While I was checking out the NZ rugby websites for the Highlanders team announcement I happened upon this article lamenting the passing of former All Black flyhalf Wayne Cottrell.
Cottrell only played 9 test matches and he's not the most famous All Black of all time . . . he's described in the article as a "strong dependable runner" rather than a match-winner and I'm sure a few of our younger Kiwi posters are wondering who the heck I'm talking about . . . but Cottrell is a name that many Springbok supporters will recognize, as he was the victim of this very famous tackle by Joggie Jansen.
You can go to Youtube and find any number of great rugby tackles but you'll be hard pressed to find a tackle that was more significant than Jansen's fantastic hit on Cottrell. Cottrell was part of the so-called "invincible" All Black team of 1970 and according to Doctor Danie Craven, it was Jansen's tackle early in the 1st test match at Loftus Versfeld that gave the Springboks the self-belief to go on and win the test match and the series.
Perhaps not the best reason to be remembered when you die, but I guess it's better than not being remembered at all. RIP Wayne Cottrell.
