That winning feeling
5 Nov 2009
SA Rugby magazine picks six of the best Springbok end-of-year tour victories.
BEAT FRANCE 20-15
Stade de Gerland, Lyon, 1992
This was South Africa’s first post-isolation Test in Europe, and after faring poorly in the build-up games, not many gave them a chance. Captained by the 34-year-old Naas Botha, the Boks had another 34-year-old in the backline in the form of the legendary Danie Gerber. As it turned out, the Bok game plan, which consisted of giving the ball to Botha and letting him kick it, worked a charm, with shock tries from Gerber and James Small on either side of half-time being supplemented by Botha’s excellent goal and field kicking. The result meant that at that time the French had still to beat the Boks on their own soil.
BEAT SWANSEA 78-5
St Helen’s, Swansea, 1994
The Springboks were on their first tour of Wales since the end of isolation, and this Guy Fawkes Day clash was to be the big club game before the Test, with Swansea rated the best team in the Principality – a rating they confirmed by winning the Welsh competition later that season. But although Swansea scored first through wing Simon Davies, they were completely swamped after that, with the Boks scoring 12 tries. André Joubert enjoyed a blinder, scoring four tries and converting nine for a personal haul of 38 points.
BEAT ENGLAND 24-14
Twickenham, London, 1995
The tone was set on the Sunday night prior to the Test when the Springboks arrived at their hotel after flying in from Rome, where they had played Italy. At a press conference, skipper Francois Pienaar was asked what he thought of Mike Catt’s contention that he was just an average player. The look of shock on Pienaar’s face quickly turned to one of determination. The Catt jibe galvanised the squad that had arrived as newly crowned world champions and had been unbeaten in the calendar year. They dominated the game, and could have won by a bigger margin as Chester Williams had a legitimate try disallowed. It was a great day to be a South African at Twickenham.
BEAT FRANCE 52-10
Parc des Princes, Paris, 1997
We never thought we would see the day that a French crowd would stand and applaud the Springboks as they did a lap of honour, but that is what happened at Parc des Princes. It was the last time the Boks played France at the stadium (though they did return there to play Samoa in the 2007 World Cup), and their coach Nick Mallett, so admired and revered in France, was determined to make it count. The Boks played magnificent rugby that day, with forwards and backs combining like they seldom have, and by the end of the match the French were just run off their feet. Pieter Rossouw finished with four tries.
BEAT ENGLAND 29-11
Twickenham, London, 1997
The Springbok annihilation of England was a record, and it could have been by more as Dick Muir was unfairly penalised for crossing (obstruction) in what looked like a good try that was disallowed. Seldom have the Boks been as dominant at Twickenham as they were on that sunny afternoon.
BEAT ENGLAND 42-6
Twickenham, London, 2008
Twickenham has been a scene of embarrassment for Springbok teams, but it has also been a venue where they have celebrated some of their greatest triumphs. This was the day when memories of the 53-3 humiliation in 2002 were finally erased. The Boks arrived having struggled against Scotland and with question marks over what type of game they were trying to play. But up against the old, hated enemy, 
there was no blurring of the lines – the Boks returned to the structures that played to their physicality, and while England dominated possession, the South Africans smashed them in the collisions and fed off their mistakes en route to inflicting the biggest ever defeat on England at their home ground.
By Gavin Rich
– This article appears in the latest issue of SA Rugby magazine. Click here to subscribe.
25 Comments
5 Nov 2009, 07:22 am
Winning dragons!
5 Nov 2009, 07:36 am
If I remember the 1995 game correctly, there was a 10 minute injury break for Will Carling-they were worried he might have broken his neck. Joel Stransky also had a shocker with the boot that day, missing loads of penalties and conversions. When asked about it, Francois Pienaar smiled and said something like, “He gets them when it counts.”
Indeed a great day to be South African-it felt like the Boks were playing knowing they were the best team in the world, and was a great celebration after having won the world cup.
Why isn’t the game against the French here? I can’t remember the year, but we destroyed them with Dalton scoring a try with three Frenchies hanging off him. I think it was 1997 with Mallett still as coach.
5 Nov 2009, 07:37 am
In 1995 that disallowed try of Chester’s was blindly legitimate, score should have been bigger
5 Nov 2009, 07:39 am
What about the game at Parc de Princes at the end of 1998 where Pieter Roussouw (amongst others) had a blinder?
5 Nov 2009, 07:39 am
#2 WOLFMAN21:
I think that game was in the magazine article. Grant didn’t copy and paste correctly;)
5 Nov 2009, 07:41 am
Sorry it was at the end of 1997.
5 Nov 2009, 08:16 am
well that are some nice information but it shows that the springboks have had a nice time against the english most of the time
5 Nov 2009, 08:25 am
the 36-0 World Cup win against the poms was my favourite though
5 Nov 2009, 08:27 am
Oh and also in 97 I think we beat Scotland 40 odd – 10 ?? Joost scored one ro two amazing tries. There is a moment in that game that stands out forever when Joost scored and Bill Mclaren was shouting juice von der westhuizen !!
I remember that one like it was yesterday.
5 Nov 2009, 08:32 am
#9 sparticus: I remember that one also! Bill Mclaren was the best commentator ever, and rugby is fair poorer without him!
5 Nov 2009, 08:44 am
That game where Bakkies sent one of the poms flying six feet through the air in a monster clean out is my favourite rugby moment against the poms but the 42 – 6 drubbing at twickers was very sweet indeed.
5 Nov 2009, 09:26 am
Great way to start the day…I got that warm glowing feeling
here’s hoping we can set up some new records on this EOYT pity we arn’t playing the poms tho’..
5 Nov 2009, 09:57 am
Yes lets enjoy reflecting on those games but this year 2009 has been VERY special and full marks to Smitie and his boys for handling a lot of **** both on and off the pitch !!!
5 Nov 2009, 10:46 am
#7 Dunx: Sorry Dunx as a pom i have to put a bit of a cloud over your comments. England have actually won the majority of games against the boks in England. There were maybe a couple of good results for the boks but very few. You have played england 11 times and lost 7 since you have come back into the game in 92. Compared to say the Abs record on end of years tours its dreadful however you would smash us this year!!
2003 -Eng 53 Boks 3
2001 Eng 29 Boks 9
2004 Eng 32 Boks 16
1992 Eng 33 Boks 16
2000 Eng 25 Boks 17
2006 Eng 23 Boks 21
1998 Eng 14 Boks 7
5 Nov 2009, 11:05 am
#14 west: could you stick the bok victories up? would be interesting to see. when last did the brits win in SA?
5 Nov 2009, 11:23 am
#14 west: No problem the boks victories at twickers
1995 Boks 24 = Eng 14
2006 Boks 26 Eng 15
2008 Boks 42 Eng 6
1997 Boks 29 Eng 11
England last won in England back in 2000, 27-22 before that it was 1994 32-15, our record is not much better in SA only 2/7.
5 Nov 2009, 11:35 am
England at Twickenham has often been SA’s bogey team. In 1998 we played Skinstad instead of Venter and gave up our record of 17 wins in a row, in 2001 we had Koen, van Straaten and Halstead as our 10, 12 and 13 with Hall on one wing and an old van der Westhuizen at 9-hardly exciting rugby!
5 Nov 2009, 11:46 am
The magazine cover is brilliant. I don’t know about yall but to me it seems a bit menacing.
It’s like he’s about to say “Why so serious” in a Joker voice.
Brilliant!!
5 Nov 2009, 11:49 am
#17 WOLFMAN21: I must say though that having seen the majority of the games at Twickenham my best bok team that i have seen was the 97 bok team they were brillent kust strong in every department. That year i would say I saw two of the best teams i will ever see the 97 Abs although there glory run of 2 years was coming to an end , but this was the start of the boks unbeaten run of 17 games.
5 Nov 2009, 13:31 pm
#4 Wizard: We travelled from London on Eurostar for this game. Slap Chips scored two tries right in front of us. What a great day this was. I remember the French buglers saluting the Boks tries – they were right behind us!
5 Nov 2009, 13:34 pm
I think it was the ’97 game at Twickenham when Joost scored a blinder scampering down the right hand touchline just after half time – what a try!
5 Nov 2009, 16:15 pm
The Catt jibe galvanised the squad that had arrived as newly crowned world champions and had been unbeaten in the calendar year. They dominated the game, and could have won by a bigger margin as Chester Williams had a legitimate try disallowed
Catt had the last laugh in ’98, no world record
5 Nov 2009, 16:20 pm
#22 Big Hit: Possibly he had A laugh, but I think in 2007 RWC he wasnt laughing…
5 Nov 2009, 16:21 pm
#22 Big Hit: seriously though, not a fan of players coming with big talk before games, pride before a fall.
5 Nov 2009, 22:01 pm
my vote is for the 97 french game. that was pure rugby. the boys clicked perfectly. mallet probably wet himself.
heck, i’d kill to see that game again!
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