Local derbies are intense encounters but we all knew that and that is probably the reason for the re-structuring od the super rugby tournament. It is certainly more interesting for South African supporters for instance to watch the Lions play the Stormers or the Bulls than seeing them getting demolished by the Crusaders.

Personally I don’t think much can be learned from the first two rounds of the tournament but there are a few things that sort of caught my attention with regard to the South African teams.

The Lions; a much improved side

Mitchell is certainly busy getting the structures in place. Their ball retention is probably the thing that has shown the most improvement as well as their competitiveness at the breakdown. They are better organised at the contact area, there is more physical presence at the breakdowns and they compete with more aggression and precision at the tackle area.

Another area which has shown much improvement is the defensive system. They look better organised and there is more commitment.

The set piece (scrum and lineout) was reasonable so far but they are still behind the Stormers and the Bulls in this regard, I think.

It is early days and while the Lions seems to playing with total commitment my feeling was that the Bulls and the Stormers were just going through the drills pacing themselves for a long and hard season.

The Lions got a problem with place kicking and was not convincing in the decision making halfback positions (9 and 10). Jantjies seems tentative and missing in BMT and Jano Vermaak not as sharp as he was end of last season.

I think the Lions will do better initially this year, in comparison with the previous year’s, mostly because they are playing against SA teams but I reckon the wheels will start to come off due to their inability to seal the victory in close encounters.

Their problem is lack of experienced players in decision making positions and in the pack who can bring calmness when things start to go wrong.

The Bulls

The bulls seem like a team in process of working out how they are going to play with the new break down rule interpretation. The loss against the Sharks in last year’s CC semi-final came as a surprise and they are now a team in transition. They are busy tinkering with their style.

Coaches and seniors players are in process of coming to grips with the faster game and they are slowly working their way through this and tend to fall back on previous patterns whenever they fall behind on the scoreboard.

One get the impression that, as a team, they are a bit preoccupied with trying to set new starter moves and playmaking sequences and are not always playing what is in front of them

Most important thing is, however, that they are still winning and it is only a matter of time before we’ll start to see the innovations and the new playmaking sequences working like clockwork.

My prediction is that the Bulls will get better game by game and come the sharp end of the tournament the Bulls will be there and will be hard to beat. With that line-out, that experience, that pack and with FdP they can only improve as the season progresses.

Cheetahs

Lack of depth and self-belief is going to be their problem yet again. They started terribly; losing horribly against the sharks and then squandered a 24-8 lead with 20 minutes to go against the Bulls.

Personally I’ll be surprised if they recover at all from this especially with Juan Smith out for the rest of the season.

They’ve got some brilliant players in the forwards and in the backline but the backline and the forwards are not gelling and the team lack class in the playmaking positions.

I see the Cheetahs, yet again, being a threat –sometimes- at Bloemfontein but pretty much useless anywhere else except for Newlands.

Sorry but Naka is not taking this team anywhere and Free state rugby will remain a developer and provider of exciting young talent and essentially a team whose main claim to fame is that they were competitive during the Currie Cup tournament.

Sharks

Plumtree’s influence is starting to filter through and this is clearly a team on the up. The South African team best coached and prepared to play the new faster game. They’ve got exciting players in playmaking positions and experience and class in the pack.

They can be vulnerable against a team like the bulls with superior ability to play safe, 10-man rugby and against New Zealand teams with superior ability at playing the faster game.

They need to work on adaptability and variability namely improve their ability to play the right game plan for the right opposition. They seem to be focussed on playing a flowing open game at every opportunity and independent from whom they are playing and that has sometimes been their downfall in knockout games.

Stormers

A team struggling to decide who they want to play in key positions. The coaching staff is falling around and are making just too many changes from game to game and within games with regard to players in decision making positions. Is it Duvenhage or Januarie, Van Aswegen or Grant, De Jongh, Fourie or JeandeVilliers? Not even to mention the changes to the locks and hookers and sometimes the props and loosies. There is just too much messing around with the locks, hookers, loose trio, flyhalf, centers and scrumhalves.

The Rickey Januarie madness/obsession (what the hell can one call this) is still going on in the Cape.

The main problems is the opposing styles of the substitutions. Januarie and Duvenhage, Grant and van Aswegen, Jean and de Jongh play the game differently and I reckon the Stomers is going to lose a few –just like last year- until Allister stop trying to accommodate everyone and make up his mind with regard who he wants to play. I don’t have my finger on the pulse with what is going on in Cape town but as a Province suppoter sitting far away the messing around with Januarie, Grant and the centres and hookers is starting to annoy me. Maybe somebody closer to the action can inform us on what is Allisters thought patterns with his playmakers.

See the famous Joggie Jansen tackle, the Sid Nomis interception, the third test of 1965 showing Brynard diving over two defenders to score, two great John Gainsford tries and the re-known Tiny Naude penalty and much more.

Click on these links.

Third test 1965

First test 1970

Second test 1970

First test 1976

Second test 1976

The video’s are at the appropriate places in the text. Just scroll down untill you see the video links and click on it.

Their is much more; in total 62 video’s.

Click on this link below to go directly to the video section and use the drop panel in the top right hand corner to view the different sections.

A total of 62 video’s

4 September 1976 – SA 15 / All Blacks 10

The series was square -one test all- and the third test was therefore of critical significance for both sides. As is often the case with so much at stake it was a brutal affair.

The tempers flared.

Tension related jittery movements caused heaps of unforced errors during the match while tentative decision making and mind boggling unintelligent option taking, incompetence and idiotic mistakes manifested itself at crucial stages before and during the test.

This test could be labeled the error-ridden test or the violence test –take your pick.

In terms of violence it was intense and Going later said it was the toughest test of his career. Not dirty; but the label violent justifiable based on a number of brutal occurrences before, during and after the match.

There was the teargas incident before the test, the Moaner van Heerden stepping and dust-up incidents during the test and the Johan Strauss head butt incident after the match (more about this in the section entitled before and after match incidents). In the final analyses the test was won by the side most desperate to win -which was South Africa- but that desperation resulted in questionable tactics and application to the extent that it was no victory for SA rugby, according to Terry Mclean. McLean writes:

South Africa deserved to win the match. The probability of her victory had strengthened as one critic after the other screamed through the preceding week at the incompetence of Professor Johan Claassen and his selection committee and at the corresponding incompetence of the Springbok team the selectors had chosen.

It was not possible to believe that young, ardent and proud men invited to play for their country would suffer these insults –as many were- without feeling a powerful revulsion against the critics and an even more powerful determination to blast their eyes and damn their bloody souls.

He also writes that the South African tactics and the blemishes of the South African referee –such as turning a blind eye to certain practices of the home team- smeared South Africa’s reputation as a sporting nation. The expression of team tactics and referee blemish was in McLean’s words a statement spiritual in its dept, of the South African determination not to be beaten. This was nationalism, Afrikanerdom more likely, bared before all witnesses. It was neither warming nor charming.

McLean also state: South Africa did not win entirely by these (foul) methods, though they were undoubtedly helped, but they did themselves and the rugby of their country a grave disservice.

The main complaint of the kiwis was new prop forward Johan Strauss. Not only did he lift Kevin de Klerk in the lineouts but he used illegal tactics to force the scrums to collapse on kiwi put-ins. Even though Carwyn Jones the 1971 British Lions coach believed the Springboks achieved little advantage from Strauss’s tactics –which he described as both dangerous and illegal – this disruption of the scrum took All Black playmaker Sid Going out of the match. The confident general lauded as the mastermind of the All Black second test victory stumbled and slid down the slope of mediocrity as a result of the All Black scrum being repeatedly disrupted at Newlands.

Terry McLean main story line –that the methods used to ensure victory epitomized Afrikaner nationalism desperation- seems to be based on the referee Gert Bezuidenhout’s unwillingness or reluctance to take control with regard to the brutal stepping tactics of Moaner van Heerden; the illegal scrummaging methods of Johan Strauss; the lifting of Kevin de Klerk; the glaringly obvious foot-up tactics of Piston van Wyk and awarding Snyman a dropkick which had swung outside the right-hand upright. The way Bezuidenhout “deliberately” positioned himself at scrums and lineouts so that he “could not see” the infringements of the Springboks bordered for McLean on criminal and was for him offensive to the spirit of rugby.

McLean might just have been a little wrapped-up in post match disappointment when he wrote his piece on the third test. It is hard –even for modern day referees- to determine exactly what is going on in the scrums and the Springboks contented that Strauss scrummed within the laws and that it was his intense strength and scrummaging expertise that caused Harris to wilt, buckle and collapse so often.

Referees are human too and not immune to the tension and mental strain of the occasion and are therefore just as prone as coaches and players to make mistakes in such extremely loaded situations. McLean would have been more accurate or at least more reasonable and fair in his assessment if he took a deep breath and stepped away from his prejudged Afrikaner nationalism mindset theory and interpreted happenings and occurrences from the perspective of tension and human error.

Benefitting from 34 years of post match emotional detachment and from having had at least 15 years –since the abandonment of Apartheid- to come to grips with 30 years of personal Afrikaner nationalism indoctrination it seems more sensible for me to analyze this test from the perspective of it being the error-ridden test. Not only were the two tries scored the result of errors but the scrum vows of the Kiwi’s seems to stem from selection errors made by the New Zealand coach Jay Jay Stewart.

Piston van Wyk’s foot flashed out like a striking rattlesnake but was never penalised for foot-up, according to Terry McLean. Powered though he was by a huge pack, van Wyk beat Norton only once in a contest on Norton’s head and in turn was beaten himself once -a commentary on his inadequate technique and his venerable years writes McLean sounding just a little bitter. 

Stewart made as many as four changes to the victorious second test line-up. Kevin Eveleigh had been dropped for Ken Stewart and Doug Bruce for Duncan Robertson. These players had been linchpins of the Bloemfontein victory; Bruce’s tactical kicking and Eveleigh’s speed of the side of the scrum had disrupted the Springbok inside backs.

The crucial selection error was however in the frontrow. The situation had been complicated by injuries and illness and Stewart made selections choices based on his believes that neither Billy Bush -injured ankle- nor Kerry Tanner – recently recovered from mysterious bug illness- would be able to stand-up to the rigors of test level scrummaging.

In he brought the totally inexperienced Perry Harris on loosehead while first choice loosehead Kent Lambert were moved to the tighthead position. It was a huge gamble with both frontrowers and it cost New-Zealand dearly as Transvaal strong-man Johan Strauss buckled, bent and finally destroyed his opposite number, and the ill effect spread through the rest of the team.

Davis and Harding in their book “Toughest of them all” opiniates that the deciding moment of the ’76 series was when the Springbok selectors finaly got it right and selected Strauss and Kevin de Klerk in the pack. This selection resulted in the Springboks dominating the set piece (scrum and lineout) to the extent that NZ couldn’t get into the game. The impact of that selection was undoubtedly amplified by the fact that the tourist got it wrong with their frontrow selection. The inexperienced Harris (on the far end furthest from the camera on the right) and Kent Lambert (on the left) selected out of position had a torrid time in the scrums.  

Trouble up front for the Kiwi’s in the third test 

Struggling in the set piece the NZ halfbacks was under extreme presure with Boland Coetzee a real menace through-out the match. Here Coetzee chase onto Duncan Robertson (on the left) and cramp-in Going (on the right).

The Kiwi scrummaging problems was not helped by the fact that Whiting’s right ear was almost ripped off by the boot of Moaner van Heerden in the 59^th minute. First a strip of plaster was put around the head. Later a second strip was wrapped on and still later a third strip. After the match six stitches were required to re-attach the ear but the wound impacted on Whiting’s play as it was painful and it stopped him from applying pressure upon his prop as he packed into the scrums.

Moaner van Heerden also kicked Sid Going in the head in the 27^th minute. McLean writes as follows about the Moaner incidents:

Going rose up and for all that he was outweighed in pounds and overborne in height, he whaled into van Heerden, driving him with hard, shrewd punches to the body down the field. Along the way, someone biffed Moaner van Heerden on the left cheek, a good punch.

Whiting did not react so strongly, for the adequate reason that his right ear, as he stood up, was spouting blood and hanging from his head.

See footage of Going charging into Moaner here with the New Zealand commentator totally confused at who is to be the guilty stepper.

A determined and vivid Hamish Macdonald (subscript says Ian Kirkpatrick but No 4 was one of the locks) in process of sorting out Moaner van Heerden after he almost raked Whiting’s ear of his head.

Being the astute observer that he was McLean was not at all oblivious to the fact that New Zealand contributed to their own demise. He writes:

The All Blacks aided the South African cause by committing Rugby’s version of hara-kiri. It was stupid of Sid Going to miss three attempts at penalty goals, two downwind, one up, from within 30m or less of the goalline.

It was damn silly of Going and Duncan Robertson, who admittedly were placed under constant and severe pressure, to mull passes and catches.

It was idiotic for Duncan Robertson, Morgan and Fawcett to attempt to thread through a defence that was poised, quick and valiant. It was breathtaking –like a kick in the solar plexus- for Williams, Bruce Robertson, Stewart and countless others, to miss tackles, especially when the superior efforts of the Springboks could be constantly observed.

Teams

The match official was Gert Bezuidenhout (Transvaal); Match attendance was 47 000.

Run of play

Bosch missed penalties from 40, 43, 18 and 22 meters. Williams missed one from 52 meters. Going missed penalties from 18, 25 and 31 meters. Going was disallowed to kick a penalty by the referee because he took too long as a result of the ball falling over three times.

The Springboks began with tremendous zest and although they conceded the first try –an opportunistic effort by Bruce Robertson- they played throughout with greater fire, used better tactics and took less risks.

Boland Coetzee taking the ball up. The Springboks started with lots of zest and passion and played with greater desperation and fervour throughout the match.

The Bruce Robertson try in the 7^th minute resulted from two mistakes by the South African wingers Chris Pope and Gerrie Germishuys. First, Pope kicked a ball that he should have popped over the sideline high over the forwards down the throat of Kit Fawcett; with nobody to chase Fawcett sent it back with interest; into no-man’s-land behind Germishuys.

Germishuys turning around to get the ball first tried to run out of trouble and when he got caught he flicked the ball back in the direction of Dawie Snyman. Robertson was at hand and he dribbled the ball in the direction of the Springbok goalline and had no trouble outsprinting Dawie Snyman in the race to the ball to score the first try of the match.

The Bruce Robertson try can be seen here.

This series of pictures show the first try. First, Germishuys got caught and held up with a hand around his throat. Look how ineffectively Johan Oosthuizen joins the situation; upright in no position to drive forward and no attempt to get his hands on the ball. The next series of pictures shows Robertson toeing the ball forward and him and Snyman chasing after it.

The all Blacks were still leading with the Springboks finding it very difficult to breach their defence in the 57^th minute of the match when New Zealand made a crucial error in judgment which effectively ended their challenge to win the series.

Electing not to play percentage rugby -while ahead- the All Blacks spun the ball from a lineout inside their own half. Duncan Robertson moved the ball on to Joe Morgan as Kit Fawcett raced up to take the pass at centre, Bruce Robertson sprinting ahead as a decoy. It was the same move from the same situation which put the All Blacks ahead 27-26 against Northern Transvaal. That was a desperate situation as compared to the situation in the test where NZ was in the lead and South Africa chasing.

Bruce Roberson wasn’t far enough ahead as Morgan threw the pass and Fawcett wasn’t properly balanced as he came in at speed to take it. It is not clear whether the ball bounced off his shoulder or whether he knocked it backwards with his hands as he reached for it but the ball leaped way from Fawcett and hang in the air for a moment. Johan Oosthuizen swooped in on it in a flash and raced towards the New Zealand goalline only about 30 meters away.

Top: Johan Oosthuizen on his way to the goalline after intercepting the ball. Bottom picture: dotting down with Duncan Robertson too late.

The Johan Oosthuizen try can be viewed by clicking on this link.

South Africa forwards held the initiative from here on and Bosch and Bayvel made sure to keep the ball in front of the pack and that the game were played in the New Zealand side of the field, during the last quarter.

Few of the All Blacks played well. Going, Duncan Robertson, and Fawcett had dreadful games in the backline and the forwards never achieved the control they had enjoyed at Bloemfontein.

Some before and after match occurrences

The Cape Times preview on the morning of the third test had put the question: “Are the All Blacks just another good team or are they the most successful side to come to South Africa – today will tell.”

Alan Sutherland remembering it walked into the cocktail party after the match and said: “I regret to say, men, that we are just another good team. We are not the greatest.”

The South Africans -to use a boxing term- came off the ropes fighting as the heavily criticized team went into the third test and an event that evening epitomized the attitude of mind of the South Africans, for Terry McLean. Alan Masters, an Englishman who managed the Springboks hotel was head butted that evening by Johan Strauss for making the fatal mistake of telling one of the Springboks –with Strauss listening in- that he felt Kevin de Klerk was lifted in the lineouts.

Demonstrations continued throughout the All Black stay in Cape Town with the main street Adderley Street being closed down for several hours on both the Thursday and Friday. Until Cape Town, the All Blacks had viewed the unrest and the reports of rioting with a sympathetic but, nonetheless, detached air.

The strikes, however, took on a new meaning for at least two members of the party on the Friday before the test. Ian Kirkpatrick, Bryan Williams and at least two Kiwi journalists attended a lunch-hour book signing session at a store in the city centre. Minutes after the book signing riots broke out and the police tear gassed the whole area.

Running blindly after having swallowed large gulps of teargas Kirkpatrick and Bryan Williams was eventually recued by police (see photo below).

Picture showing Kirkpatrick in a police wagon getting treated after being exposed to teargas.

Kirkpatrick was violently sick on his return to the hotel, while the rest of the kiwi’s involved were badly shaken-up by the incident.

Severely disappointed that the dream of winning a series in South Africa was done and dusted and with mounting frustration regarding referees and with some unhappy squad members –overseen for positions in the test side- like Kerry Tanner, Laurie Mains, Kevin Eveleigh and Doug Bruce the All Blacks travelled into Upington. Here the irritation and frustrations culminated into a big dust-up with desert hardened Namib and Kalahari boys who seemd more intend on sorting the All Blacks out with big tackles and some stolen punches than playing the game.

The face of Morné du Plessis showing the strain of test rugby.

It is World Cup year again and no matter how we want to argue that too much emphasis is being placed on winning the WC we are all drawn in by the excitment of it. In my mind it is between two teams and that is South Africa and New Zealand. I know there are a few dark horses and up and coming contenders but to me there is just nothing bigger than green vs black.

The arch enemy or the nemesis of South African rugby has always been the All Blacks. The All Black/Springbok rugby rivalry is without a doubt the fiercest rugby rivalry on the planet. It is a rivalry that started in 1921 and which it still going 90 years later; it has capitivated the minds of almost every South African (I know there are the odd funny ones that don’t watch rugby but they are funny so we won’t include them in this narrative). The same is true with regard to New Zealand rugby supporters.

Nothing will therefore give me greater pleasure than to see these two rugby gaints in the World Cup final.

Here is a short summary the 90 years of Springbok / All Black rivalry. 

The Springboks and the All Blacks have played against each other since 1921, when South Africa toured for the first time to New Zealand. There were a total of 13 tours -6 tours to New Zealand and 7 tours to South Africa including 1996.  

Click on the link below to watch a 6 part video series about the Springbok vs All Black rivalry. It is awesome you have to see this:

http://springbokrugby.webs.com/apps/videos/channels/show/2742963-introduction

The 1956 tour is certainly the one that was the biggest for New Zealand. The whole of New Zealand was incited because at that time SA was the only country against whom they have never won a Test series. In fact up to that stage South Africa has never lost a test series against another country excluding the very first English touring team to South Africa. 

The 1949 series white wash of 4-0 was still hurting the New Zealanders and South Africa was for the Kiwi’s the ultimate challenge. Totally unprepared for what they would encounter Danie Craven’s 1956 team entered a cauldron of obsessive rugby-mania. Craven was almost worshiped, but enemy number 1; with his no nonsense straight and to the point approach he rose to the occasion and played a massive role in a series which is still fixed and ingrained in the memory of the New Zealand rugby public.

Here is a 9 part video series about this fascinating series. Absolute captivating viewing:

http://springbokrugby.webs.com/apps/videos/channels/show/2743027-the-1956-tour

As a child I devoured Chris Greyvenstein’s book Springbok Saga, but was very frustrated with the concise nature of the information contained therein. This is the reason why I’ve been writing these rugby history articles on my blog and why I’ve created a website called the McLook collection.

One can not other than being enthralled by the heroism, the grandious nature, magnitude and intensity of the Springbok/All Black rivalry.

Long may it last.

Former Springbok scrumhalf from the 1960s and early 1970s, Dirk de Vos died on Saturday from a heart attack in Potchefstroom at the age of 69.

Born on 8 April 1940, De Vos was educated at Graeme College, Grahamstown.

He represented Western Province, Western Transvaal, Free state and Northern Transvaal in Currie Cup matches.

Not always popular with the critics, he was often criticised for being a selfish player, but on his day he could be a match-winner with his darting runs and strategic kicks.

Former Bok captain Hannes Marais was sad to hear of De Vos’ death.

“He was a good friend of mine but I knew he wasn’t well lately as he did not join us for recent reunions,” Marais said from his home in Port Elizabeth Sunday.

“Dirkie could do brilliant things but would often play his own game.

“He loved to kick and charge and if it worked that was wonderful for the team,” Marais added.

De Vos represented South Africa in three Test matches, touring Ireland and Scotland in 1965, the United Kingdom in 1969-70 and Australia in 1971.

He played Tests against Scotland at Murrayfield in 1965 and 1969 – both games were lost – and replacing an injured Springbok captain Dawie de Villliers, he played one home Test at Newlands against Australia in 1969.

For most of his international career De Vos played in the shadow of both De Villiers and Piet Uys.

After the devastating tour of Ireland and Scotland when both internationals were lost, De Vos was sacked for 1965 tour of Australia and New Zealand and former captain Nelie Smith took his place as understudy to De Villiers.

De Vos only able to reclaim a place in 1969.

The “Umbrella Test” at Newlands saw De Vos play an outstanding game along with Piet Visagie at flyhalf, and he was selected for the demo-hit tour of the United Kingdom in 1969-70. On the tour of Australia in 1971 he was deputy scrumhalf to Joggie Viljoen.

Altogether he played 18 matches in the green and gold.

Here is what Gabriel David wrote about Dirk when he played for Western Transvaal against the 1970 All Blacks: 

…. the little-fancied Western Transvaal side this afternoon was the toughest game of the tour so far. Superbly coached by the national selector Mr. Johan Claassen, Western Transvaal played some magnificent rugby and actually took the All Blacks on at their own game – driving in the forwards and putting the ball behind the tourists with skilful tactical kicking.

Western Transvaal played some inspired rugby at times with the springbok halfback, Dirk de Vos, in brilliant kicking mood as he placed the ball in the exact position he wanted. 

Dirk de Vos made a good impression on the touring All Blacks. Not only did he play an outstanding game, but in his post match speech he indicated that in his opinion the All Blacks were hard but fair rugby players and that he did not for one moment believe current stories that they are a punch happy bunch using illegal tactics (such as obstruction).  

Dirk de Vos and Albie Bates both played in this game against the AB’s. They moved to NTvl the following year and played in the Currie Cup final that NTvl won in 1973. Here they are with the CC in 1973. Bates was the captain and De Vos the man of the match and essentially won the match for NTvl that day with a brilliant individualistic performance, including a few drop kicks.

Dirk loved the little chip kicks over the scrum. Here is a video showing him playing for the Springboks in 1969 against Australia. Watch how he makes a try for Piet Visagie with one of his little chip kicks. You can also see HO de Villiers playing on fullback as well as Tommy Bedford who captained the side.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZijzOh2Sl5E&feature=related

31 August 1976 – Leopards 0 / All Blacks 31

The real message of Mdantsane in East London:

Until Africans and Coloureds are able to play at grass roots level of the game, they can’t hope to become a force on the odd game against overseas teams.

South African rugby had to move beyond window dressing. It was time for some serious rugby development in black communities and schools because rugby itself was not the winner on this weekday in August 1976. “Clearly the Leopards need more experience in the company of skilful, well-coached players. The answer is at club level” these were the words of Carwyn James coach of the victorious Lions to New Zealand in 1971. James a long outspoken critic of Apartheid was in South Africa to see for himself the working of South African politics and sport.

This was the Leopards fifth game against an overseas side since historic ground was broken by England in 1972 but neither that nor all the preliminaries and the pleasant aftermath could disguise the fact that the match itself was a sham.

The Leopards were unrepresentative of the larger rugby playing black community in South Africa due to some political dispute between organisations (KWARU, SARU and SAARB) as who had the rights to form a representative administration.

It was also uneasy times in South Africa in the aftermath of the Soweto riots and the match took place under the tightest security imaginable; Mdantsane had been the scene of riots less than a month ago. An Army helicopter patrolled the township during the game; riot armed police in camouflage outfits were stationed on the road from East London, near the gates of the stadium and were patrolling the surrounding area during the game. The All Blacks, the coaches and the press entered the township in a convoy behind military vehicles from east London.

Against this background of police, guns and barbed wire the All Blacks with their genius of laconic, uncomplicated and friendly behaviour captured the hearts of the enthusiastic Africans and in turn were enthralled by the happy, smiling hordes of schoolchildren. It was the infectious spontaneous laughter of the schoolchildren on the day before the match during an All Black practice session that made all the visitors in the cavalcade of buses to the ground forget about the tensions which had foreshadowed the journey to the stadium. Terry McLean writes:

At the end of the training run on the Sisa Dukashe Staduim at Mdantsane Township on the day before the match, Black boys were invited by the All Blacks to join in. Kids sat on the shoulders of All Blacks performing press-ups, kids clustered in droves around the All Blacks’ kid, Fawcett, when he shelled the silver out of his pockets, there were relay races and God knows what.

The game itself simply came apart at the seams after the kiwis scored 9 points in the first 4 minutes with a Mains penalty in the second minute and a splendid try in the corner by Purvis in the 4^th minute. The All Blacks dominated the tight phases winning 9 tight heads in the scrums –pushing the Leopards off their own ball most of the time. Struggling in the scrums and only ably to win 6 lineouts in the entire match the Leopards were trust into a defensive game. Ferocious tackling, blatant offside play and destructive tactics by the Leopards turned the match into a frantic scramble. Anything in a black jersey that showed the remotest sign of live was scythed down, or bowled over by flankers, Morgan Cushe and Lilee Jonas and hard working No 8, Vusumzi Nakani.

Morgan Cushe playing for the Leopards against a French touring side in 1975.

There was hardly any sign of the brotherhood -so evident before the match- during the match and Osborne had to leave the field with concussion –effectively ending his tour- in the 46^th minute; Crossman was so severely buffed up by Broadness Cona –who received in return of counter punch from Frank Oliver- that he needed stitches under his left eye.

Pretty much everyone was offside at some time or other in the Leopard side. Pretty much everyone tackled head high, so much so that Lyn Davis finished with a cut lip, a swollen eye and a bruised cheek while Doug Bruce was clobbered, Mitchell was struck on the mouth; Crossman needed stitches under his eye and Osborne left the field with concussion. Not the best circumstances to try and play attractive open rugby.

Entertainment of the crowd, however, seemed to have been principal on the kiwi’s agenda as they kept trying to play open engaging rugby instead of consolidating with solid forward drive to draw in the stragglers and spoilers lurking on the fringes of the rucks and the mauls. The result; the All Blacks foundered, moving from mistake to mistake in handling and passing.

Lyn Davis bleeds from wounds inflicted by the Leopards. The All Black halfback was quite a mess after the match.

The All Blacks took a roasting afterwards from their supporters who packed the main stand and the press was quick to point out that the 1974 Lions had won this side by ten tries to one. The All Blacks scored only three tries and they came on long intervals, Purvis at four minutes, Purvis at 40 and Seear at 77 minutes. Mains scored 19 points with the boot making it an all Otago affair on the scoreboard.

Best of pals, Kent Lambert and Broadness Cona leaving the field after the Leopards match at East London.

Joe Morgan getting scythed down by Mncendi Mnqatu (left) and Timothy Nkonki.

Kevin Eveleigh had picked up the tag of “The Grim Reaper” by this stage of the tour due to his ferocious tackling. Here he evades a tackle before offloading to Lawrie Knight. Eveleigh had a theory on tackling namely that you tackle the backline players in the midrif to hurt them so that they have one eye on you and one on the ball next time. Forwards, however, need to be tackled on the toes because they’ll dip a shoulder on you and hurt you if you try and tackle them above the waist.

It was not a perfect last game before the critical third test but the All Blacks felt reasonably confident after seeing the changes to the Springbok side. The South African selectors came up with four changes three of them in the pack with Kevin de Klerk in for John Williams, Johan Strauss in for Derek van den Berg and Piston van Wyk in for Robert Cockrell. The All Blacks were surprised by the inclusion of Piston van Wyk who did not impress for Natal playing against them but the big talking point was the omission of Ian Robertson and the persistence with Dawie Snyman on fullback.

What they didn’t know at this stage was that these three changes in the Springbok pack proved to be the deciding moment of the 1976 series.

Teams

Referee: Stoney Steenkamp (Orange Free State); Crowd 8 000 – 10 000.

Run of play

Mnqatu missed a penalty from 36 meters, Ndzala from 34 m. Mbiko missed a drop from 27 meters. Mains missed penalties from 27 and 36 meters respectively.

http://springbokrugby.webs.com/apps/videos/videos/show/12593280-siddie-siddie-siddie

28 August 1976 – All Blacks 42 / Natal 13

The All Blacks have resonated well with Natal rugby over the years maybe because of it being predominantly an English community -the last outpost of the British Empire as Tommy Bedford described it in 1970- but the friendships was renewed and McLean writes in general very positively about Natal rugby as he did in his book about the 1970 tour. The feeling I get it that he had a bit of soft spot for the Banana-boys and was just a little to elaborate with his praise and appreciation of players and province.

The match against Natal was, however, interesting in many ways. Natal -not one of the top provinces in SA in 1976- was playing reasonably good rugby and was certainly no walkover having beaten Transvaal 7-6 just a fortnight ago.

The Natal team had an out of the ordinary leadership and player structure with their outspoken talisman and captain Tommy Bedford still in the mix and one-test 1972 Springbok fullback Ray Carlson coaching and playing on flyhalf. Terry McLean has these attention-grabbing paragraphs on Bedford and Carlson:

Bedford, who today was playing in his 117^th game for Natal, in theory should long have been over the hill and tobogganing down the other side. But, as Leslie could testify, he was still a fit, able player with an ice-cold tactical brain and almost as many tricks as the late, and much lamented Izak van Heerden had ideas.

By his sage influence, Natal produced some spirited play which demanded diligent defence by the All Blacks and speed in their counter-attacking.

Ray Carlson was one on Natal’s major nuisances to the All Blacks, especially with the deft little punt pitching just behind the All Blacks’ midfield backs. Lots of rushing around to capture those kicks, one way or the other. Away up north, at Twickers, they might have looked at Carlson with a certain curiosity. He was Natal’s player-coach, or coach-organizer, and presumably was compensated for his services. (It was not all a secret that the Natal union’s preference for him over Oxlee had caused major ruckus.) Was he, therefore, a professional? In other days, there might have been no end to the discussion on the point. Nowadays, it was not even raised.

Tommy Bedford (in the picture above) ex-Springbok captain was still playing outstanding rugby for Natal in spite of being chucked out by the Springbok selectors after his infamous remark in 1970 about Natal being the last outpost. Bedford, who won 25 Springbok caps, was a Rhodes Scholar who had captained Oxford and was probably one of the most colorful Springboks of all time. He played his last test for the Springboks in 1971 against France and went on the 71 tour to Australia but didn’t play in any of the tests. The Australian Dick Cocks is the big fellow with moustache behind Bedford and the All Black is Peter Whiting.

Natal also had players like the ex-Australian Dick Cocks playing on the flank, an excellent scrumhalf in Stan Holmes, the tall Mike van Zyl on the lock who commanded his area of the line-out, and two lively wings in Keith Thorreson and Tubby Hanaford as well as the tall Adrian (Doc) Louw on fullback. Piston van Wyk was a physical presence as always on no 2 and did enough in this match –even though most SA critics and the All Blacks did not agree- to earn a place in the test side for the third test.

Stan Holmes (picture above) at scrumhalf weighed only 67.6 kg but for liveliness and courage was among the giants of the game, according to Terry McLean.

Keith Thorreson (picture above) played on the left wing for Natal. McLean writes: he was undoubtedly one of the most effective backs encountered by the All Blacks on tour. He was quick. He was alert. He beautifully combined these valuable qualities.

In this picture Ray Carlson appears on the left with Mike Brenon between Carlson and Doc Louw kicking the ball. There are not many tries that will compare with the one Doc Louw scored in this match writes Terry McLean: Natal won a quick lineout, Wang made a long pass to Hannaford on the right wing and Louw a tall man, moved up inside. Both Duncan Robertson and Fawcett had a go at him, but he was just too fast – he was untouchable.

Mike Brenon in the picture was involved in two dust-ups in the match. One with Kit Fawcett and one with that little dynamo Grant Batty who played probably his best game on tour providing the South African public a glimpse of why he was rated the best left wing in the world.

Plagued by injury, Batty didn’t have too many opportunities on tour to convince the South African public why he was so highly rated internationally. Fact is most of us thought he was a bit of a joke with his fox terrier on field behavior and his Robo cop knee brace. But he sure showed his class in Durban collecting two tries by stepping inside bewildered defenders, starting attacks from nothing and then by featuring in a decent stand-up fight with Mike Bernon.

Bernon had earlier taken offence with Fawcett after the last mentioned lost his cool and charged ten meters into a ruck and started trampling recklessly on a Natal player lying on the ground and then delivered a karate like chop to the neck of another player in the ruck. This earned the crowd’s displeasure and the booing became a routine thing thereafter whenever Fawcett got near to the ball as a result of Fawcett responding to the initial booing with the V-sign. The booing extended later to Batty when he became incensed and started throwing punches at Bernon who tried to screw his neck of after he’d released the ball. Bernon fought back and the scene resembled a boxing ring before team mates could separate them.

This was unfortunate but it also inspired both Batty and Fawcett to being the spice of an excellent New Zealand performance. Fawcett was involved in almost everything and hardly put a foot wrong and Batty after limping of early in the game –his knee brace have slipped- returned to score two excellent tries. In one try he perfectly demonstrated his stop-start technique for a try.

Sid Going was the other outstanding Kiwi on the field. His place kicking was almost flawlessly on target succeeding with 7 out of 9 kicks. Kirkpatrick scored -at last on tour- after being the last receiver of the renowned Going, Going, Going scissors move.

The All Blacks had used this moved -developed 12 years ago by the three Going brothers playing for North Auckland- for the first time on tour at Witbank and it produced a try for Joe Morgan. Now they used it again, three players working a double scissors, and the Natalians was completely baffled allowing Kit Fawcett to put Kirkpatrick over for his try.

Kirkpatrick on the charge against Natal. Kirky was more relieved than happy to get back on the try-scoring list. It was his first try on tour -after 10 outings- hoisting his tally for New Zealand to 48.

Andy Leslie scored from a pushover and Bryan Williams capitalized after a searing run by Bruce Robertson. Graeme Crossman also got into the try scoring act after having scored earlier the week in Witbank which was apparently the first try by an All Black hooker after 31 games.

Bruce Robertson who was starting to play better and better as the tour progressed. Here is two pictures showing him turning on the pace against Natal. Piston van Wyk is the Nataler behind Robertson in the firts picture and Kent Lambert the All Black trying to stay in support in the second picture

This completed a satisfying week for the Kiwis in which they scored 90 points and 14 tries. There wasn’t much wrong with their performance against Natal but for the careful observer it was clear that there was still some problems in the scrum; that there was a need for more drive and greater work rate in the engine room and that the lineout play was not entirely convincing against a Natal lineout that certainly didn’t rate as one of the best in the country.

Teams

Crowd 30000 and the referee was Fonnie van der Vyver (Northern Transvaal).

Run of play

Hanaford and Going both missed two penalties.

Hanaford kicking for Natal.

Duncan Robertson kicking against Natal. Robertson was a surprise inclusion on No 10 in the third test side. An inclusion probably based on the fact that the All Blacks scored 14 tries (7 per game) in the last two tour matches in which he played on the flyhalf. It also gave the impression that the All Blacks was planning to employ running tactics for the third test.