Lead-up to the test 

 

Ivan the terrible’s revenge

 

From a New Zealand perspective, the fourth test of the 1970 tour will be remembered for an incident that occurred a week before the test in Potchefstroom.

 

Two Canterbury players Alex Wylie and Alister Hopkinson pulled a mischievous trick on coach Ivan Vodanovich in Potchefstroom a week before the game; a prank that determined to a large extend the outcome of the fourth test. The story goes that the two Canterbury players Wylie and Hopkinson were standing at the bottom of the hotel steps, having a chat, when the coach came down the stairs in a hurry. Wylie put his foot out and tripped a hasty Ivan who plunged through the swivel doors and landed face down in the hotel foyer. “Right, no Canterbury players in the test team” was the coaches’ words as he picked himself up from the ground.

 

Vodanovich known for his sharp and sometimes peculiar sense of humor was initially not taken seriously, but a considerable number of players and media men begun to wonder about this remark after announcement of the AB team for the fourth test -without any Canterbury players. “Good joke, Ron, now tell us the real team” was Gabriel David’s comment to Ron Burk, the team manager, after the team was read off. On Burk’s answer: “It is the team”, David responded with: “Then God help you”.  Burk was at this stage, not aware of the incident in Potchefstroom.

 

David writes:

  

When the names were read out one senior reporter looked inquiringly at the official and asked in all seriousness: “Are you sure this is the team, it’s not a hoax is it?

 

McCormick no longer the New Zealand fullback! Dick named as one wing-three quarter while the brilliant attacking Milner is left languishing on the sideline! Blair Furlong at first five-eight! The forwards were predictable although one could question the dropping of Wylie for Lister. Piet Visagie has a great fear of Wylie. But the backline –surely one of the weakest ever to pull on test jerseys?

 

Blair Furlong and Gerald Kember both played in their first and last tests on respectively 10 and 15; Bryan Williams and Malcolm Dick was back on, respectively, left and right wing; Graeme Thorne again on outside centre; MacRae was on 12 and Muller and Murdoch, the two props who have played so well against NTVL, were in the front row. The player selection for this test resulted in a situation that 27 of the 30 players on tour were used in the fourth tests. Involuntarily it makes one remember the agonizingly and catastrophic selection frenzy of the South African selectors during the 1974 British and Irish Lions tour.

 

The All Black team for this test can be seen here.

 

It was an important test within the context of the tour and the New Zealand media was understandably disturbed about the team; comments of concern and outright criticism was frequent before the match and for years afterwards; reasons and motifs with team selections is specifically questioned. Primarily the sentiment is that the coach had an agenda and that he over reacted on the Potchefstroom incident.

 

As outsider I find the actions of Wylie and Hopkinson totally unacceptable. I know a few South African coaches who would not have tolerated such behaviour; it reeks of disrespect. Any Springbok who would even attempt something like that would immediately get send home and would in all probability never again get within even remote distance from a Springbok team.

 

This incident and the way it was handled raise questions about clicks, respect and discipline in the AB team. The Potchefstroom incident clearly figured strongly in conversions within the team after the side for the fourth test was announced; more specifically it led to an uncomfortable atmosphere in the team. Two obvious groups began to form and there was much soft talking in the corridors and hotel rooms. On the way to Ellis Park, on test morning, a shocked and pregnant silence followed when Hopkinson -just after the team got put on the bus- remarked: “Stand up all Canterbury players in the test side.”

 

Jan Pickard’s comment when he saw the team was: “What a negative approach” and Danie Craven’s words were: “This team will never beat the Springboks.”

 

Coach Ivan Vodanovich who -if you read between the lines- was actually playing with Fred Allen’s prodigies. Fred “the Needle” Allan was the previous AB coach and this team won 17 tests on the trod over 5 years under his tutelage. Allan, however, retired before the 1970 tour and was replaced with Vodanovich whose team selection in the fourth test elicited several questions.

 

Syd Going and Laidlaw injuries

 

Going was in a race against time to recover from a knee injury and it influenced the AB preparations to such an extent that McCormick had to stand in at scrumhalf. Laidlaw was still in the hospital as a result of appendix surgery.

 

Louis Luyt Lorenzo Marques jet trips

 

Since the match against Transvaal, Louis Luyt treated players with trips to -in his private jet- to Laurenzo Marques for a “good time”. These trips have increased in frequency as the tour’s approached its final days. There were also reports-in the media of women in the All Blacks hotel rooms; the All Blacks were apparently enraged and dismayed about this and David thinks it has motivated them for the fourth test. Where there is smoke there is usually a fire is an old South African truism and the facts on the table was that a multiplicity of evidence were emerging that focus, dedication and discipline was a problem in the AB camp at the end of a long tour.

 

Packing and Pillaging

 

The tour was over, and players began packing gifts, memorabilia, ornaments and other unique South African collectibles bought on tour that they have stored in crates; packed to be shipped to New Zealand. In this environment, there were several incidents where crates were looted and items were stolen, which was obviously something that has disturbed players and which have drawn their attention away from the upcoming test.

 

David writes:

 

Graeme Thorne goes back to centre but he’s in no mood to be elated. He had dispatched a large crate filled with souvenirs and many household items designed to decorate his new home when he marries his airline hostess in November. Total cost of the contents was $200. His fiancée goes along to pick up the crate, opens it and finds a torn, used test ticket –nothing else. Someone had done an excellent job of pillaging.

 

The New Zealand test side is not getting into any tense mood about the fourth international. It is too busy packing and organizing insurance of baggage. The boat carrying the crates will be heavy laden. Never has so much been sent home by a touring side.  

Other disturbing events

 

There were several incidents in the run up to the Test. New Zealand supporters -1500 in the total- complained about the way they were treated by the Transvaal Rugby Union specifically with regard to problems to get tickets.

 

The Springboks again ignored and broke the international rule of not assembling 48 hours before a test match; New Zealand as before -for the sake of good relations- decided not to process an official complaint. It did not prevent the kiwi media to whinge and complain about it and to reinforce the Kiwi image of South Africans as people who would use illegal tactics in order to win.

 

Sport journalists of the Transvaler newspaper were refused access to Ellis Park for the test after Jannie le Roux had a squabble with a female reporter working for the Transvaler. These incidents also contributed to reinforce the existing image that New Zealanders have of South Africans as bombastic, belligerent people without finesse.

 

South Africa 20 New Zealand 17

 

 

Comments on New Zealand’s game

New Zealand was the better team today in this crucial international that meant so much in terms of rugby prestige and tour evaluation, but deserved to be beaten because once again there were basic mistakes and a nondescript backline played exactly like a nondescript backline.

 

Going and Furlong had nightmare matches and was clueless and tentative on 9 and 10; the result was that the AB never really dictated: they lacked direction in the decision making positions with a pack clearly in control for a substantial amount of time. The halfback and first five eight’s inability to stamp their authority and direct play also hampered the playmakers on their outside.

 

David writes:

 

Thorne was in brilliant mood and made the famous Joggie Jansen look like just another provincial player making his test debut. Williams scored a dazzling try in which he offered the supreme insult to the opposition by weaving, side-stepping and accelerating past players behind their own goal line. But these two fine players were severely handicapped by the restricted skills of the inside backs.

 

The two new props -Muller and Murdoch- were not the world breakers the kiwi’s thought they were. Their struggling and inability to keep-up the pace as a result of being slowly weighed down by the opposition influenced Urlich play on hooker and contributed to the New Zealand pack totally running out of puff late in the second half. David writes:

 

…it was astonishing, even humiliating and quite an embarrassment to watch a strong New Zealand pack, rampant for a good part of the game suddenly slow down to a walk when only four points were needed for the victory and 10 minutes remained to achieve it. That was when the test was really lost.

 

Comments on the Springboks

 

The Springboks played probably the worst match of the series but they deserved to win because they were allowed it. It was a match in which the Windhoek flanker Jan Ellis got away with murder. He was so often off-side he should have been wearing the sliver fern jersey. The referee Mr. Bert Woolley caught up with him at times but it was so infrequent it was shameful.

 

Chris Greyvenstein is of the opinion that the two players who dominated this test were the place kickers McCallum and Kember; together they scored 28 of the 37 points. McCallum slotted an enormous kick of 65 meters; a kick that he himself said he would not attempt under normal circumstances. Dawie de Villiers, according to McCallum, instructed him to kick for goal so that the forwards could get a breather without any expectation that McCallum will be successful. Write Chris Greyvenstein:

 

McCallum’s place kicking in the series was so good that the All Black’s coach Ivan Vodanovich praised him later as the kicker with the best  technique he had ever seen, a view I share even now that we are in the era of round-the-corner kickers.

 

Ian McCallum who, according to the New Zealand coach was the place kicker with the best technique he had seen. McCallum basically won the fourth test for the Springboks with his place kicking and had overall a decisive influence on the outcome of this test series. McCallum played in 11 tests for the Springboks (1970-1974).

 

Terry McLean has the following on Ian McCallums’ place kicking:

 

Twenty-four points from penalties in one match! It was the penalties that turned the tide –penalties and the loss by Lochore of the toss. De Villiers was correct in breaking the old South African habit of playing into the wind for the first half.

 

By half, McCallum with three penalties had put South Africa into the lead by 14 points to three –surely an unshakable and uncrackable lead in a test.

 

The first, from 55 yards and given against Going, was a fine kick. So was the second, for a crooked put in at the scrum, from 45 yards.

 

The third, three minutes from half-time and given for some offense or other at a ruck, was from 60 yards. It was bearing left, wide of the uprights, and then the strong wind caught it and deflected it between the posts and it was an effort of unearthly, supernatural skill.

 

Piet Visagie’s clever break and outstanding try is also mentioned by Greyvenstein as well as Gert Muller’s try and Mannetjies Roux and Joggie Jansen’s role in it.

 

Piet Visagie slotted a brilliant drop goal with the left foot in the first test. His tactical kicking was outstanding throughout the whole series and he scored an excellent try in the fourth test with a sharp break. It was also his clever scissors move with Jansen in the second test which resulted in a try that put South Africa right back in the match in that test. He played in 25 tests for the Springboks (1967-1971). His last test was in 1971 against Australia. The Springboks lost 4 out of 25 tests with Visagie in the No10 jumper. From him Frik du Preez said: No flyhalf let you as forward feel as safe as Piet Visagie, because with him in the No10 position you know the pack will go forward. “

 

Terry McLean in his book “Battling the boks” throws in this paragraph on the Piet Visagie try:

 

In his only moment of running enterprise in the four test matches –one moment in 320 minutes- Visagie shifted his feet as he approached Furlong and Furlong, slow of reaction, was thrown out of tackling position. Visagie sped on the angle for the goal-line and sped was the word. MacRae, Thorne and Williams, who were all on the angle with him; Kember, who was to have him covered, and Lochore cover-defending, were all involved.

 

There was some hindrance to Visagie and Lochore seemed to be the one who finally grasped him. He brought him down and held him down, with the ball on the ground. It was a tackle, quite decisively, and never more clearly was this established than in the mind of Lochore, the most trustworthy of witnesses.

 

Yet Visagie, on the bounce, sprang to his feet and dived across the gaol-line, and Woolley signalled a try. This was calamitous because, in effect, it cost the test match.

 

McLean states further that the Springboks lineout play was outstanding throughout the series and that it played a pivotal role in the eventual outcome of the series. One of the innovative things that the Springboks did, and which worked well was to move Frik du Preez to 5 in the lineout.

 

Frik in the fourth test deflecting a ball at 5 in the lineout.

 

Blunders that costs New Zealand the test

 

 

David refers to several blunders, in addition to team composition and poor play by the halfbacks (Going and Furlong) which in his opinion was instrumental in New Zealand losing this test.

 

Blunder one was poor / skew throw-in work at the scrum by Going which lead to several penalties one converted by McCallum into points.

 

Blunder two was poor defending by the backs and especially Furlong and the flankers which allowed Visagie to score.

 

Blunder three was the AB forwards who run out of puff and started walking with 10 minutes of play left on the clock.

 

Blunder four was Kember dropping the ball forward when he came into the backline and was tackled by Jansen. The ball spilled forward and hopped into the hands of Mannetjies Roux who ran onto the ball at speed who then fed Gert Muller to score the Springboks second try at a critical stage in the game. Says McLean:

 

It was not bad play that lost this match. It was careless play. It was a test that should never have been lost.

 

Run of Test

 

The Springboks won the toss and started the first half with the wind from behind. In the seventh minute, Visagie sped past Furlong and angled his way through weak cross defence to score just right of the uprights. McCallum converted and slotted a penalty three minutes later for the Springboks to 8-0.

 

Kember was successful in the 21st minute with a penalty against the wind to put NZ on the score board. Shortly hereafter McCallum slotted a 65 yard monster and two minutes before half time he added another one for the Springboks to lead 14-3 lead at half time.

 

Two minutes after half time Kember kicked his second penalty; McCallum answered with one three minutes later the score now 17-6.

 

In the twelfth minute of the second half Williams scored a brilliant try that Kember converted to bring the score on 17-11.

 

Bryan Williams on his way to his try in the fourth test. Here he is already in the Springboks ingoal area sidestepping his way past Muller and Jansen too score behind the uprights.

 

Four minutes later Kember added another penalty and suddenly it seems that New Zealand could win. Lochore indicated that he sensed at this stage that the Springbok forwards were tiring but so was the All Blacks as they were unable to keep the momentum up.

 

With 13 minutes left on the clock the ball spilled loose from the hands of Kember when he was upended by a shuddering Joggie Jansen tackle. Mannetjies Roux ran into the ball at speed passed to Gert Muller who angled inward moving to the inside of Roux and wrong footing one defender coming in on cross defence in the process; he then swerved to the outside going wide again to ran around another defender to score in the corner. Kember kicked one more penalty shortly before the end to bring the final score on 20-17.

 

Mannetjies Roux on the first photo with Gert Muller next to him. As can be seen on the first photo Muller started angling inward even before receiving the ball to evade the player on the first picture coming in on cross defence. He then went wide again to run around Furlong and Dick for his third try in the series.

 

End of road for several players 

 

Apart from Kember and Furlong -for who this was their only test matches- it was also the end of the road for several All Blacks and Springboks.

 

Malcolm Dick played in his fifteenth and final test; Graeme Thorne returned to SA and played for awhile for Tukkies and Northern Transvaal but never played test rugby again; Ian MacRae also hanged-up his rugby toks after 17 test appearances.

 

Ron Urlich the hooker who played two tests was selected for AB team of 1972/73 touring to the UK but didn’t play in a test. Destined to play one last international game Brain Lochore represented the AB for the last time as captain.

 

On Springbok side, it was the end of the road for Lofty Nel (1960-1970 – 11 tests) Mof Myburg (1962-1970 – 18 tests) Johan Spies (Only four tests) and Mannetjies Roux (1960-1970 – 27 tests). Dawie de Villiers announced his retirement after 22 tests as Springbok captain. It was De Villiers’s second series as captain against the All Blacks; he was also captain of the 1965 Springbok team touring to New Zealand.

 

Dawie De Villiers carried shoulder high off the field. De Villiers, according to Chris Greyvenstein had time for one little jump of joy -after the final whistle- before being lifted by his teammates and carried shoulder high off the field of play. He represented South Africa in 25 tests (1962-1970), only three of them not as captain.

The Springboks next three matches were against North Auckland, Auckland, and a combined team of Nelson / Marlborough / Golden Bay-Motueka.

The game against North Auckland was played in Whangarei probably one of the most scenic and best small-boat cruising areas in the world. Terry McLean put it as follows:

  

It was a perfect flight from Hamilton to Whangarei, especially from Auckland northward along the coast, over the bounteous beaches and islands of the fairyland that is the Hauraki Gulf. I freely sold this as the greatest small-boat cruising ground in the world and the Afrikaners living a thousand miles from the seas warmly agreed with me that it probably was. As it is.

 

Pictures of the Hauraki Gulf

  

August 11, 1965 – South Africa 14; North Auckland 11

  

North Auckland had a good season in 1965 and have beaten Auckland twice that year. The Springboks consequently selected a team with 13 test players for this match.

  

The Springboks playing in this game were: Wilson, Engelbrecht, Gainsford, Roux, Brynard; Oxlee; Smith (Captain), Nel; Ellis, Goosen, Du Preez; Schoeman, Macdonald, Malan, Van Zyl.

  

The only All Black in the North Auckland team was the captain Des Webb (No2) but the Going brothers (Sid and Ken) would later get All Black caps as well; Sid Going was at scrumhalf and his brother Ken at fullback. Mariamora Haddon (No8) and Sid Going were Maori represeantatives; Hewitt (no 7), Hull (no5) and Panther (No14) was All Black trials players.

 

The field was in excellent condition but heavy rain fell during the match – attended by some 20 000 spectators. It was a torrid enciounter marred by fighting, late tackles, and obstruction.

Terry McLean writes as follows about the game:

  

It has happened here before. Rough rugby. Punches, kicks, late charges punctuated the battle of Okara Park this afternoon which the Springboks won by 14 to 11 nine minutes from no-side after building-UP a lead of 11 to nil in the first 20 minutes. No one came out of the affair particularly well.

About the time -13 minutes into the game- that Oxlee kicked a penalty from 35 yards a bit of a party was staged in the front row, van Zyl and Cook being the principal celebrants. Engelbrecht was clipped over the ear by Mr. Kirk for a misdemeanor while chasing a long kick. Macdonald, a quiet man, stamped back with his foot at someone on the ground after breaking clear of a lineout maul. Goosen, making splendid catches at No3 in the lineout, was turned turtle and crashed down upon his back.

No Rugby tourists are angels. On the other hand, the Springboks’ matches so far have been clean, the team has a good reputation among New Zealanders. Out of tension, out of being wound up too tight, out of some obscure cause not unrelated to other displays of rugged Rugby by North Auckland teams, it could be presumed that the trouble was of North Auckland making. It might have stopped at that. Unhappily Mr. Kirk neither exerted a stern authority nor took care to control the jersey-pulling, getting into the wrong side of the ruck and other illegalities which helped to promote temper.

Each team was blameworthy and each guilty of the grossest act of Rugby, the kicking of a man on the ground, Goosen lost half an incisor tooth, the right side of his face was numbed, he was savagely booted in the back, all from kicks. Thompson was planted by a South African boot in an aimed shot. If this is Rugby, the hell with it.

Jan Ellis avoiding a wild swinging punch thrown by Lou Cook (No1) in the North Auckland match.

 

The Springboks established an early 11-0 lead and it was not until five minutes before half time that North Auckland was able to put some points on the score board with a penalty.

  

Oxlee kicked a penalty after 3 minutes and another 10 minutes later. After 20 minutes of play, in the first half, Brynard scored when he chased after a ball that was kicked through and fell on it in the ingoal area.

  

Shortly hereafter, North Auckland’s disruptive tactics (read dirty play) started to increase in severity with a linear correlation between the foul play and the extent to which they accumulated points on the scoreboard.

 

After 11 minutes in the second half Haddon(No8) was posted to the backline and slipped through for a try when the ball was send down the backline after a scrum. With 15 minutes left on the clock Going launched a high box kick for the forwards to chase and Webb (NO2) eventually fell on the ball for the home teams second try. The scores were even when Thompson missed with the conversion.

 

Four minutes later Gainsford burst through the defence for an excellent try after a scissors move with Oxlee. That brought the final score on 14-11 when Oxlee was unable to convert the try.

 

McLean described Gainsford’s try as follows:

  

And then came the great moment of the game when at a scrum about 20 yards from the North Auckland goal Smith sent on to Oxlee, who ran wide toward the open field. Coming up on Oxlee’s right and next door to the scrum, Gainsford, moving at tremendous speed, took a backhanded scissors pass and by sheer speed and a bit of a sidestep went past two, three, four, five men before diving over at the corner for the winning try. This was real Rugby which, if the teams had been willing, could have been played, rain or no rain, for most of the game.

Gainsford score the winning try against North Auckland

  

The Springbok loose forwards -particularly Nel and Ellis- overshadowed their direct opponents and Goosen and Du Preez were outstanding at lock; Malan hooked 5 heals aginst the head. In the backline, the acclaimed Sid Going compared unfavourably with Nellie Smith who had a good match, and Roux, Gainsford and Oxlee looked like true internationals. The game is also remembered for a a sickening Jan Ellis tackle on Ken Going (Sid’s brother). It took awhile but Ken got up and completed the game.

 

August 14, 1965 – South Africa 14, Auckland 15.

  

Auckland was a team under emence pressure with the advent of the game having lost five games already that season. A comment by Robert Sorenson, their coach, that they are weary/blunt and in need of special exercises to overcome their fatigue made them the joke of the New Zealand rugby public.

 

Terry McLean wrote:

  

Players from other places took much pleasure in this report. At every meeting with Auckland players, they asked, straight-faced, solemn questions. Did it hurt much, having to play Rugby? What was it like, being wrapped in cotton-wool? Was it true Bob Sorenson personally put nappies on them before sending them off to bed?

These were not taunts the Aucklanders treasured. Nor were they happy when Sorenson ordered that they must train instead of going with him to watch the Springboks play North Auckland. That practice, on Wednesday, was pretty sour. Everyone was a bit sharp with everyone else when they practiced a special play they thought might confuse the ‘Boks.

Everyone was still a bit sharp with everyone else when they assembled for the match against the Springboks.

The poor performances of the Auckland team (3 wins out of 8 games) was difficult to explain considering the quality players in the team. The whole backline was All Blacks except Teroi Tatuarangi (No13-wing) and there were three All Blacks (Keith Nelson, No. 7; Wilson Whineray, No1, Barry Thomas, No3) amongst the forwards.

  

The Springbok team consisted of: Wilson, Mans, Gainsford, Roux, Brynard; Oxlee, de Villiers, Hopwood, Ellis, Naude, du Preez; Nel, Marais, Malan, Van Zyl.

  

A large crowd of 51 000 packed the stands at Eden Park for what turned up to be a tense and exciting game. Auckland eventually won with one point after the Springboks played for 43 minutes with 14 men when de Villiers was carried of the field with concussion. The injury to de Villiers brought out the best from the Springboks and except for some spastic moments, that cost them the game, they played really well. Brynard was dispatched to scrumhalf and Ellis moved to wing and with only 7 men in the pack Marais and Malan van Zyl in the frontrow and the rest of the Springbok scrum did not take one backward step for the Auckland scrum. Malan hooked the only tighthead and du Preez and Naude performed well in the lineouts and the tight loose.

  

McLean writes:

  

It was a terrible plight for the Springboks when de Villiers left the field reducing them to 14 men for the rest of the game. They were not cast down. For most of the second half, for all but spasmodic touchés of the 29 minute which succeeded the last score, their forwards were in command, their backs kept attacking and attacking. Playing splendidly.

Brynard’s service from the scrum was an encouragement to his outsides. Gainsford made one break which was ruined when Mans knocked on.

Ellis had a run in a movement in which Mans was injured, in which, as was later discovered he dislocated his right shoulder.

Gainsford had another spectacular run but was forced over the sideline literally on the goal line. Roux was held just short of the line when Malan won a tight head.

Mans missed with a dropgoal and right at the end with a 40 yard penalty which would have won the game for South Africa. The game ended with Davies (No15) being flattened and knocked unconscious by Mannetjies Roux with a late tackle.

Dawie de Villiers charging onto Mack Herewini (No10) in the match against Auckland. That was before de Villiers left the field in the 37th minute with concussion.

The Springboks lost the match, said McLean because of tactical errors. Firstly, Nel, Hopwood and Ellis (in the first half before he moved to the wing) did not put enough pressure on the Auckland scrumhalf Conner. Secondly, Oxlee and Mans missed easy penalties at crucial times and thirdly Roux was too individualistic and disruptive on attack and subsequently the Springboks dangerous backline were unable to perform to their true potential.

  

The Springboks protested loudly when the referee allowed Auckland’s last try, the feeling was that Rangi (outside center) made a double movement in process of scoring the try when he fell short of the goal line after being ankle tabbed by Ellis. For the Springboks Brynard scored in the eleventh minute, after a 90-meter run, when Roux picked up a loose bal and put Brynard in space; Mans scored in the fifteenth minute after a quick throw-in at a lineout. Brynard scored his second try right at the end with a dummy pass and a quick sharp break round a scrum on the Auckland goal line. Oxlee was successful with one conversion and Naude with a penalty. For Auckland, Dick (No14), Rangi (No12-two tries) and McKay (No13) scored. Davies, the fullback kicked a penalty.

 

Jan Ellis and Lofty Nel lining-up the the Auckland Captain Bob Graham.

August 17, 1965 – South Africa 45; Nelson / Marlborough / Golden Bay-Motueka 6.

 

 

The Springboks travelled back to the South Island for their next match against a combined team of Nelson, Marlborough and Golden Bay-Motueka.

 

 

Pictures of the Nelson, Marlborough en Golden Bay-Motueka region

 

There was some unhappiness in the Nelson, Marlborough and Golden Bay-Motueka region about team selection when the sole selector (Jim Finlay), a Marlburian, picked 11 players from Marlborough. Phil Clarke and a young Alan Sutherland were, however, two future All Blacks who played for the combined team against the 1965 Springboks. Sutherland’s older brother also played for the combined team.

 

 

The Springbok team for this match was: Wilson; Engelbrecht; Brynard; Roux; Truter; Oxlee; Smith (Captain); Slabber; Ellis; Goosen, Botha; Janson, Marais, Walton, Parker.

 

 

In the run up to the match there was a journalistic uproar caused by an article in the Johannesburg Sunday Times which stated that the Springboks was engulfed in a race debacle as a result of the game against North Auckland. According to the article the feeling in New Zealand was that the Springboks “got stuck into the Maori” for racist reasons, and there were rumors of racist remarks between players during the game. The Springboks made the whole story off as utter nonsense, and the New Zealanders saw it for what it was namely journalistic opportunism.

 

Amidst it all, John Gainsford revealed an amusing but poignant incident that uncovered the the racist rumors as inconsistent with the deeper spirit in which the game was played. The Gainsford incident is presented as follows by Terry McLean:

 

Gainsford had a superb story from the match with North Auckland. During the second half, he was felled in a tackle and forwards by the dozen arrived on the scène with thundering hooves. As an old hand, Gainsford was well and truly conscious of the possibility that his head might be mistaken for the ball. But he had his arm trapped and so could do little to protect himself. Suddenly, he heard a voice saying urgently, “Put your head in here, my boy,” and a friendly blue-and-white arm whose owner Gainsford would probably never know, curled protectively around his head. Gainsford laughed as if it was all a joke, but underneath I suspect that he was deeply touched.

From the Final score -considering that a try was worth only three points- and taking into account the 10 tries that the Springboks scored the impression is created that it was one way traffic. The home team was however able to limit the half time score to 14-3 and Alan Sutherland, Clarke (No14) and O’Brien (No10) had outstanding matches. The home team defended like deamons and the sum total of it all was that the Springboks could simply not get their machine going in the first half.

 

 

In the second half with the wind in their backs the Springboks had territorial advantage and started running in the tries; eventually the damwall broke. Ellis and Engelbrecht both scored 3 tries and there were four more tries by respectively Brynard, Truter, Oxlee and Slabber. Jan Ellis once again had an outstanding match and secured his place in the test team with a dynamic display on attack and defense as well as a high work rate in the thight loose.

 

 

Jan Ellis steaming down the touch line for one of his three tries in this match in Blenheim. In the back Springbok winger Trix Truter struggles to keep-up with the flying flanker.

Terry Mclean concludes his piece on this game with the following remark:

One sometimes find that matches played by touring teams in smaller centers of New Zealand are more enjoyable and contain beter football than the big-time events of the big-time places and this was the sort of game today which sent everyone home happy.

The last three tour games of the 1970 All Black tour were against North East Cape, Northern Transvaal and the Junior Springboks (Gazelle). The one against North East Cape had a cricket score but the other two were hard matches that the AB almost lost.

 

All Blacks 85, North East Cape 0

 

The All Blacks simply ran away with the Northeast Cape team who had no defence system and who was clearly totally out of their depth. New Zealand scored 17 tries from all positions on the field.

 

Terry McLean has the following on this match.

 

Clarke (North East Cape No5) was the best lineout player in the match and Loock (North East Cape No4) his partner helped to deny the All Blacks ball, too. Pienaar, who opposed Dick, was yet another of the startlingly good tacklers they breed like flies in South Africa. The rest did their best. They were just completely outclassed. The All Blacks jelled. It was cruelly disillusioning to discover that a South African team, any sort of South African team, could be beaten by 85 points.

 

 

Kember fullback for the AB had his best game on tour with a personal contribution of 34 points, a new South African record. Alan Sutherland also impressed on eightman running around like a centre and there were questions in the All Black camp, as to why have Sutherland not played more on 8. Kirkpatrick -captain for the match- scored three tries and Thorne 4.

 

The altitude affected the players badly in Aliwal North and they were completely wasted after the match. The team was however obviously very pleased and even impressed with their performance especially when the South African media made comments such as: ”If you play this team you’ll win the fourth test”.

 

Bill Davis one of the backs tried all tour to convince the AB management to play a different structure in the backline and in this game he simply decided -against instructions from the coach- to play according to his theory. What Davis promoted was that the two centres play inside-outside and that no 10 should sit in the pocket with the centres and fullback running off him. The flyhalf is not running on to the ball, but acts almost like a second 9 sitting deep and send the backs away with long passes; Blair Furlong the AB No10 for this game played according to Davis’ instructions with excellent results against weak opposition, of course. The effectiveness of the approach in creating space on the outside resulted in several questions being posed to the coaches after the game regarding the “new strategy”. The questioners primarily wanted to know why the Davis plan has not been tried earlier seeing how effective it panned out to be. The coach stoically refused to be drawn into any debate or discussion on this issue.

 

There was an incident a day after the match -when the All Blacks were already in Pretoria- when the South African Press Association was officially advised from Burgersdorp that the North East Cape centre Deus van Vuuren had died of a brain haemorrhage after a late tackle by Graeme Thorne. The tragic news was send into the world until one pressman decided to call the Burgersdorp police station, where van Vuuren worked. To the reporter’s surprise, the late player himself answered the phone, the player was completely shocked with the news that he died in hospital.

 

Thorne’s comment late this evening was: ‘Someone in South Africa has got a sick sense of humor. “

 

The North East Cape team who played in this match were: P Swanepoel; A Pienaar; D van Vuuren; J Bennet; J Scholtz; A Neethling; B Botha; P Hattingh; R Venter; W Loock (Captain); P Clark; D Nel; W Fourie; J Pienaar; N Cretchley.

 

 

The New Zealand team who played in this match can be seen here.

 

All Blacks 19, Northern Transvaal 15.

 

The win against Northern Transvaal has been accompanied by great relief for both the AB camp and the rest of South Africa, according to David. The All Blacks and the rest of SA were apparently up to their ears weary and fed-up -to the point of bursting- with hearing how good the Northern Transvaal blue bulls were.

 

 

Piet Uys the NTVL captain in the game against the 1970 AB. Uys played in 12 tests for the Springboks (1960-1969) with the Springboks only losing once during his tenure. He has his place in the team was taken by Dawie de Villiers.

 

Northern Transvaal had 8 Springboks in their team for this match. The Springboks in the NTVL team were Tonie Roux (15), Piet Uys (9 and Captain), Thys Lourens (6), Frik du Preez (5), Johan Spies (4), Ronnie Potgieter (3), Gys Pitzer (2) and Mof Myburg (1).

 

1970 All Blacks against NTVL. According to the subtitle Gys Pitzer is here in an encounter with Going. It looks to me if the NTVL player could rather be Thys Lourens.

 

The reputation of the Northern Transvaal pack with its six Springboks suffered today, neither du Preez nor Spies exercising any influence at all. Murdoch (AB No1) showed that there wouldn’t be a more powerful scrummager in the world when he almost bent the powerful ex-Springbok Potgieter in half while Muller (AB No. 3) was in no way awed by the reputation of the Springbok Myburg and, indeed, emerged from the contest a clear winner.

 

Keith Murdoch who, according to Gabriel David in his book “rugby and be damned” demonstrated he was the strongest prop in world rugby when playing against Northern Transvaal. Murdoch is one of the most tragic stories in New Zealand rugby history. In 1972 -during the UK-end year tour an intoxicated Murdoch hit a security man -working at the hotel where the team stayed- the evening after the test match against Wales.  Murdoch -under pressure from the UK rugby is that the tour will be terminated – was sent home. On return Murdoch left New Zealand to go and hide in the Australian “outback” and has since 1972 not yet put his feet on New Zealand soil. For more information on Murdoch click here.

 

Von Blommenstein was a most useful flyhalf while van Staden and Alberts were two of the best seen on the tour. Roux played splendidly at fullback, never dropping a ball and always elusive in tight situations.

 

 

Tonie Roux played excellently for NTVL at fullback. He played in 7 test (1969-1974) for the Springboks, 2 tests at fullback, the other five at centre.

 

The NTVL pack came out with a hiss and a roar and dominated early in the game. It put the AB under great pressure and a stunned AB team watched Tonie Roux jumped in the line -after 9 minutes of play- and put Alberts in space for NTVL’s first try.

New Zealand however gradually came back into the game and began to dominate up front as the bulls start running out of puff. In the 28th minute of the second half, the AB took the lead only to see how Alberts gathered a cross kick and break through some weak defence to run 30 yards for a try in the corner. The conversion went astray and the AB retained a one point lead. In the 79th minute however Kember sealed the victory for the AB with a penalty.

 

Andre van Staden the NTVL centre who made quite an impression on both Gabriel David and Terry McLean. He went on the Springbok tour to France in 1975 but never played for the Springboks in a test.

 

 

For the All Blacks Thorne, Going, Lochore, Sutherland, Kirkpatrick, Meads and Urlich had good matches. New Zealand won the battle at the break downs as well as the heal against the head contest and was not outplayed in the lineout.

 

Sutherland (2) and Urlich scored for New Zealand and Kember was successful with both conversions and a penalty. Alberts (2) scored for Northern Transvaal, and Brand and van Staden kicked a field goal each.

 

 

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

 

All Blacks 29, 25 Junior Springboks.

 

From Pretoria the AB travelled to Potchefstroom for their last tour match against the Junior Springboks (Gazelle). The three hour bus ride to Potch and the town itself they found extremely boring especially as the trip to Potch again fell over a long weekend.

 

 

One All Black commented: “This place is half as big as the Karori Cemetery and twice as dead!”

 

It was a stressful and exciting game which New Zealand won in the dying minutes with brilliant play by Graeme Thorne. The author reckons (tongue in the cheek)  that Thorne was such a talented sportsman with such BMT that he would have been able to raise even the New Zealand cricket from the dead (bit of a “Tall Order”, I think).

 

David writes as follows:

 

The All Blacks were lucky to win this match. Indeed, they didn’t really deserve to, despite scoring six tries to two. The tourists were a disorganized unit for a good part of the game, particularly the backs who suffered from some indifferent play by Kirton at first five-eight.

 

There were some immensely useful backs in the Gazelle side. How young Johan Walters can be left out of a Springbok side is one of the mysteries of this tour. And Piet Cronje showed he too is a class centre who would not disgrace a Springbok side. The tactically sound flyhalf Van Blommenstein is another who must soon wear the South African jersey. Coetzee and Williams were two impressive forwards, while Fourie had some moments in the loose.

 

Piet Cronje, who impressed at centre and who David described as a future Springbok. Cronje has played for Tvl and the Gazelle against the 1970 All Blacks. In 1971 he would get his Springbok cap going on the tour with the Springboks to Australia. He played in 7 tests (1971-1974) and scored three tries for the Springboks.

 

The Junior Springbok team who played in this match were: Jannie van Deventer; T du Toit; Johan Walters; Piet Cronje; Leon Vogel; J van Blommenstein; Joggie Viljoen; K Grobler; P Fourie; John Williams; C Dreyer; J Coetzee; J O’Kennedy; J Wagenaar; Sakkie Sauerman.

 

Of the 15 players who represented the for the Gazelle team at least 8 later became Springboks namely Piet Cronje; Leon Vogel; Joggie Viljoen; Kleintjie Grobler; Polla Fourie; John Williams; Jan-Boland Coetzee and Sakkie Sauerman.

 

Polla Fourie who played in one test for the Springboks in 1974 against the British Lions. He was the brother of well known Springbok wing Carel (Tossie) Fourie.

 

Theo (Sakkie) Sauerman that played for the Junior Springboks against the 1970 All Blacks. He played in 5 tests for the Springboks (1971-1974).

 

It will be interesting to hear what happened to Van Blommenstein (No10 of NTVL), he kicked two brilliant drop goals in the game and his overall game impressed the Kiwi Sport journalists. Other players who played in this match for the Gazelle and who disappeared from the scene was Johan Walters (WP-centre), C Dreyer (lock), O’Kennedy (Boland-prop) and Wagenaar (hooker).

 

1970 All Blacks against the Gazelle. No 10 on the photograph is von Blommenstein (NTVL No10). The blond Gazelle player going in for the tackle and just to the right of No10 looks like Sakkie Sauerman. The Gazelle player on the right with the head gear looks like John Williams and the player immediately on his left has the looks of a young Kleintjie Grobler. The two Gazelle players directly behind the AB with the ball and the one on his knees in front of the ball carrier I can’t identify.

 

About the All Blacks performance in this game David writes:

 

The forwards played extremely well in the final stages of the game with Meads in magnificent mood as he crashed through the barriers of defence, won good ball in the lineout and dealt summary justice to Grobler who was seen to throw a rabbit punch at Lochore. That broken arm of Meads is mending. He used it to quieten Grobler and it worked!

 

 

Kleintjie Grobler who might be the Grobler that Collin Meads called to order with his left hand. Grobler played in 1974 in a test against the British Lions and two tests against the 1975 French touring team.

 

For the AB Cottrell (2), Wylie, Lister, Going, and Thorne scored. Thorne was successful with 4 conversions and a penalty. For the Gazelle (Junior Springboks) Walters and Grobler scored tries. Van Blommenstein kicked two drop goals and van Deventer was successful with two conversions and three penalty goals.

 

Graeme Thorne kicking a conversion in the dying minutes of the match against the Junior Springboks which won the match for the AB.

 

The referee was Gert Bezuidenhout, who came up with some very strange decisions. Gert Bezuidenhout will be remembered for the fourth test against the 1976 All Blacks when he cost New Zealand the match by not giving a penalty try after clear obstruction.

 

The All Black team who played against the Junior Springboks can be seen here.

 

Next week the fourth test.

Voor mense begin vloek en skel oor die meriete van Pierre Spies of Duane Vermeulen en elkeen sy eie drom slaan oor hoekom Spies goed of sleg is of oor hoekom Vermeulen goed of sleg is, lees die onderstaande syfers en tabelle deeglik deur.

Julle sal merk dat beide spelers hul sterk- en swakpunte het en dat hulle spel die direkte gevolg is van die patroon waarin die spesifieke speler in sy spanverband speel. 

So, sien hierdie vergelyking eerder as iets positiefs as ‘n bepaalde uitspraak oor ‘n speler.

 

Tabel 1: Gemiddelde syfers op verdediging en in kontak

Verdediging en kontak
	Verdediging				Kontak
Naam	O/steun	Omkeerbesit geforseer	Duikslae	Duikslae gemis	Bal dra	Lynbreke	Offloads	% kere oor die V/deel lyn	Meters gevorder
Spies	19.5	0.41	8.8	2	11	1	1.25	64	66.5
Vermeulen	2.35	0.28	11.36	2	7.14	0.57	1.07	55.59	42.1

Uit die Tabel is dit duidelik dat Spies die beter speler op verdediging is en by die kontakpunte. Spies wen 6 van die 8 kategorieë. Enigste kategorie wat Vermeulen wen is duikslae gemaak naamlik dat hy 2 duikslae meer gemaak het (dit is duikslae per seisoen gedeel deur die aantal wedstryde). Spies dra dus duidelik meer by as dit kom by die kontakpunte.

Let op dat Spies meer offloads in kontak gemaak het meer kere oor die voordeellyn gaan en meer meters gevorder het met die bal in hand.

Tabel 2: Gemiddelde hantering en bydraes by afbreekpunte

Hantering en afbreekpunte
	Hantering			Afbreekpunte
Naam	Aangeë	Spelskep aangee	Hantering telling	Ruck omkeer	Bydrae by 1-3 fases op aanval	Bydrae by fases 1-3 verdediging
Spies	6.4	0.25	17.0	0	13.8	4.5
Vermeulen	7.1	0.36	13.6	0	11.2	7.5

Hierdie Tabel toon aan dat Vermeulen effens meer aangeë gemaak het as Spies. Waarskynlik omrede die bulls ‘n andersoortige wedstryd speel en daar van Spies verwag word om die bal op te vat. Anders as wat baie argumenteer naamlik dat Vermeulen meer spel skep blyk dit nie die geval te wees nie; hy het 0.11 meer spelskep aangeë gemaak maar Spies het die bal meer gehanteer en as mens terug gaan na Tabel 1 ook meer “ofloads” in kontak gemaak. Op aanval dra Spies dus meer by as Vermeulen en steek hy nie af wat betref aangeë gemaak nie.

Betreffende die afbreek punte het Spies meer bygedra by eerste drie fases op aanval en Vermeulen meer op verdediging.

Tabel 3: Gemiddelde aantal foute

Foute
Naam	Strafskoppe afgestaan	Geforseerde en ongeforseerde foute	Hanteringfoute
Spies	0.08	1.41 – ratio = 8.29	2.3
Vermeulen	0.85	0.71 – rato = 5.22	1.5

Die Tabel toon aan dat Spies baie minder strafskoppe afstaan maar meer foute maak met die bal in die hand. Hierdie verskille is weereens as gevolg van die manier hoe die twee spelers speel. Spies vat die bal meer in kontak in en sal gevolglik meer geneig wees die bal te verloor. Vermeulen dra meer by op verdediging (waarskynlik as gevolg van die manier wat die Stormers speel) en is daarom meer geneig om strafskoppe af te staan.

Neem in ag dat Kankowski in alle waarskynlik beter in al die afdeling gaan vaar wat Vermeulen gewen het en swakker in die afdelings wat Spies gewen het, is dit duidelik dat Spies en Kanko jou beter twee keuses is. Jy het die beste speler in Spies m.b.t. die opvat van die bal en jy het in Kanko die speler met die meeste flair. Begin dus jou wedstryd met Spies en bring Kanko op as dinge begin los raak.

Statistiek het sy leemtes in die sin dat jy net inligting kry met betrekking tot wat jy gemeet het. Die punt is die statistiek is ingevorder (ruggastats) deur onpartydige mense en die vorm van invordering is bepaal aan die begin van die seison sonder enige agenda (soos om een speler te bevoordeel). ‘n Mens sou dink dat die beter speler tops sal uitkom as onafhanklike mense kriteria saamstel op grond van dit wat werklik ‘n verskil in wedstryde maak.

Team selections and pre-test opinions

 

The tension was unbearable, and both teams surprised with unexpected and daring team selections in an attempt to achieve some sort of strategic advantage.

 

The New Zealand coach made the following remarks towards Gabriel David:

 

Coach Ivan Vodanovich told me in his blunt manner that tomorrow third test was the most tremendously important rugby match of his life. He was cautiously confident and extremely hopeful of a New Zealand victory but expressed one or two private doubts.

 

The All Black manager Mr. Burk had no similar qualifications about a New Zealand victory. “We won’t just win, we will win easily,” he told one New Zealand journalist. “We will do them over big time”.

 

Colin Meads requested that should not be considered for the third test because he felt he was not 100% ready for the intensity of test rugby. The New Zeeland selectors decided however to include him in the AB team for the third test. This decision and the positional shift of Bryan Williams to centre were according to Gabriel David’s errors that contributed to NZ’s poor performance in the 3^rd test. “New Zealand selectors made serious selection blunders and South Africa got it right”.

 

Collin Meads during the third test

 

Mof Myburg and Loft Nel were selected for the Springbok team under great criticism (of the South Afrikaans media) for the third test. Lofty Nel who made his debut against the 1960 All Blacks was at thirty-six the oldest man to have represented South Africa. Mof and Lofty’s inclusions in the Springbok team were clearly a strategic move and part of a game plan as the following paragraph in David‘s book indicates:

 

The Springbok coach Johan Claassen announces that he has special plans for the two replacements, Lofty Nel and Mof Myburg, and if they succeed, then South Africa will win the test.

 

After the test David writes as follows about this tactical manoeuvre by the Springbok coach:

 

The astute Springbok coach Johan Claasen obviously gambled on the All Blacks picking Meads for this test. He decided to explore a restricted tight core in the New Zealand side by strengthening his own. So he recalled Myburg and decided to use Nel as a loose-tight man. It worked splendidly.

 

Personally I think the decision was based on the fact that the Springboks came second in both the previous tests in the lineout’s and in the scrums. The Mof and Frik combination play in the lineout was well known and Lofty was not just a lineout option but added greater weight and stability in the scrums. It would simply not have made sense to replace the mobile Tiny Neethling on prop with a heavier scrum worker and then undo the move by selecting a small and mobile No8 like Tommy Bedford. Claassen has, I think, decided on Mof and Lofty for tactical reasons and because off the Springboks inability to hold their own in the tight phase play during the previous two tests. His decision was made independent of whether Meads were going to be selected or not. The Springboks came off second best in both the previous tests -especially in the second test- in the scrums and lineout’s and there was really no other choice than to bulk-up in the pack.

 

The fascinating fact about Mof Myburg is that he played in 18 tests for South Africa and was only twice on the losing side. He was also involved in four tests that ended in a draw, the rest the Springboks have all won; maybe an indication of the importance of weight up front. Mof was often critized for being too heavy and not mobile enough and was left out a few times for exactly that reason.

 

Mof Myburg and Frik du Preez, who were great buddies and a proven combination in the lineout.

 

Tiny Neethling a mobile prop replaced for the test with a scrum worker in the person of Mof Myburg. A move that payed dividends for SA.

 

The Springbok team for this test was: Ian McCallum; Gert Muller; Joggie Jansen; Mannetjies Roux; Sid Nomis; Piet Visagie; Dawie de Villiers (Capt); Lofty Nel; Piet Greyling; Frik du Preez; Johan Spies; Jan Ellis; Mof Myburg; Piston van Wyk; Hannes Marais.

 

The All Black team can be seen here.

 

“Mental Games” before the test

 

Eastern Province military headquarters was the place that Johan Claassen planned to use this time for some secretive training sessions away from the cameras and media to prepare for the third test. The facilities at the military base were however so poor that the Springboks eventually trained at Boet Erasmus stadium itself.

 

The SA media made an issue of the plastic arm guard that Colin Meads were going to wear during the test. So much so that even Piet Robbertse, the referee, responded and indicated that he will inspect the thing and if he thinks it is dangerous Meads will not be allowed to play with it. Say, Mr. Robbertse: “If the guard is of a soft nature then I will probably let him play but I will be watching to see that he doesn’t use it as a bludgeon”.

 

Media consternation ensued when on the morning before the test it was reported that Mannetjies Roux was injured and could not play and that Tonie Roux the replacement was also injured. Reports of unsuccessful attempts to fly WP centre John Walters to PE appeared in virtually every newspapers and radio broadcast. A shortage/lack of available airline tickets (to fly Walters to PE) was reported as a reason why an “injured” Mannetjies Roux would play.

 

New Zealand media was convinced that it was mere “mental games” and that nothing was wrong with Mannetjies Roux.

 

New Zealand 3, South Africa 14

 

The Coach pondering, the manager exuberantly over-confident and Kiwi supporters in festive anticipation were in brief the atmosphere and circumstances in the All Black hotel on the morning of the test match. Gabriel David (rugby and be damned) narrate:

 

Ivan Vodanovich is in pensive mood this morning but Ron Burk is ebullient as ever and confides to anyone who listen that New Zealand will have an easy win this afternoon. Most listen and many agree.

 

There is an air of confidence about the All Black hotel. It is almost impossible to find space to have a drink.

 

Comments on NZ’s performance

 

The confidence in the All Blacks’ ability to win the test was great in run-up, the disappointment and disillusionment about their inability to “make a dent in the Springboks armour” even greater, after the game.

 

A high ranking NZRFU official exclaimed: “It’s the worst display I’ve ever seen by a New Zealand rugby side.” He wouldn’t be quoted but I can tell you that he’s seen more rugby than most people.

 

This afternoon on the Boet Erasmus ground before 55,000 people, New Zealand rugby came down to earth with a shattering thud. Not since 1964 on Athletic Park against Australia has New Zealand taken such a beating in a test match. It was comprehensive and it was staggering.

 

The simple prosaic truth is that the All Blacks played shocking rugby. There was nothing about their game with which to associate their triumphant march through the provinces. It was patternless, formless rugby by New Zealand.  There was no positive approach by either the forwards or the backs and the defence was almost non-existent. They made South Africa look a lot beter than they actually played, but at least the Springboks brought a little creative design into the game and bold attacks produced rich rewards.

 

Comments on Springboks performances in this test

 

Strategically the springboks approach for this test was spot on. From the outset the Springboks initiated most of the play and dominated New Zealand in every facet of the game. Defensively the Springboks’ was rock solid but they also exhibit daring creativeness in attack.

 

Chris Greyvenstein in his book Springbok Saga has the following on the third test:

 

The Springboks had their easiest victory of the series in the third test at Port Elizabeth where the highlights were the two tries by the Stellenbosch wing Gert Muller and, again, the wonderful kicking of McCallum.

 

Mullers first try came after the Springboks have trapped Fergi McCormick, whose blood they were after from the start, with the ball. From the ruck Dawie de Villiers slipped away on a devastating break to send Muller over for his first test try.

 

Greyvenstein describe the try slightly different than David in particular the fact that Dawie de Villiers broke away from the ruck before he passed to Muller is different from David version. Greyvenstein go ahead and write the following about the Springboks:

 

…the match was also unforgettable for the deadly tackle with which Piet Greyling slammed McCormick into the ground with less than a minute gone.

  

As I wrote in one of the previous sessions -reaction to the second test- Sid Nomis indicated  in an interview that Piet Greyling, Hannes Marais and Jan Ellis simultaneously struck McCormick when he caught a cross kick made by Nomis himself. It is therefore unclear how many Springboks actually tackled McCormick but by at least three sources seems to indicate that is was only Greyling who smashed into McCormick when he fielded the cross kick.

 

Greyvenstein continues:

 

It was a great series for Greyling, tall, dark and handsome, and his partner on the flank, red-haired, tearaway Jan Ellis from South West Africa. Their speed to the point of break-down ruined the All Blacks efficiency in creating second phase possession, and probably contributed as much to South Africa’s triumph as did McCallum’s kicking and, never forget it, Dawie de Villiers’ inspiring leadership.

 

Piet Greyling which according to Chris Greyvenstein had a good series against the 1970 All Blacks. One bundle of muscles as can be seen in the picture.

 

 

Greyvenstein also believes that the inclusion of Lofty Nel and Mof Myburg was strategically the right decision and that New Zealand was largely responsible for their own demise with the inclusion of Meads and the positional shift of Bryan Williams from wing to centre.

 

With the advantage of hindsight knowledge about three world cup tournaments during which New Zealand “choked” I personally believe that fear of failure, was principal. The fear of losing and of doing something wrong made the players tentative and timid in attack and made them deviate from their normal positive style of playing.

 

Reasons why NZ lost.

 

Gabriel David writes:

 

I will always recall this match as the “timid test”. Even in the first half when faced with a fresh breeze and forcing South Africa into countless errors they seemed frightened to adopt imaginative attacking patterns. In contrast, the Springboks switched play with daring bravado and their backs had a picnic against some shocking defense.

 

Team selection was the reason for the loss, according to some Kiwi’s, which David partially agree with but he argues that there was a collective failure by both the forwards and backs. Meads inclusion was a mistake and Bryan Williams didn’t came off on centre, but the forwards were never in the game and the backs were afraid even timid on attack and defence. In contrast, the Springboks were enterprising with the ball in hand as well as superb in technique and efficacy in on defence.

 

Apart from these, the AB made four major mistakes (blunders), according to David, which largely determined the end result.

 

Offside play by Thimbleby was blunder one allowing McCallum a 24-yards penalty for the Springboks first points.

 

Blunder two was Hopkinson’s obstruction giving McCallum an opportunity to gaol a 25 yards penalty 12 yards from the sideline for SA’s next three points.

 

Blunder three occurred when McCormick came into the backline and was caught and pulled into a ruck. Thorne left his wing to go round too help cover at the open side and de Villiers with brilliantly sharp appraisal of the situation broke blindside and whipped the ball to an unmarked Muller who set off from halfway completely in the clear running 50 yards to score his first try.

   

The fourth blunder came when the ball was fumbled in the NZ backline and Mannetjies Roux was through in a flash kicking it ahead. Roux gathered the ball on the bounce and gave it to Muller. Muller was ankle tabbed by Thorne just short of the goal line but his momentum carried him over for the Springboks second try.

 

Gert Muller scores his first try in the corner, according to the above caption; -the photo appeared in the Huisgenoot a few years ago. Video footage of the test show, however, that no one was close to Muller when he scored his first try in the third test and he did not land on his back his back when he scored it. This picture, I think, is his second try when Thorne ankle tabbed him just short of the goal line and when there was some debate as to whether he carried the ball over (made two movement in the process of planting the ball).

 

 

Run of the game.

 

Lochore won the toss and elected to play into the wind with the sun from behind. McCallum kicked off and the Springboks began with great fire and passion. Within the first few minutes Nomis hoisted a cross kick on McCormick As he took the ball he was hit with a crunching tackle by Greyling, which left him prostate for some time before he was able to continue.

 

After 10 minutes McCallum attempted a 60 meter penalty kick that just passed under the cross-bar. The All Blacks launching sporadic attacks and Laidlaw almost scored when he chased after a ball -charged down from a kick- in the in goal area with Muller very lazy to fall on the ball.

 

In the 20th minute, New Zealand was awarded a penalty 10 yards outside South Africa 25 and near the touchline after a late tackle by Jansen. Bryan Williams standing in for a shaken McCormick calmly landed the goal for New Zealand. Two minutes later, McCallum miss a simple penalty of approximately 24 meters but make no mistake a few minutes later with the next penalty awarded 25 meters away and wide from the posts. Outstanding cover defence by Alex Wylie prevented any further points in the first half and half time the score was even 3 points each.

 

Six minutes after the start of the second half Williams miss with a penalty from the halfway line. The game deteriorated into an arm wrestle between the two forwards packs, both sides trying to obtain dominance up front.

 

Midway through the second half Hopkinson committed blatant obstruction when he blocked McCallum when the latter followed trough after launching a chip kick. McCallum succeeded with the resultant penalty to give the Springboks a lead at a critical stage of the game. Four minutes later De Villiers broke sharply to the left from a ruck on his own 10 meter area, drawing the defence before unloading to Gert Muller who demonstrated great pace as he raced 60 to 70 meters down the touch line to score an impressive try in the corner. McCallum missed the conversion and Springboks now led 9-3.

 

Springboks were now in control and Visagie looked dangerous as he made a break, and then narrowly missed with an attempted dropped goal.

 

The final nail was driven into the New Zealand coffin six minutes from full time when  Williams could not hold on to a poor pass by Wylie – attempting to pass while held in a tackle. Mannetjies Roux was onto the ball in a flash kicking it through and gathering the ball on the bounce before flinging a pass to Muller. Muller was ankle tapped just before the goal line but the momentum of his run was sufficient to carry him over for his second try. McCallum landed the conversion for the final points of the game.

 

New Zealand attacked in the last few minutes but they were out of puff and it never looked like they could score at the end.

 

Comments on individual performances

 

On the New Zealand’s side, the debutant test players, Thimbleby and Urlich realized provincial rugby is not test rugby. Hopkinson was outplayed by Myburg and with a tighthead prop struggling NZ was basically out of the game. Kirkpatrick had one of his lethargic games while Meads had a quiet game clearly not ready for the intensity of test rugby after an arm break which kept him on the sideline for almost 3 month. Strahan on lock and Wylie on the flank both had admirable games playing at maximum capacity. Lochore played his heart out but with the rest of the pack not firing on all cylinders his efforts was simple not enough to contain an inspired Springbok team.

 

Kirkpatrick on the charge in the third test.

 

Laidlaw have a good start and harassed De Villiers but his habit to run into the forwards spoiled his overall performance. Kirton struggled on 10 and kicked too much with most of his kicks being aimless and ineffective.

 

MacRae on centre tried to batter ram though the mid field defence and the fact that he didn’t succeeded did not prevent him from trying to do the same thing every time he got the ball. Williams started the match with an injury but was not sufficiently used with Kirton kicking aimlessly and MacRae batter ramming on his inside. Milner had a reasonable debut on the wing and Thorne was reasonable but made a fatal mistake by being out of position, allowing de Villiers to break blindside and putting Muller in space for his first try.

 

McCormick was “got at” from the start. There was a vendetta going for him. This was obvious and when he went down in a ruck soon after the start of the game he emerged from it in a dazed and pained condition. Retaliation for the Sid Nomis incident in the second test, observed the critics.

 

 

At the Springboks side was the inclusion and performances of Nel and Myburg instrumental to the victory. De Villiers started tentative but grew in stature as the game progressed. Visagie kicked way too much according to Gabriel David with a backline that looked really classy every time they ran with the ball. Jansen was the star on defence and Mannetjies Roux the opportunist on attack.

 

Gert Muller was the Springboks hero in this test with two tries.

 

McCallum‘s place kicking was key to the victory. The two penalties he kicked gave the Springboks the cushion and the self-confidence to induce more enterprising play.

 

Ian McCallum who kept the Springboks ahead on the scoreboard with his accurate place kicking.

 

The Springboks had Gert Muller scoring two tries, one converted by McCallum. McCallum also added two more penalties. Bryan Williams succeeded with a penalty for the All Blacks.

 

After match comments and perceptions

 

Shaken, disillusioned and alarmingly disappointed described the mood in the New Zealand camp after the game.

 

Although left with no other alternatives, the All Black management paid unstinting tributes to South Africa’s victory when the after-match cocktail party got under way. Mr. Burk said New Zealand was outplayed in every department. Mr. Vodanovich commented that South Africa thoroughly deserved to win and that South Africa rugby was a lot stronger than many people thought. Brain Lochore observed that there was no room in international rugby for boys and there were 15 men playing for South Africa today.

 

Johan Spies who played for the Springboks on the lock in this series.

 

 

One of the most anoying things in NZ is the tendency to doggedly bring people in high positions down if they made a mistake. They (the media) will just keep at it until the person (whether a coach, politician, ex-all black or any other type of executive) get’s sacked.

 

Haden is now a marked man and they will milk an apology and an confession that he made it up, has no proof and were wrong and then still keep at it until he gets his walking papers. They will then keep a tag on him and if he ever tries to do anything in the public sphere again the media will remind everyone of his indiscretion; making sure he does not get appointed for whatever role he applies.

 

Here is the latest in the Haden Saga.

 

The rugby race row shifted to the ethnicity of rugby ambassadors.

 

The Maori Party waded into the debate yesterday, calling on Andy Haden to resign over his “darkies” comment and questioning the lack of Maori among those named so far as Rugby World Cup ambassadors.

 

Former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga for instance was never approached – despite his pivotal role in bringing the 2011 World Cup to New Zealand.

 

Umaga, who is of Samoan descent, travelled to Dublin with former prime minister Helen Clark and former All Blacks great Colin Meads to put New Zealand’s case.

 

Jonah Lomu is the only player of Pacific Island descent named a rugby ambassador; the others are Haden, Sean Fitzpatrick, John Kirwan, David Kirk and Andrew Mehrtens.

 

Rugby World Cup Minister Murray McCully’s office confirmed yesterday that Umaga had not been approached.

It was considered that he was doing “more than enough for the country” with his current commitments, a spokesman for the minister said.

 

Questioned yesterday about the lack of Maori players on the list of ambassadors, Mr McCully implied that there would be some named down the track. “We are adding ambassadors as we go. If you hang around for a couple of weeks, you will see one or two more faces that you recognise quite well.”

 

Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples said the party greeted the decision to keep Haden on with sadness and “almost disgust”. All Blacks coach Graham Henry has also entered the fray, saying last night he was “disgusted” by claims that Pacific Island players were inferior to others.

 

Henry, in an interview with Campbell Live on TV3 tonight, made it clear where he stands on the whole thorny issue of racial attitudes and Polynesian stereotypes in the sport.

 

The All Blacks coach said he was disgusted by the comments that were being generated around Haden’s allegations and said he felt they had done New Zealand a “huge disservice”.

 

Henry, who has made extensive use of Polynesian players as captains of his All Blacks, described the row sparked by Haden’s allegations as narrow-minded and short-sighted and said much of the comment being generated was “absolute rubbish”.

 

“I think it’s absolute rubbish … If you look at the last long-term captain, that was Tana Umaga and Tana was also an outstanding young man who grew up as an All Black and had huge respect from his peers, and led them from the front.”

Warren Alcock, one of New Zealand’s leading player agents, has dismissed Andy Haden’s allegations that the Crusaders discriminate against Pacific Islanders.

 

Alcock had never heard of such a policy in 15 years dealing with the franchise.

 

“I have never, ever, heard the Crusaders, or Canterbury, ever mention race as an issue in relation to selection, recruitment or retention of players. Ever,” said Alcock, a highly influential rugby agent-manager who works for the New Zealand arm of Essentially Group.

 

“I have represented a significant number of Crusaders over the years and I am sure if there was any hint of anything Andy is talking about having any force, I would have heard something. It is not as though my involvement with the Crusaders is confined to one or two people. I deal with the whole hierarchy.”

 

Alcock is rated as one of the most powerful men in New Zealand sport, with Richie McCaw and Dan Carter among his clients.

Yesterday Haden admitted he had overstepped the mark by saying the Crusaders had a policy “in the manual and enshrined in their articles” but added: “Yes, [the policy is] set in stone and … that’s wrong but the principle remains and this is an issue for New Zealand rugby.”

 

However, Alcock, who said he had dealt with “everyone” at the Crusaders, from CEOs and coaches to players, said Haden’s comments should not be taken seriously.

 

“You expect Andy to say controversial things, I guess. When I read them I just thought, `That’s Andy’. If I was involved with the Crusaders in any form I would be disappointed with the comments.”