How the 1974 tour saw Lions record total victory over Boks
As the 1974 rugby season opened, the news came that former Springbok captain Hannes Marais had been persuaded to come out of retirement from international rugby to skipper SA against the visiting British Lions, captained by the canny Willie John McBride.
The story goes that a meeting had been held in London to which potential tourists had been invited.
McBride explained to those in attendance that the tour would not be easy and racial issues would be sure to arise.
He then ordered that the double doors at the front of the hall be opened.
"Anyone who doesn't want to tour is free to leave this meeting now,” he said. No-one will
“think any less of anyone who walks out.” Amid silence, only one player left the meeting. At the time, the Boks had only been beaten by the Lions (or Britain as they were then called) in 1891 and 1896, the pioneering tours.
In 1896, SA registered their first win in internationals, beating Britain 5-0 at Newlands.
Before World War 2, SA had vanquished four touring teams from Britain.
In 1903 SA won 2-1, in 1910 2-1, in 1924 3-1 and in 1938 2-1.
After the war, the Lions drew the 1955 series 2-2, but lost in 1962 (3-0 to SA with one draw), with the same margin in 1968.
McBride had been on both previous tours to SA and was familiar with SA s method of play.
’ The 1974 tourists were strong in all departments, particularly scrumming, while they were determined not to take intimidation from any team they faced.
They had a call, the infamous 99 call ”, which
“would be shouted and then they would punch the player nearest to them in a free-for-all.
In the third Test, Lions fullback JPR Williams ran 55m to land a solid punch to one of SA's
forwards after a 99 call.
The tourists beat all seven teams they faced before the first Test at Newlands and had gelled into a most formidable combination.
South-Western Districts were beaten 97-0 in Mossel Bay 11 days before the Test.
There were six new Bok caps for the opener, which was very nearly a Western Province side because they had done well running with the ball just prior to the Test.
Flank Boland Coetzee, scrumhalf Roy McCallum, centres Peter Whipp and Johan Oosthuizen and right wing, Chris Pope, all WP, were in the team along with a new lock Transvaal s Kevin de Klerk.
The Lions won the game 12-3, with the only score for SA coming from a dropped goal by Dawie Snyman The SA selectors panicked.
There were seven new players for the second Test at Loftus Versveld, including six new caps along with a positional shift.
Caps were given to hooker Dave Frederickson, eighthman Dugald MacDonald, scrumhalf Paul Bayvel flyhalf Gerald Bosch centre Jackie Snyman and left wing Gerrie Germishuys, with Morne du Plessis moving from eighthman to flank, while Niek Bezuidenhout replaced Sakkie Sauermann at prop.
Out were hooker Piston van Wyk, Coetzee, McCallum, Dawie Snyman, Oosthuizen and wing Gert Muller. However, the Lions were again too good, this time winning 28-9.
At Port Elizabeth for the third Test, the selectors wielded the heavy axe, and introduced six new caps: Locks Moaner van Heerden and Johan de Bruyn, flank Polla Fourie, eighthman Klippies Kritzinger, scrumhalf Gerrie Sonnekus and centre Jan Schlebusch.
In addition, Van Wyk returned at hooker, Jackie Snyman went from centre to flyhalf, Peter Cronje took Snyman's place at centre, while Tonie Roux replaced Ian McCallum at fullback.
Sonnekus was a disaster at scrumhalf but, to be fair, he did not receive much good ball from his forwards.
Again the Springboks were completely outplayed, the winning score this time being 26-9, with Sonnekus taking the bulk of the flak for the lacklustre display by the home team.
The fourth Test at Ellis Park drew a crowd of 75,000. The Lions were looking for a clean sweep of the series but could SA at least get one win?
This time only one new cap was introduced: Kleintjie Grobler at eighthman - the fourth eighthman of the series - with Kritzinger moving from number eight to flank and Fourie dropped.
John Williams returned at lock in place of De Bruyn and Bayvel made a return at scrumhalf after injury.
There were three penalties to Snyman and a magnificent try to Cronje and SA finished with 13 points on the board.
Amazingly, Cronje's effort was the first try to be scored against the Lions since the game against Western Province seven weeks earlier.
But it was not enough to win. The Lions replied with two tries, a conversion and a penalty to finish with 13 points, leaving the match drawn.
And so McBride's team left our shores unbeaten, having won 21 of 22 matches, and leaving rugby-lovers in SA with plenty of food for thought.
Ahead for the Springboks lay a tour of France in late 1974 with a reciprocal tour by the French to SA in 1975.
But thoughts were now turning to the proposed 1976 tour to SA by New Zealand.
Could the Boks regroup and be ready for their main enemy, the All Blacks?