Top 10 Bok tries 1949 to 1989

Watch Frik, Danie Gerber and the brilliant Mannetjies Roux

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45GNVAG4Zsc

No bigger than Kolbe, he was one of these guys who saw the opportunity before it actually arrived. Instant reflexes. And  absolutely fearless crash tackles in the vein of De Wet Barry.

When  the British Lions toured in 62, Richard Sharp was their first choice flyhalf. A tall chap he glided around like Manie and was regarded as a potential tour winner. Infamously Mannetjies poleaxed him ….taking off from yards away and making head to head contact fracturing Sharp’s jaw.

He carried that with him for a while but was a fabulous talent.

Yes I was at Loftus for that game.

Also met Mannetjies when testing a Siemens contractors work in the Karoo around 1971.

The work was carried out running along his farms fence line but man was he a diffeicult customer.

Nothing could please him unless it was free or repairing his rotten fence.

But regardless he was a great player.

Wonder if Dave has had the time to review some of the old time greats including the "small lock named Frik du Preez"?

Kick of a bloody mule….I think the bar tender must have decided to empty  the Tequila bottle. That’s why I generally prefer a good scotch, more predictable,

Ek saamstem with Mpower, those players mentioned all had the regte mindset.

Rugby played before 1981 was more concentrating on the 15 man rugby game and as from 1992 with  SA  return to international rugby the emphasis changed to 10 man rugby with the backline basically being there for defense only.   

When Carl du Plessis was appointed as coach he commented about the inability of S A  teams to score tries and blamed the ten-man rugby game for it.   By then the emphais were on winning rugby tests by foward pdominance only and that resulted in seiouis deficiencies in the game,    Du Plessis changed the team appoach dastically - but it did not find acceptance by the media and rugby supporters whoi by th en claimed that 10 man rugb was the traditional Springbok game that developed after 1992.     Du Plessis ws ousted as coach by Mallett - who took his ideas forwads - but when key Du Plessis appointments started to depart from rugby Mallett was unable to find relacments and by 2000 started losing matches and he leet Rugby coaching and a string of coaches succeeded him that beleive 10 man rugby was the key to Ruigby and try scorig wa a secondary consideration.   

White was one of the coaches that specialized in forward rugby and zero else.     By 2007 the game was in jeopardy and White then decided on calling  in Eddie Jones.to enhance the concept of backline play of which he new nothing.    One of the issues clearly illustrating  that deficiency was the act that oin both the 1995 an 2007 WC finals the Springboks were unable to score any ties and won it by kicking at goal.    \

After White was succeded by three idiotic coaches that end up destroying SA rugby as a game.   Meyer came out with a classic that Springbok backline players lack the skill to play a ball-in-hand game.

It was only with the appoitment of Erasmus as coach that sone sanity in playing 15 man rugby that scoring of tries became an important fixture in SA Rugby.    In the 2019 RWC the Springboks scored more tries than in anu RWC tests than they did in the 1995 and 2007  series and a return to rugby like it should be played came to the fore again.     Erasmus was the firstc coach who eally believe in a 15 man game and  scoring of ries bcame an ideal for the team.    

The idea that in attacking play both forwards and backline playes should be partners is the norm at present.    The fact that there wre a return to 10 man rugby was wat won the 2023 final by goal kicking was not a welcome sign when it came to Springbok rugby - but never to th level it was in the period 1992 to 2017/     

However, there are signs that a greater concentration on development of a 15 man game is still the key norm for the Springboks.   in the enxt few years the situation will improv again.   dxue to some promising youngstes coming through.

The above indicated that for the Springboks to score pectacular ties was afte 1992 was a rarity  rand w have to accept that things will impove from the present and return to the ideas that prevailed in SA rugby prior to 1981.          .      

       .    

Arendse is not on that list...yet..wag en kyk.

Look at the Jacques Fourie try on the link. He bashed to good effect….unlike Dud.

Most of DdA's tries were scored after the hard graft was done elsewhere ( probably from the Mosterts)  & all he had to do was fall over the line.

He's a  brickshthouse as a defensive unit ................ 9/10