1974 British Lions tour to South Africa
1974 British Lions Tour to South Africa | |
---|---|
Date | 15 May – 27 July |
Coach(es) | Syd Millar |
Tour captain(s) | Willie John McBride |
Test series winners | British and Irish Lions (3 - 0) |
Top test point scorer(s) | Phil Bennett (26) |
In 1974 the British Lions toured South Africa, with matches in South West Africa and Rhodesia (which would become Namibia and Zimbabwe respectively). The tour was a great success, the Lions winning 21 of their 22 matches and drawing the other. After winning the first three test matches, the Lions drew the final test when the South African referee blew the final whistle four minutes early with the Lions two metres from the South African try line, thus preserving their unbeaten record, but denying them a tour whitewash.
The test series was beset by violence. The management of the Lions unilaterally declared that in their opinion the Springboks dominated their opponents with physical aggression because of their famous size advantage, 'off the ball' and 'blind side' play. In the build up games, and in McBride's previous tours of South Africa, provincial sides had tended to use their physical size, late tackling and dirty play to deliberately intimidate and injure Lions players prior to Test matches. McBride again saw this tactic of targeting certain players being used by the provinces in '74, and decided that the '99 call' (originally the '999 call' but it was too slow to shout out) was meant to show that the Lions were a team and would not take any more of the violence being meted out to them. It was a harsh response to what the team were facing, but intended to show that the Lions would act as one and fight unsporting behaviour with more of the same. The idea was that the referee would be unlikely to send off all of the Lions if they all attacked. At the 'Battle of Boet Erasmus Stadium', in Port Elizabeth, one of the most violent matches in rugby history, there is famous video footage of JPR Williams running over half of the pitch and launching himself at Moaner van Heerden after such a call. Although an extreme response, the 99 call was only used once (according to McBride), as it sent out the message that the Lions were willing and more than able to respond in kind and protect themselves.
Squad
Management
- Manager Alun Thomas (Wales)
- Coach Syd Millar (Ireland)
Backline
Fullbacks:
- JPR Williams (London Welsh and Wales)
- Andy Irvine (Heriot's FP and Scotland)
Wings:
- Tom Grace (St Mary's College RFC and Ireland)
- J.J. Williams (Llanelli and Wales)
- William Steele (Bedford and R.A.F. and Scotland)
- Clive Rees (London Welsh and Wales)
- Alan Morley (Bristol and England) as replacement
Centres:
- Richard Milliken (Bangor and Ireland)
- Ian McGeechan (Headingley and Scotland)
- Roy Bergiers (Llanelli and Wales)
- Geoff Evans (Coventry and England)
Flyhalves:
- Phil Bennett (Llanelli and Wales)
- Mike Gibson (North of Ireland FC and Ireland) as replacement
Scrumhalves:
- Gareth Edwards (Cardiff and Wales)
- John Moloney (St. Mary's College and Ireland)
Forwards
Hookers
- Bobby Windsor (Pontypool and Wales)
- Ken Kennedy (London Irish and Ireland)
Props
- Ian McLauchlan (Jordanhill College RFC and Scotland)
- Sandy Carmichael (West of Scotland and Scotland)
- Fran Cotton (Coventry and England)
- Mike Burton (Gloucester and England)
Locks
- Willie John McBride (capt) (Ballymena and Ireland)
- Chris Ralston (Richmond and England)
- Gordon Brown (West of Scotland and Scotland)
- Roger Uttley (Gosforth and England)
Loose Forwards
- Fergus Slattery (Blackrock College and Ireland)
- Stewart McKinney (Dungannon and Ireland)
- Tony Neary (Broughton Park and England)
- Andy Ripley (Rosslyn Park and England)
- Mervyn Davies (Swansea and Wales)
Results
Date | Opponent | Location | Result | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Match 1 | May 15 | Western Transvaal | Potchefstroom | Won | 59-13 |
Match 2 | May 18 | South West Africa | Windhoek | Won | 23-16 |
Match 3 | May 22 | Boland | Wellington | Won | 23-6 |
Match 4 | May 25 | Eastern Province | Port Elizabeth | Won | 28–14 |
Match 5 | May 29 | South West Districts | Mossel Bay | Won | 97-0 |
Match 6 | June 1 | Western Province | Cape Town | Won | 17-8 |
Match 7 | June 4 | SA Federation XV (Proteas) | Goodwood, Cape Town | Won | 37-6 |
Match 8 | June 8 | SOUTH AFRICA | Cape Town | Won | 12-3 |
Match 9 | June 11 | Southern Universities | Cape Town | Won | 26-4 |
Match 10 | June 15 | Transvaal | Johannesburg | Won | 23-15 |
Match 11 | June 18 | Rhodesia | Salisbury | Won | 42–6 |
Match 12 | June 22 | SOUTH AFRICA | Pretoria | Won | 28-9 |
Match 13 | June 27 | Quaggas | Johannesburg | Won | 20–16 |
Match 14 | June 29 | Orange Free State | Bloemfontein | Won | 11-9 |
Match 15 | July 3 | Griqualand West | Kimberley | Won | 69-16 |
Match 16 | July 6 | Northern Transvaal | Pretoria | Won | 16–12 |
Match 17 | July 9 | SA Africans (Leopards) | East London | Won | 56–10 |
Match 18 | July 13 | SOUTH AFRICA | Port Elizabeth | Won | 26–9 |
Match 19 | July 17 | Border | East London | Won | 26–6 |
Match 20 | July 20 | Natal | Durban | Won | 34–6 |
Match 21 | July 23 | Eastern Transvaal | Springs | Won | 33–10 |
Match 22 | July 27 | SOUTH AFRICA | Johannesburg | Draw | 13-13 |
The matches
First Test
8 June 1974 |
South Africa | 3 – 12 | British Lions |
---|---|---|
Drop: Snyman | Pen: Bennett (3) Drop: Edwards |
Referee: M Baise |
South Africa: Ian McCallum, Chris Pope, Johan Oosthuizen, Peter Whipp, Gert Muller, Dawie Snyman, Roy McCallum, Morne du Plessis, Jan Ellis, Jan Boland Coetzee, John Williams, Kevin de Klerk, Hannes Marais (c), Piston van Wyk, Sakkie Sauerman
Lions: JPR Williams, Steele, Milliken, McGeechan, JJ Williams, Bennett, Edwards, Davies, Uttley, Slattery, Brown, McBride (c), Cotton, Windsor, McLauchlan
Second Test
22 June 1974 |
South Africa | 9 – 28 | British Lions |
---|---|---|
Pen: Bosch (2) Drop: Bosch |
Try: J.J. Williams (2) Bennett Brown Milliken Con: Bennett Pen: Bennett Drop: Ian McGeechan |
Attendance: 63,000 Referee: C de Bruyn |
South Africa: Ian McCallum (replaced Snyman, replaced Vogel), Chris Pope, Jackie Snyman, Peter Whipp, Gerrie Germishuys, Gerald Bosch, Paul Bayvel, Dugald MacDonald, Jan Ellis, Morne du Plessis, John Williams, Kevin de Klerk, Hannes Marais (c), Dave Frederickson, Nic Bezuidenhoudt
Lions: JPR Williams, Steele, Milliken, McGeechan, JJ Williams, Bennett, Edwards, Davies, Uttley, Slattery, Brown, McBride (c), Cotton, Windsor, McLauchlan
Third Test
13 June 1974 |
South Africa | 9 – 26 | British Lions |
---|---|---|
Pen: Snyman | Try: Brown J.J. Williams (2) Con: Irvine Pen: Irvine (2) Drop:Bennett (2) |
Attendance: 55,000 Referee: C de Bruyn |
South Africa: Tonie Roux, Chris Pope, Peter Cronje, Jan Schlebusch, Gert Muller, Jackie Snyman, Gerrie Sonnekus, Klippies Kritzinger, Jan Ellis, Polla Fourie, Johan de Bruyn, Moaner van Heerden (replaced by De Klerk), Hannes Marais (c), Piston van Wyk, Nic Bezuidenhoudt
Lions: JPR Williams, Irvine, Milliken, McGeechan, JJ Wiliams, Bennett, Edwards, Davies, Uttley, Slattery, Brown, McBride (c), Cotton, Windsor, McLauchlan
Fourth Test
27 July 1974 |
South Africa | 13 – 13 | British Lions |
---|---|---|
Try: Cronje Pen:Snyman (3) |
Try: Uttley Irvine Con Bennett Pen: Irvine |
Attendance: 75,000 Referee: M Baise |
South Africa: Tonie Roux, Chris Pope, Peter Cronje, Jan Schlebusch, Gert Muller, Jackie Snyman, Paul Bayvel, Kleintjie Grobler, Jan Ellis, Klippies Kritzinger, John Williams, Moaner van Heerden, Hannes Marais (c), Piston van Wyk, Nic Bezuidenhoudt (replaced by Stander)
Lions: JPR Williams, Irvine, Milliken, McGeechan, JJ Williams, Bennett, Edwards, Davies, Uttley, Slattery, Ralston, McBride (c), Cotton, Windsor, McLauchlan
References
- J.B.G. Thomas (1974) The greatest Lions (Pelham Books)
- Jenkins, Vivian (1975). Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1975-76. Brickfield Publications Limited. ISBN 0-362-00221-5.
External links
|
|