HARD MATCHES DURING TOUR OF SPRINGBOKS

Southland Times, Issue 23332, 16 October 1937, Page 18

HARD MATCHES DURING TOUR OF SPRINGBOKS

Decision To “Take A Pull” After Test In Sydney

(By

J. G. McLEAN)

I do not share the view current in some quarters, that the Springboks were Rugby paragons. They themselves would be the last to make such a claim.' I heard tales of hectic club matches in Cape Town and the Transvaal, and it was hardly reasonable to expect that the participants, on coming on tour, would automatically assume the character of plaster saints. No, the Springboks were no better and no worse than the average side we see in this country. After the second Test in Sydney, when one or more men of either side might have been sent off had the referee not exercised truly astounding forbearance some of the wiser heads among them got together. I recollect the phrase one of them used. “We have got to take a pull.” And, to their credit, they did. If they had not lam afraid even some of our complaisant New Zealand referees, who patiently in some instances had aspirations to referee a Test match, would sooner or later have had to screw themselves up to the unpleasant point of sending someone off. Occasional matches in New Zealand were hard and keen, and sometimes in the heat of the moment there were blows struck; but there was nothing to compare with that second Test at. Sydney, the wildest match I have ever seen or ever expect to see, when once or twice practically the entire scrum seemed to dissolve into pairs, each standing toe to toe and for a moment literally slogging each other But even after such a donnybrook as this, the Springboks could still meet their opponents with a friendlv smile after the match. They took the attitude that things which happened in the excitement of a keen match were best forgotten if not deliberately foul or malicious, and all who have played the Rugby game will agree that, in a broad sense, such an attitude is the correct and sporting one. Nothing is gained by harbouring resentment over what happens when 30 fit and active young men are pitted against one another. “Bill” Cerutti, after receiving his terrible black eye in the first Test in Sydney, was naturally a little sore, in more senses than one, and at the dinner on the Ulysses that night—she was berthed in Darling Harbour—was breathing fire and slaughter against the person he held responsible. Bov Louw’s only comment, when he heard of this, was: “What’s the use of having post-mortems?”

There seems to be no room for doubt that the matches between the South Africans and the Wallabies in 1933 left blood feuds between certain players which were reopened this year. It seems a paradox that Cerutti and Hodgson should have been involved, for off the field both are the most cheery and good-natured fellows imaginable; and what wonderful forwards they are, capable of rising to supreme heights! Cerutti’s dribbling rush from halfway, which almost pulled the first Test out of the fire for Australia, was the greatest individual effort, by a forward, on the whole tour. We have no forwards in New Zealand at the present time the equal of Cerutti and Hodgson. Windon is another splendid Australian forward. It will take a really good All Black pack to subdue the Australians next year. Incidentally, Hodgson made the prediction in Tattersall's Club, Sydney, the night the Springboks were entertained there, that they would be too good for New Zealand He said that on New Zealand’s foim shown against the Australian team, over here in 1935, the South African forwards would beat the All Black pack in every department. “Aub” was in prophetic mood that evening. OFF THE FIELD As regards the Springboks off the field, it would have been difficult to find a friendlier and more unassuming band of men. In their general behaviour they were a credit to their country, and hotel keepers were frankly astounded at their moderation. In the whole tour the only thing that got broken as far as I know, was the window of a railway carriage on the train coming from Rotorua to Auckland. Danie Craven threw

an orange to Louis Babrow, and Babrow missed the catch. The 1921 South African team—or some of its members—acquired a reputation for uncouthness and the trouble over the Maori match did not improve matters. But this 1937 team lived all that down, and effectively buried the hatchet as far as the Maoris are concerned. Craven’s impromptu speech after a concert organized by Guide Rangi in the meeting house at Whaka was a positive inspiration. The old trouble over speaking in Afrikaans, in the presence of New Zealanders, who naturally felt un ■ comfortable, cropped up occasionallv, but anybody who looked at the matter in a sensible light had to admit that it was only natural at times for them to drop into the tongue they were most accustomed to. The majority of them were rather more at home in Afrikaans than in English. Babrow told me that in his home town, Smithfield, in the Orange Free State, it would be possible to go for weeks and not hear a word of English spoken. It is always a little unfortunate on such tours that the players have to put up with the sheer boredom of being pestered by well-meaning celebrity-hunters who approach them on the flimsiest of pretexts. At first each player enjoyed the novelty of being approached by representatives of his own business or profession, but after a time this sort of thing sometimes merely becomes tedious, tending to make the tour into a sort of busman’s holiday. Doctors simply would not let Babrow alone. He must have inspected half the hospitals in New Zealand, and was even present at a few operations, enjoying the spectacle of a surgeon talking football while excising an appendix. Strachan, of course, often had police officials to see him, and must have found it wearying at times.

OUTSTANDING PERSONALITIES As outstanding personalities in the side, for sheer strength of character, and their influence on the team’s welfare, I would place Nel, Craven and Brand. Craven was a remarkable man, with a lively and intelligent interest in his surroundings. He had a streak of pugnacity in his nature, too, and when bothered by loose forwards gave the impression of wanting to hang on to the ball just for the pleasure of “taking them on.” At Whangarei he spoke to the referee at half-time and asked him to remove two North Auckland officials who had gone on to the field to talk to the North Auckland team. The referee, Mr W. P. Sutherland, replied quite rightly that there was no rule to prevent them from being on the field, whereupon Danie walked off with the parting shot that “we don’t do that in our country.” In principle the presence of North Auckland coaches and trainers on the field (if that they were) was no different from the presence of “Boy” Louw or Strachan, members of the Springbok selection committee, who invariably conferred with the Springboks at half-time—as Boy Louw did at Hamilton—if either of them happened to be line-umpiring. Jimmy White, Freddie Turner, Pat Lyster and Ferdie Bergh were among the outstanding social successes White, famous for his toast, “God Bless”—he even became known down south as “the God bless man”—won countless friends by his debonair appearance and engaging manners. Johnny Bester was the humorist of the party. At Whangarei, where he played centre, as soon as the ball was kicked off he uttered a piercing cry, “Wan-ger-rye,” and kept repeating it at intervals throughout the match. Nothing could induce Johnny to take football really seriously. He complained at Gisborne that‘the selectors, in playing him against East Coast, were upsetting his training plans, as he was saving himself for the last match.

Perhaps the most remarkable character in the team was Pierre de Villiers. More interested in flowers than in football, quiet in manner and of studious inclination, “Peerie” was yet the pluckiest and one of the most artistic half-backs I have ever seen. Like Craven he was religious; not ostentatiously so, but he was firm to his orinciples without being priggish. South African Rugby enthusiasts almost worship Pierre de Villiers, and with good reason.