How Bok tour turned whitewashed England into All Black beaters
I’M NOT sure how much store Eddie Jones puts in history but the last time England travelled to South Africa off the back of four straight defeats they recorded what many would claim is the greatest triumph in their history. OK, I cheat just a little as England’s defeat against the Barbarians last week wasn’t a Test match but the effect on morale was pretty much the same and Eddie’s face still looked like thunder.
It was back in 1972 that England were whitewashed in the Five Nations for the first time in their history and it was as the wooden spoonists that they departed for South Africa on a tour that had disaster written all over it. Less than a month later they returned unbeaten in all six Provincial games and with a shock 18-9 Test win at Ellis Park under their belts.
South Africa had lost just one Test in the previous eleven, a run that had included a momentous 3-1 series win at home to New Zealand and a 3-0 series win away to Australia. Lest people try and rewrite history the Boks were wildly touted as the unofficial World Champions and on their own patch at altitude in Johannesburg were seen as nigh on unbeatable. A cricket score was being predicted.
But this was the 70s, a lifetime ago and Rugby was very different, and one or two things played out massively in England’s favour. The Boks – and this is hard to credit these days – hadn’t played a Test in ten months when they ran out against England and even more incredibly weren’t to play another for two years when the 1974 Lions arrived.
As well as being over confident, some would say dismissive of England, the Boks were badly undercooked.
Contrast this with England. Yes, they endured a painful 1972 Five Nations but at least they had four internationals in quick succession under their belts while the touring party had enjoyed all the advantages of daily training that a tour abroad brought in the amateur era and their pre-Test games.
That run had included outstanding wins over Natal and Western Province and a draw at Loftus against Northern Transvaal which is always a Test in all but name. England were battle hardened and for once, very fit and well selected.
All those Englsihman involved at Ellis Park recall going into the match expecting to win. Absolutely nobody else in the rugby world shared that view but that’s the beauty of sport. Skipper John Pullin takes up the story.
“Back in 1972 after that disdays astrous Five Nations they offered me the captaincy, they couldn’t find anybody else in truth. I accepted quickly, mainly because I suspected that if I didn’t I might not make the tour at all.
“Right from the off the tour party seemed to click. The manager Alex Lewis was a good bloke who concentrated on managing and the assistant manager – which is what we called the coach in those days – was John Elders who was a good rugby guy who knew his stuff.
“England have always had good players, it was just if the selectors ever got it right and picked them in the same team or squad. This time they gave us the right squad and in fairness to them they took a punt on a number of inexperienced players: Sam Doble, Peter Preece, John Watkins and Jan Webster while they stuck with guys like Tony Neary and Andy Ripley who had endured a pretty tough baptism of fire in the Five Nations.”
Whether by accident of design, England found themselves with the perfect itinerary for such a short intensive tour – seven games in 17 days. They started with four games at sea level then just two before the Northern Transvaal match in Pretoria they flew up to altitude which is now the accepted way to sidestep the worst effects.
Then England had a relatively easy midweek game – this would now be five days after flying up from the coast – which is when, by common consent, the worst effects of altitude kick in. Finally, after nine days, when fully acclimatised, they lined up against the Springboks. Nothing before or since seems to have improved on this formula
Pullin says: “By the time of the Test everybody was good to go. I wouldn’t say it was a comfortable win, that can never be the case against a South Africa team, but 18-9 was a fair enough scoreline. We dominated the lineouts through Peter Larter, Chris Ralston and Ripley. Jan Webster was very good all afternoon harassing their scrum-half and giving their back row plenty to think about and of course big Sam Doble kicked his goals.
“It didn’t feel any more complicated or dramatic than that. We dug in well up front and matched their forwards and if you do that in South Africa you are in business. It sent a few shockwaves around the rugby world and possibly raised a few eyebrows back home.
“What people forget, though, is how strong British and Irish rugby was back in this period, and the French for that matter. It was a golden era. Yes we hadn’t got a win in the recent Five Nations but the opposition was top level. We learned a lot of lessons and then the tour itself gave us a chance to kick on.
“Twelve months later a lot us were back touring together in New Zealand and after the South Africa trip we travelled with a bit of belief. We didn’t go so well in the Provincial games but come the Test we still had that confidence and the result was a pretty handy win over the All Blacks. Great days.”