was through in a flash and due to a favourable bounce were able to get hold of the ball and dive over in the corner for the first points in the game.

Laidlaw scoring for NZ after 10-minutes in the first half.

Bryan Williams went over after 25 minutes play in the in the 2^nd half but the referee –after some consultation with the linesman- denied the try.

As can be seen here it was a Springbok defender whose leg hit the corner flag and not Bryan Williams. It would have been tragic if this incident (error by referee and linesman) resulted in New Zealand losing the test.

In the 75^th minute McCallum was successful with a 35 meter penalty and South Africa took the lead, 8-6. With 3 minutes to go the AB got a penalty after off-side play by Roux and McCormick was successful with a 20 meter kick in the most exciting circumstances imaginable for NZ to win with one point.

Laidlaw and Kirkpatrick scored for NZ and McCormick was successful with a penalty. Jansen scored for South Africa and McCallum succeeded with the conversion and one penalty.

Run of the game

McCormick kicked off from the Wynberg side with the wind at his back. Two minutes after the start McCormick was short with a 48 meter penalty attempt; the tense atmosphere surrounding the game was already evident as the first fighting broke out among the forwards.

Sutherland made a poor attempt at a penalty from the middle of the half-way line in the sixth minute but constant pressure by the AB resulted in a try by Laidlaw shortly thereafter when the ball spilled loose after an untidy short throw-in at a lineout on the Springboks goal line. McCormick were unsuccessful with the conversion.

Visagie and McCallum missed with penalties in the next 5 minutes, but it was the All Blacks who generally controlled the game for the rest of the first half.

Two minutes before half time New Zealand won a scrum inside the Springboks 25 and seemed at first unsure what to do with the ball until it was passed to Ian Kirkpatrick who set off on a brilliant run. He evaded several defenders and scored a good try just right of the posts.  McCormick attempted conversion was a poor effort and the teams went to the halftime break with the score 6-0.

Bryan Williams had a brilliant run down the right hand touch line narrowly failing to score, thirteenth minute after halftime. Nomis was knocked with an elbow in the mouth a minute later by McCormick when rushing after a chip kick over McCormick’s head. Visagie miss the penalty that resulted from this incident.

South Africa scored after nineteen minutes into the 2^nd half when Visagie fed Jansen with a short pass after a scrum close to the All Blacks line.  Jansen crashed through Thorne and Lochore for his try. McCallum was successful with the easy conversion; the score was 6-5. Shortly hereafter McCormick missed again with a 27 meters penalty when Ellis late-tackled Laidlaw.

Four minutes later, Williams received the ball from Laidlaw on the blindside and went on another brilliant run beating Gert Muller with sheer speed. He and a defender went over in the corner in a heap and the referee ruled a try but touch judge Max Blaise indicate Williams had hit the corner flag and the try was disallowed.

A vigorous ruck, few minutes later, broke up to reveal the Springbok hooker Piston van Wyk, lying on the ground. After treatment he was led from the field with blood pouring from his face. Nine minutes from full time New Zealand was penalized for playing off-side and McCallum successful with a 35 meter penalty put South Africa in the lead, 8-6.

New Zealand launching one desperate attack after the next one but the Springbok defense hold until Mannetjies Roux blatantly went off-side with three minutes left on the clock. McCormick landed the 20 meter penalty kick for NZ to take the lead, 9-8.

From the restart the Springboks reacted magnificently; Nomis made one run, McCullum an absolute blinder of another. One, two, three – the rucks went on. In savage determination, the All Blacks won the one that mattered. The ball entered touch. The game was done.

The South African newspapers went ballistic in response to the 1^st test victory. The AB team and NZ media followed the match reports in the English newspapers; as is to be to expected they were not overly ecstatic with the euphoric reactions but agreed in general with most of the post-mortem analyses. Gabriel David writes:

As can be imagined, the All Blacks scarcely enjoyed their Sunday morning reading as two DC3′s carried the tourists to South Africa’s famous Kruger Park. Coach Ivan Vodanovich was pensive in the back seat of one aircraft.

The Sunday Express exclaimed right across its pages – “GREAT, BOKS; YOU HAD US ALL Fooled!”

The Johannesburg Star splashed across its front page – “WONDER, THE SPRINGBOKS BEAT THE ALL BLACKS!” Inside the Star carried another bold headline “WHAT A DAY FOR SOUTH AFRICA’S MIGHTY MEN!”

Consensus was that the Springboks won the game in the first 11 minutes. The common theme of most reports was that defence and ability to capitalize on pressure induced mistakes were at least one of the reasons for the Springboks’ success.

Various old Springboks and All Blacks made specific mention of the lacklustre performance of the All Black forwards. Wilf Rosenberg –Springbok centre of the 1956 team to New Zealand and rugby league player in the North of England for a number of years during which he seen the 1953/64 and 1967 All Blacks in England- could not believe the current All Black forwards belonged to the same family; “They simply wouldn’t compare”, he said.

Kelvin Kelleher –the Irish referee who send Colin Meads of the field at Murrayfield in 1967 was in South Africa at the time and watched the match- said the All Black forwards were “deplorable”: “I could not imagine that an All Black pack could play so badly” he said. He also made the observation that on occasion that All Black pack did play well there was clear signs of panic amongst the Springboks and he therefore believes that the All Blacks would win the remaining tests and the series.

The grapevine stories coming from the team had it that both Burk and Vodanovich had lashed out at the team in no uncertain terms demanding higher standards and improvements in code of conduct. Some bitterness boiled up and McCarthy a journalist for the New Zealand Truth splashed a story that the All Blacks would have to play their “meanies” to win the second test.

The AB went to the Kruger Park for three days where they largely sought to put the first test behind them and to regroup for the rest of the tour. A report in the Rand Daily Mail which questioned Laidlaw’s injury and went so far as saying it was faked in order to get him off the field left the All Black players and management moderately outraged and disgusted.

From Skukuza AB travelled per DC3 via Johannesburg and East London to Port Elizabeth for their next game against the EP. It was cold and wet in PE but spirits were high there was a positive atmosphere in the AB camp.

Eastern Province officials were quite confident that they were going to be the first provincial side to defeat the tourists but the All Blacks saw it was a chance to vindicate the debacle of the first test.

All Blacks 49, Eastern Province 8.

Eastern Province fielded a few Springboks including Hannes Marais the incumbent Springbok prop as Captain; Gawie Carelse a previous Springbok lock; S Cloete a previous Springbok tourist on hooker and Eben Olivier a previous Springbok centre in the backline.

Gabriel David’s account of this match can be summarized with these few paragraphs:

At the after-match function following the drubbing the All Blacks gave Eastern Province, the home captain and Springbok prop, Hannes Marais was not being altogether facetious when he said that the tourists played such magnificent rugby that quite often he stood still and enjoyed it.

The match produced the best rugby the All Blacks have played on this tour and some of the tries were exceptionally brilliant.  Bryan Williams could well vie with Prime Minister Vorster as the best known personality in South Africa. This olive-skinned tornado on the All Black wing was the sensation of the match today. His two tries were masterpieces, incorporating speed, elusiveness and an incredible ability to deceive an opponent.

He continued and described both of Bryan Williams tries; solo efforts, created out of nothing with sheer individual brilliance.

Bryan Williams against Eastern Province

Terry McLean provides the following sketch of Bryan Williams in the Eastern Province match:

And Williams –ah, what a man! When Laidlaw fielded a kick-out in the twenty-fourth minute, he passed to Williams 70 yards short of the Eastern Province goal line. With sidestep and speed, Williams beat Heunis and Adlam and sped to a try.

At the very end of the game, Williams, partly by his own fault, missed a pass from Davis. With his back turned, he accidentally kicked the ball with the back of his foot a yard or two up the field. When he turned and picked up the ball, he was 60 yards from goal, moving slowly, and cover-defenders were gathering like vultures.

By strength, sidestep and magical artifice, he beat five men, one after the other, who valiantly tried to tackle him. As he spun out of the last tackle, he had only 15 yards to go to the goal-line and by now Eastern Province were so completely flummoxed that he was able to walk there to score.

Surprisingly, McLean then goes on and state that the tries was not the most impressive part of Williams’s performance; the greatest part of his game was actually when he -on cover defence- tackled the fast and elusive ex-Springbok centre, Eben Olivier, preventing what looked like a certain try. An awe struck McLean goes into delightful patriotic approbation as he relates this incident:

Olivier was smart and fast and his second try of the match looked a stone-cold certainty. But all the way from the other wing, tearing along the goal-line, came Williams; and a yard short of the tryline Olivier was crashed down in a fabulous tackle. Williams –ah… Only the French have the words and gestures suitable to describe such a player.

Gabriel David also refers to Eben Olivier; the cover defence of Bryan Williams -when Olivier was about to score his second try- and the fact that Olivier had a reasonable solid game for EP against the All Blacks.

Alan Sutherland was included as lock but was placed in the lineouts on 6 with Lochore on 5 and this proved to be a huge success so much so that New Zealand dominated the lineouts despite EP having two excellent lock forwards namely Carelse an ex-Springbok lock and the very tall Rushmere. They (Lochore and Sutherland) dominated the lineouts winning the dual by 19-8. Sutherland also did his basic job as a lock very well namely staying in the rucks and scrums when pushing was required but still roamed effectively and powerfully in the open as well as doing the job of a no 6 flank in the lineouts namely protecting and supporting the leaper on 5. Laidlaw had a good game behind a forward pack that dominated in the scrums, lineouts and at the breakdowns.

The All Blacks scored 9 tries of which McCormick converted 5. Laidlaw was successful with a drop goal and McCormick added a further three penalties to NZ’s total. Eben Olivier and Cloete (no 2) scored for EP, Adlam (no 15) converted the try.

The Eastern Province team playing in this match were:

Adlam; Heunis; Olivier; Nortje; van Tonder; Vosloo; Terblanche; Barnard; van Eyck; Carelse; Rushmere; Phillips; Pringle; Cloete; Marais (Captain).

The All Black team playing in this match can be seen here.

All Blacks 35, Boland 9.

The next match was in the picturesque Wellington against Boland.

The following paragraph by Gabriel David (Rugby and be damned) summarizes the Boland match:

The All Blacks had played some patternless and unauthoritative rugby to lead a weak Boland side by only 19 point to 9 with eight minutes to finish the match. Then all the formless play fell into a defined pattern and four tries exploded on the Wellington ground.

The AB again made many mistakes and there was no dominance and forward momentum at the break downs. It has also become clear that Kirton and Going did not combine well although both had good games as individuals. Going once again impressed with sharp and penetrating brakes from behind the scrum. Cottrell was average on inside centre (2nd five-eight) while Graeme Thorne was a success on the left wing. Sutherland had a good game as no 6 flank.

Terry Mclean provides a nice short and illustrative description of some of the All Black tries in his book “Battling the Boks“:

Thorne ran in the last of his three tries by beating three men on his inside. Milner scored a try by looping the loop with Kirton. Dick did a crisscross with Cottrell and bounded to the goal-line. And in the last minute, after pretty nearly every man in the New Zealand team had picked up the ball and run somewhere with it, Thorne and Lochore figuring prominently, Kirton took it last of all and dashed over.

About Boland, Gabriel David, writes:

The Boland lads played above themselves, but the most of these underrated sides do, and the All Blacks had some anxious moments during the early stages of the match.

Van der Merwe, Du Toit and O’Kennedy were a troublesome front-row for the All Blacks while Jennings and Basson were quite an embarrassment in the loose.

The Boland backs lacked initiative and unorthodoxy with Niewoudt strong on attack but weak on defense and Dirk Visser quite impressive on fullback even if reluctant to tackle at times.

Terry McLean has this classic piece on the Boland team:

The All Blacks were often pushed about rather unmercifully by an excellent pack of forwards. O’Kennedy, reputedly the strongest front-row forward in South Africa, had a considerable reputation, but most of us liked the look of van der Merwe, a solid, hardworking man on the other side. Du Toit, like Cloete of Eastern Province was an excellent hooker.

Then there were the locks, Joubert and Louw. Here at last, in each, was the kind of South African forward we had been expecting in every match. The two packed under the pelvic bones of their props. They got down very low. Their backs were straight, their knees bent, their heads up.

As the ball entered the tunnel, their knees momentarily straightened and the scrum thrust sharply forward a few inches. It was classic scrummaging, not improved as to technique by any pack on tour.

As was the case in Kimberley and Port Elizabeth, the All Blacks was enthusiastically supported by the Coloured community in the Wellington and surrounding areas. Approximately 3000 of the 20 000 spectators were coloureds, according the Gabriel David and Terry McLean, and they shrieked with delight and pleasure when Sid Going – a Maori- scored a grand solo try against Boland.

Hennie Niewoudt has Kember in close grasp, Ferdus Erasmus stands by, and Thorne and Milner are in states of distress of their comrade brought to his knees.

Thorne scored three tries for the All Blacks while Going, Milner, Dick and Kirton also crossed the Boland goal line. Kember converted four of the 7 tries and added 2 more penalties. Dirk Visser (no 15) kicked three penalties for Boland.

The Boland team who played in this match were:

Dirk Visser; T Retief; J Visser; A Joubert; F Erasmus; J Niewoudt; J Swanepoel; M Jennings (Captain); M de Villiers; D Louw; Johnnie Joubert; P Basson; J O’Kennedy; F du Toit; D van der Merwe.

The All Black team who played against Boland can be seen here.

Next the second Test at Newlands which was an absolute thriller.

Leaving, New Plymouth the Springboks crossed over to the South Island for the second time on tour and travelled down to the southernmost town in New Zealand, namely Invercargill to play against the regions representative team, Southland. The South Island is considered to be main land in New Zealand and more patriotic and enthusiastic rugby supporters are hard to find. The real New Zealand men or the hard men comes from the Deep South; the men with natural strength, endurance, and grit developed by manual labour in tough and uncompromising environmental conditions –cold, windy, and hilly with little luxuries.

However, true New Zealand hospitality -in the typical rural fashion- is also a characteristic of the Deep South. The welcome reception the Springboks received on arrival was heart warming and overwhelming; Invercargill, Queenstown and surrounding areas entertained them with everything the Deep South had to offer; barbecue’s, singing and dancing, snow skiing trips, duck and deer hunting, helicopter aerial views of Mount Cook and the surrounding mountains, trout fishing in riverbeds to mention but a few of the many excursions with which the Springboks were treated.

McLean writes as follows about the Springboks arrival in Invercargill:

Among the thousands at the airport were a Maori welcoming party of the Murikhiku club, dressed in football shorts, piu-pius and as cold, one imagined, as Maori’s had ever been. They challenged the Springboks, they sang songs, they gave haka; and when Louw responded with a bit of Maori, they looked as pleased as if he had been proved a blood brother.

Out of the airport building, what a sight! A collection of two puffing billies, vintage cars going all the way back to 1911, and at the head for a few hundred yards a band of pipes and drums. There were outriders of boy cyclists, dozens of them. And every yard of the way, perhaps two miles in all, cars were parked and people stood shoulder to shoulder. As between the ‘Boks’ and the Folk, the empathy was total.

The Springboks did all they could in return for this extraordinary and touching welcome. They sang their songs and Kobus Louw and de Villiers was in good touch with their reply speeches but the most touching tribute came from Gainsford who said that until now his greatest moment in rugby was when he stood with the Springboks facing 60,000 Welshmen singing “Land of my fathers”. “But this surpassed that”, said John.

South Africa 19, Southland 6

As passionate and enthusiastic as the welcome so passionate and enthusiastic the rugby on the field and the support off the field. The commitment was total and the crowd vocally cheered on their team; every lineout, every scrum, every maul, every ball won; every line brake made and every Springbok tackled was cheered with the volume and hysterical abundance equal to that of a group of high school girls at a inter school athletic event.

Southland took the lead in the third minute of the match with a penalty and increased their lead with another 3 points in the 38^th minute of the first half with yet another penalty. They hang onto that 6-0 lead until the 24^th minute of the 2^nd half. There was 16 minutes of play left in the 2^nd half before the Springboks could equal the score; 12 minutes left on the clock before they could edge ahead on the score board. Unfortunately –from the spectators perspective-  shortly thereafter, the dam wall broke, and in the end the ‘Boks’ won with 5 tries and a flattering score line.

Southland with a tradition of staunch resistance against Springbok tourist –although no win yet- was determined to live up to their predecessor’s performances and the expectations of their supporters. The Southland team of 1965 was not full of stars, but it was a more than adequate team with two former All Blacks Robin Archer (No. 10) and ‘Ack’ Soper (No. 9) and Jack Hazlett (No. 4) who got his All Black colours in 1966. Greig Spenser (no 2) was a former Southland player and John Lindsay (No. 3) and Graham Townsend (No. 12) participated earlier in the season in the All Black trials.

The Springboks selected their week team; the surprise inclusion being Hannes Marais on the flank. The field was wet, muddy, and heavy – the wettest and muddiest so far on tour; it was bitter cold and the resistance was stubborn and determined. It was not an easy game for the Springboks by any stretch of the imagination and the South Africans had to dig deep against a team as proud and resilient as you can get. Cullen (Southland, no 15) scored the only points in the first half with two penalties.

The Springboks appeared unsettled and unfocussed in the wet conditions and made many mistakes but was not entirely without a plan in the first half. The plan, to soften up the lighter forward pack of the opposition in the first half, started paying dividends early in die 2^nd half when Naude, Goosen, Nomis and Brynard combined for a breakaway try by Brynard in the corner.

In the 24^th  minute of the second half Naude again broke away and when stopped just short of the goal line Janson (No. 6) was on hand in support and used his strength and weight to drive over for the Springboks 2^nd try. Four minutes later, Thompson (Southland, No 11) under pressure dropped the ball, Nomis kicked through and win the chase to the ingoal area to fall on the ball for the Springboks 3^rd try.

With seven minutes of play left on the clock Trix Truter (Springbok no. 14) jumped into the backline to create space for Brynard on the other wing. Brynard slipped on the inside of Cullen, the Southland fullback, with a brilliant step to score under the post. Wynand Mans converted and with two minutes of play left Mans carved through a gap during a backline move, from set play, to score in the corner for the last points of the game.

South Africa dominated the set play with 43 against 16 lineouts’ won and ten heels against the head to one. None of the Springboks forwards really stood out, individually, but Goosen and Naude worked hard at the breakdowns and McDonald scrummed well. Marais and Janson did not come off on the flank, being too slow at the breakdowns. In the backline Brynard impressed with his speed and agility while Nomis and Mans on 12 and 13 demonstrated good speed and penetration.

Macdonald the Springbok prop forward who scrummed his direct opponent –also a McDonald- into the ground.

McLean writes as follows about the game:

….there was one quality Southland did not have and not all the rampaging fire of the forwards could make up the deficiency. This was weight. All through the first half, while the Southlanders on the field were raging and the Southlanders off it were screaming, the Springboks had only one thought, to put the ball into touch as efficiently as possible. A lineout meant a maul, a maul meant a scrum, meant the application of that enormous weight.

It was dull Rugby, lightened only by the revelations of Hopwood’s swift intelligence and Brynard’s brilliant acceleration; but it was efficient, heartless rugby. The value of it was seen almost from the very start of the second half. Southland now were back-pedaling, striving to hold ground, putting every desperate effort into an attempt to counter the weight with quickness.

To do them justice, the Springboks had rather more than weight. Once Smith had got over his troubles in clearing passes and Barnard had been relieved of the need to belt every ball into touch, these two men, and the men outside them, especially Nomis and Brynard, turned out to be positive and agile.

The Springbok team for this game were:

Mulder; Brynard; Mans; Nomis; Truter; Barnard; Smith (Captain); Hopwood; Janson; Goosen; Naude; Marais; Mcdonald; Malan; Parker.

South Africa 6, Canterbury 5

Canterbury (Crusaders in Super 14 terms) has won two of their previous three encounters (1921, 1937 and 1956) against the Springboks namely in 1921 and 1956. It was an extremely powerful Canterbury side with Cornelius (no 7), Dunne (No. 5) and Millar (No. 4), the only Canterbury players in the team (selected to play the Springboks) who have not played for the All Blacks. Canterbury therefore fancied their chances to become the first non-international team to beat the Springboks three times. The Springboks subsequently approached this match with caution and apprehension, determined to win.

The weather and playing conditions were good but a disappointing crowd of only 38, 000 showed up on match day. It was the best match of the tour by far and the Springboks scraped home by 1 point. The general feeling was that the ‘Boks’ were the better team on the day. It was an exciting game with the outcome uncertain until the final whistle was blown. The Springboks, however, for the first time on tour managed to take control up front against a quality side. They dominated in the lineouts and stood strong in the scrums and were more entertaining and dangerous in the backline although in general kiwi’s still felt they kicked too much.

Naude’s place kicking was again erratic and inconsistent and he put the Springboks under extreme pressure by missing two easy penalties (one of only 24 meter right in front of the uprights). These penalties, if successful, could have put the Springboks out of reach. Canterbury’s only try came from an interception from a movement which should have lead to a Springbok try. The only other occasion during which Canterbury threatened to score was late in the second half when Engelbrecht and Wilson ran into each other while trying to catch an aerial punt. It created a four to one situation with Watts, Cornelius, Steel and Wylie on Canterbury side hoofing the ball towards the Springboks goal line with Gainsford as the only defender. McLean describes it as follows:

… the only thing one of the home boys needed to do was to stop and pick up the ball, glare at Gainsford until John felt compelled to the tackle, and then pass it. But they messed up by bumbling with the ball on the ground for too long ending up to close to the sideline and when someone eventually did pick it up, I think it was Wylie, Gainsford had the simple duty of hurling the bloke into touch.

Picture of a concussed and confused Jannie Engelbrecht after he and Wilson collided during the match against Canterbury. Engelbrecht had to spend a few days in the hospital to recover from concussion.

The Springboks were at times outstanding with the ball in hand, and Roux’s try was the result of textbook rugby, where both forwards and backline players combined and moved the ball first from left to right and then after some in and out passing against the touchline, followed by a quick ruck, the ball was again transfered from right to left through 8 pairs of hands before Roux went over in the corner. McLean described the try as follows:

When Roux scored in the 25^th minute, away out to the left, the preceding plays were copybook Rugby. The ball was moved to Engelbrecht on the right, in again, out again to him, in again to Macdonald; and Macdonald’s massive charge to compel a ruck was followed by a delectably quick heel and the passing of the ball among eight backs before Roux went over at the speed of a frightening hare. This was the logical development of the hard and beautiful stuff the Springboks had been playing up till now and the response from the crowd was gratifyingly warm.

The Springbok team playing against Canterbury:

Wilson; Brynard; Roux; Gainsford; Engelbrecht; Barnard; de Villiers (captain); Nel; Ellis; du Preez; Naude; Schoeman; van Zyl; Walton; Macdonald.

South Africa 11, West Coast-Buller 0

Buller and West Coast, both, did not really had a good season in 1965 and although inexperienced the combined team -playing without any major star- put up a sterling effort against the Springboks. The field was wet, and slippery -not as sludgy and heavy as Rugby Park in Invercargill- but hard under foot and wet which made the playing surface as slippery as a bar of soap. The Springboks struggled on the uncertain surface and the combined team – accustomed to the circumstances- were able to pen the ‘Boks” down in their own 10 meter area and apply huge pressure. Nomis pulled his hamstring on the slippery surface and was out for the rest of the tour.

The referee had the Springboks puzzled with his application and interpretation of the rules and that together with the opponents’ in your face approach caused annoyance, irritation, and edginess culminating in jersey pulling, eye balling, barging, and elbowing between the two packs. This proceeded until Abie Malan –just before the reset of a scrum- stepped between the two packs and said something to both sets of forwards which in a totally unexpected way halted all the negativity and the game proceeded after that without any further incidents.

Oxlee opened the scoring with a penalty after only 90 seconds. The only other points in the first half resulted when Mans on the wing jumped into the line to create a man over allowing Truter on the other wing to score.

Truter on his way to his try against the combined team.

Just after the start of the second half, Janson drive over and scored after a backline move was stopped just short of the goal line. Oxlee converted and despite continued efforts by both teams this was the last points of the game.

The Springbok backline struggled badly on the slippery playing surface and only Mulder at fullback -after an uncertain start- found his feet, so to speak, and had a reasonable good game. Roux were dangerous at times as was Nomis -up to his injury- while Hopwood was the best of the forwards.

The following paragraphs by Terry McLean probably provide an adequate summary of the match:

The Springboks tactical play being dependent on Smith’s ideas of initiating the attack, was not masterly, in fact it didn’t develop authority until the last 15 minutes when Nelie with runs alongside the scrum began to bring Schoeman and Botha into the attack.

Otherwise, the midfield was lazy and uninterested; Truter had a positive genius for not doing the right thing, and it needed stout work by Mulder, Oxlee and Hopwood to tidy up the roughnesses.

But even if the ‘Boks’ had been at their best, which they most decidedly weren’t, they would still have had the devil’s own job subduing the tigers of the coast.

The Springbok team for this match were:

Mulder; Truter; Roux; Nomis; Mans; Oxlee; Smith (Captain); Hopwood; Slabber; Botha; Janson; Schoeman; Parker; Malan; Marais.