Springboks embark on taxing N.Z. tour
PA Wellington The reintegration of South African rugby into the mainstream of international competition continues with the arrival of the Springboks rugby team in New Zealand on Sunday. Rugby in South Africa has never quite joined such sports as cricket, soccer, swimming and athletics in the isolation from major international competition. Yet the forthcoming tour, which involves an itinerary of 16 matches including three tests, is the first major tour abroad by a Springbok side to an International Rugby Board affiliated country since Hannes Marais’ men swept aside all opposition in Australia in 1971. The Springboks also toured France in 1974.
Eleven members of the side, at present en route to New Zealand from the re-
public, took part in the 3-1 test series victory over the British Lions in South Africa last year. The fifth tour by the Springbok side throughout New Zealand will be like none before it. but the main object of the exercise from the Rugby Union's point of view is that it is merely a continuation of a sporting series which started more than 53 years ago.
Travelling with the Springbok team will be the largest press corps yet — at last count about 60 — to travel with an international side in New Zealand, and this will focus worldwide attention on the team and New Zealand in general. Because of the background to the tour, it seems likely that there will be less informal social contact between New Zealanders and their South African guests than on previous tours of New Zea-
land by any international team..
Just as there have been doubts about the actual arrival time of the team in New Zealand, students of rugby harbour reservations about the ability of the Springboks to emulate the performance of Philip Nel's 1937 side and become the second South African touring team to win a test series against the AU Blacks in New Zealand.
Granted the side possesses some highly talented individuals in the counter-attack-ing full-back, Gysie Pienaar, the wings, Gerrie Germishuys and Ray Mordt, a kicking first five-eighth, in Naas Botha, whose goal-kick-ing skills are generally regarded as superior to his sometimes lack-lustre allround play, the flankers, Rob Louw and Theuns Stofberg, and the lock forward, Louis Moolman.
Despite an impressive backline performance against the Lions last year, the South Africans under Wynand Claasen : — who became the fourth man to lead the Springboks in his first test — struggled hard to defeat a second string Irish team in a two-match series earlier this year.
This inconsistency in Springbok form, coupled with the unavailability of the usual New Zealand captain, Graham Mourie, and the All, Blacks' most experienced player, Bruce Robertson, makes it extremely difficult to pick a winner between the two teams.
New Zealand’s decisive victories over Wales last November and against Scotland in the second test in Auckland, on June 20, were impressive, but perhaps achieved against sub-stand-ard international opposition. It is still, however, a diffi-
cult task for the Springbok manager, Johan Claasen, the coach, Nelie Smith, and the captain, Wyhand Claasen, to steer the Springboks through a-divided New Zealand community and a taxing itinerary. . .
The manager, Mr Claasen, will obviously bring a set of impressive and tough-minded credentials with him to Gisborne on Sunday. As a lock forward he participated in 28 internationals from 1952-1962 — including seven tests against New Zealand in the sometimes torrid 1956 series in New Zealand (4) and the 1960 series in South Africa (3). The 48-year-old director of sports at Potchefstropm University subsequently plotted the downfall of the All Blacks in South Africa as Springbok coach during the 1970 series.
Six years later he convened the Springbok selec-
tion panel which prevailed over another four-match series against New Zealand in the republic. Significantly, in terms of the possible disruption from anti-apartheid demonstrators which might impede the progress of The Fifth Springboks through New Zealand, Johan Claasen was the coach of the South African team during the highly controversial tour of Australia in 1971. The coach, Mr Smith, represented his country in seven internationals from 1963-1965 and was the touring side’s vice-captain in New Zealand 16 years ago — a somewhat surprising appointment as the team’s captain, Dawie De Villiers, was also a half-back. He has been credited by some as the man largely responsible for the recent resurgence in South African rugby. Last year Springbok teams
defeated the Lions 3-1, in the test series, South America, two tests to nil, France. 3715, and a second-string Irish line-up earlier this year at Capetown on May 30, 23-15, and at Durban a week later. 12-10. Mr Smith has the difficult task of trying to succeed where his counterparts. Dr Craven in 1956, and the late Hennie Muller, in 1965, failed — namely to defeat the All Blacks in a test series in New Zealand. One man who believes the South Africans will enter the series favourites, and who should know more than most considering his team was defeated, 37-15 in an international in South Africa late last year, is the French captain, Jean-Pierre Rives. For .most New Zealand rugby followers, South Africa is recognised as the ultimate rugby opponent. On the football field it is
the one, traditional opponent which has won more matches than the AU Blacks (19-13) in test fixtures; The first in the series in 1921 was shared one test each and the third drawn. In 1928 the series in South Africa was tied two tests each. In 1937. South Africa took the rubber two tests to one. and .in J 949 in South Africa the Springboks made a clean sweep, 4-0. The: 1956 series went to New Zealand, 3-1. In 1960, in South Africa, the All Blacks won one test and forced a draw in another, with the South Africans taking the series with two wins. Back in New Zealand in 1965, the Springboks went down to the All Blacks, 1-3. In 1970 find in 1976, both played in South Africa, the Springboks won. 3-1.
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