1972 England rugby union tour of South Africa
Summary
P W D L
Total
07 06 01 00
Test match
01 01 00 00
Opponent
P W D L
 South Africa
1 1 0 0

This first tour undertaken by England to South Africa was organised with a demanding schedule, although with only one Test Match. Within two weeks and three days, seven matches were to be played, the first four at sea level, and the final three, including the Test Match, at the altitude in the highveld with only two days to acclimatise before a demanding fixture against Northern Transvaal. From the outset, under captain John Pullin and the management of Alec Lewis and John Elders, there was a buoyant and optimistic spirit in the squad, as if they were determined to erase the memories of the last few seasons of undistinguished English performances.

Apartheid backdrop and controversy

The tour took place against the backdrop of widespread condemnation of the apartheid regime. Under pressure from other African nations, the International Olympic Committee had excluded South Africa from competing in the Summer Games since 1964, and there had also been protests against visiting sporting teams from South Africa.

In 1971, an international cricket boycott was instituted against South Africa to voice global disapproval of their selection policies and apartheid in general. South Africa subsequently became a world sporting pariah, and were excluded from the Olympics, the FIFA World Cup, test cricket, and a host of other sports.[1]

There were protests against the 1972 England rugby tour, including a blockade of their hotel to try to prevent them leaving, in which 14 people were arrested.[2]

Matches

Scores and results list England's points tally first.
Opposing TeamForAgainstDateVenueStatus
Natal19017 May 1972DurbanTour match
Western Province9620 May 1972Cape TownTour match
SA Rugby Fed XV11622 May 1972Cape TownTour match
SA Leopards36324 May 1972Port ElizabethTour match
Northern Transvaal131327 May 1972PretoriaTour match
Giqualand West602130 May 1972KimberleyTour match
South Africa1893 June 1972Ellis Park, JohannesburgTest Match

Test Match

Piet Greyling led a combination of Springboks who seemed hopelessly unsure of themselves. Dawie Snyman collected all the South African points with three penalties while England, with unspectacular competence, grabbed every scoring chance. Fullback Sam Doble converted a try by wing Alan Morley and also booted four penalties.[3]

3 June 1972
South Africa 9–18 England
Pen: Snyman 3[4]Try: Morley
Con: Doble
Pen: Doble 4
Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Referee: Justus Moolman (South Africa)
South AfricaEngland
Ray CarlsonFB15FBSam Doble
Syd NomisW14WAlan Morley
Tonie RouxC13CJeremy Janion
Joggie JansenC12CPeter Preece
Gert MullerW11WPeter Knight
Dawie SnymanFH10FHAlan Old
Joggie ViljoenSH9SHJan Webster
Albie BatesN88N8Andy Ripley
Jan EllisF7FJohn Watkins
(capt.) Piet GreylingF6FTony Neary
John WilliamsL5LChris Ralston
Piet du PlessisL4LPeter Larter
Sakkie SauermannP3PMike Burton
Piston van WykH2HJohn Pullin (capt.)
Niek BezuidenhoutP1PStack Stevens
Replacements
Coaches
Johan Claassen South AfricaEngland John Elders

Touring party

Full Backs

Three-Quarters

Half-Backs

Forwards

See also

References

  1. ↑ Pg 99, Douglas Booth, The Race Game: Sport and Politics in South Africa, 1998.
  2. ↑ "Anti-Apartheid protesters' historic convictions overturned by Crown Court". Criminal Cases Review Commission. 17 January 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  3. ↑ Greyvenstein, Chris (1992). Springbok saga : from 1891 to the new beginning (4th ed.). Cape Town: Don Nelson. pp. 217–218. ISBN 1-86806-095-0. OCLC 105375255.
  4. ↑ Griffiths, John (1982). The Book of English International Rugby 1871–1982. Willow Books. p. 358. ISBN 978-0-00-218006-1.
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