1951–52 South Africa rugby union tour of Europe

In 1951–52 the South Africa national rugby union team toured England, France, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, playing a series of test matches, as well as games against club, regional, and representative teams. South Africa accomplished their third Grand Slam by winning all four tests against the Home Nations sides, and also won the test match against France. This was the sixth South Africa tour and the fourth tour of the Northern Hemisphere. It was also the first time the South Africans played the invitational British Barbarian team.

The tour was the most successful the South African team had undertaken; the team only lost a single match. In the tests played the team beat all four Home Nations, France and the Barbarians. The only team to beat the Springboks was the invitational London Counties team. The final tour record saw 31 matches played, with South Africa winning 30 and losing just the one game.

Touring party

Management

Managers: F.W. Mellish, Danie Craven Captain: Basil Kenyon

Full backs

Johnny Buchler (Transvaal) Jakkals Keevy (Eastern Transavaal)

Three-quarters

Paul Johnstone (Western Province) Tjol Lategan (Western Province) Buks Marais (Boland) Chum Ochse (Western Province) Cowboy Saunders (Border) Ryk van Schoor (Rhodesia) Des Sinclair (Transvaal) Basie Vivier (Orange Free State)

Half backs

Hannes Brewis (Northern Transvaal) Dennis Fry (Western Province) Hansie Oelofse (Transvaal) Fonnie du Toit (Northern Transvaal)

Forwards

Willem Barnard (Griqualand West) Jaap Bekker (Northern Transvaal) G. Dannhauser (Transvaal) Willem Delport (Eastern Province) Ernst Dinkelmann (Northern Transvaal) Stephen Fry (Western Province) Okey Geffin (Transvaal) Basil Kenyon (Border) capt. A.C. Koch (Boland) Hennie Muller (Transvaal) B. Myburgh (Eastern Transvaal) Jan Pickard (Western Province) Salty du Rand (Rhodesia) F.E.B. van der Ryst (Transvaal) P.W. Wessels (Orange Free State) Basie van Wyk (Transvaal)

Results

DateOpponentLocationResultScoreMatch 110 October 1951South East CountiesBournemouthWon31–6Match 213 OctoberSouth West CountiesPlymouthWon17–8Match 318 OctoberPontypool and NewbridgePontypoolWon15–6Match 420 OctoberCardiffPontypool Park, PontypoolWon11–9Match 523 OctoberLlanelliStradey Park, LlanelliWon20–11Match 627 October North West CountiesBirkenhead ParkWon16–9Match 731 October Glasgow - EdinburghOld Anniesland, GlasgowWon43–11Match 83 November North East CountiesGosforthWon19–8Match 98 NovemberCambridge UniversityCambridgeWon30–0Match 1010 November London CountiesTwickenham, LondonLost9–11Match 1215 NovemberOxford UniversityOxfordWon24–3Match 1217 NovemberAberavon and NeathAberavonWon22–0Match 1324 NovemberSCOTLANDMurrayfield, EdinburghWon44–0Match 1428 NovemberNorth of ScotlandAberdeenWon14–3Match 151 DecemberUlsterRavenhill, BelfastWon27–5Match 168 DecemberIRELANDDublinWon17–5Match 1711 DecemberMunsterLimerickWon11–6Match 1815 DecemberSwanseaSt Helens, SwanseaWon11–3Match 1922 DecemberWALESCardiff Arms Park, CardiffWon6–3Match 2026 DecemberCombined ServicesTwickenham, LondonWon24–8Match 2129 DecemberEast MidlandsLeicesterWon3–0Match 225 January 1952ENGLANDTwickenham, LondonWon8–3Match 2310 JanuaryNewportRodney Parade, NewportWon12–6Match 2412 January Western CountiesBristolWon16–5Match 2516 January Midlands CountiesCoventryWon19–8Match 2619 JanuarySouth of ScotlandHawickWon13–3Match 2726 January BarbariansCardiff Arms Park, CardiffWon17–3Match 282 February South East FranceLyonsWon9–3Match 297 February South West FranceBordeauxWon20–12Match 309 February France BToulouseWon9–6Match 3116 FebruaryFRANCE ParisWon25–3

The matches

Cardiff

Cardiff: Frank Trott, Haydn Morris, Bleddyn Williams, Jack Matthews (capt.), Alun Thomas, Cliff Morgan, Rex Willis, Arthur Hull, Geoff Beckingham, Cliff Davies, Bill Tamplin, Malcolm Collins, Sid Judd, Des O'Brien, CD Williams

South Africa: JU Buchler, MJ Saunders, MT Lategan, RA van Schoor, JK Ochse, JD Brewis, JS Oelofse, HJ Bekker, PW Wessels, AC Kosh, SP Fry, WHM Barnard, E Dinkelmann, CJ van Wyk, HSV Muller

Scotland

Scotland: Dod Burrell, John Hart, Donald Scott, Oliver Turnbull, David Rose, Angus Cameron (capt), Arthur Dorward, Hamish Dawson, John Macphail, Bob Wilson, James Johnston, Hamish Inglis, Doug Elliot, Bob Taylor, Peter Kininmonth

South Africa: Johnny Buchler, Buks Marais, Tjol Lategan, Ryk van Schoor, Paul Johnstone, Hannes Brewis, Fonnie du Toit, Chris Koch, Willa Delport, Okey Geffin, Salty du Rand, Ernst Dinkelmann, Basie van Wyk, Stephen Fry, Hennie Muller (capt)

Ireland

Ireland: Gerry Murphy, William McKee, Noel Henderson, Antony Browne, Mick Lane, Jackie Kyle, John O'Meara, Tom Clifford, Karl Mullen, John Hartley Smith, Patrick Lawlor, Robin Thompson, Bill McKay, Jim McCarthy, Des O'Brien (capt)

South Africa: JU Buchler, PG Johnstone, RA van Schoor, MT Lategan, JK Ochse, JD Brewis, E Dinkelmann, A Geffin, WH Delport, AC Kosh, SP Fry, WHM Barnard, JD du Rand, CJ van Wyk, HSV Muller

Wales

Wales: Gerwyn Williams (Llanelli), Ken Jones (Newport), Malcolm Thomas (Newport), Bleddyn Williams (Cardiff), Lewis Jones (Llanelli), Cliff Morgan (Cardiff), Rex Willis (Cardiff), Billy Williams (Swansea), Dai Davies (Somerset Police), Don Hayward (Newbridge), Rees Stephens (Neath), Roy John (Neath), Len Blyth (Swansea), John Gwilliam (Edinburgh Wanderers) (capt.), Allen Forward (Pontypool)

South Africa: JU Buchler, PG Johnstone, RA van Schoor, MT Lategan, JK Ochse, JD Brewis, PA du Toit, A Geffin, WH Delport, AC Kosh, SP Fry, WHM Barnard, JD du Rand, CJ van Wyk, HSV Muller

England

England: Bill Hook, Ted Woodward, Albert Agar, Lewis Cannell, Chris Winn, Nim Hall (capt), Gordon Rimmer, Wally Holmes, Eric Evans, Bob Stirling, John Matthews, Squire Wilkins, Don White, Alec Lewis, John Kendall-Carpenter

South Africa: Johnny Buchler, Paul Johnstone, Tjol Lategan, Ryk van Schoor, Chum Ochse, Hannes Brewis, Fonnie du Toit, Chris Koch, Willa Delport, Jaap Bekker, Salty du Rand, Ernst Dinkelmann, Basie van Wyk, Stephen Fry, Hennie Muller (capt)

Barbarians

Barbarians: Gerwyn Williams (Llanelli), Ken Jones (Newport), Bleddyn Williams (Cardiff), LB Cannell (St. Mary's Hospital), Ted Woodward (Wasps), Cliff Morgan (Cardiff), Rex Willis (Cardiff), John Kendall-Carpenter (Penzance), Dai Davies (Somerset Police), RV Stirling (RAF), Rees Stephens (Neath), Roy John (Neath), Doug Elliot (Edinburgh Academicals), JE Nelson (Malone) (capt.), VG Roberts(Harlequins)

South Africa: AC Keevy, PG Johnstone, RA van Schoor, FP Marais, JK Ochse, MT Lategan, PA du Toit, HJ Bekker, WH Delport, FEB van der Ryst, SP Fry, E Dinkelmann, JM du Rand, CJ van Wyk, HSV Muller

France

France: Pierre Guilleux, Georges Brun, Jacques Mauran, Maurice Prat, Jean Colombier, Georges Carabignac, Gerard Dufau, René Biénès, Paul Labadie, René Brejassou, Lucien Mias, Bernard Chevallier, Jean Prat, Jean-Roger Bourdeu, Guy Basquet (capt)

South Africa:

Bibliography

References