1968 South Africa rugby union tour of France
1968 South Africa rugby union tour of France | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Manager | Fritz Eloff[1] | ||||
Coach(es) | Johan Claassen | ||||
Tour captain(s) | Dawie de Villiers | ||||
Top point scorer(s) | Piet Visagie (19) | ||||
Top try scorer(s) |
| ||||
Top test point scorer(s) | Piet Visagie (42) | ||||
Top test try scorer(s) | Jannie Engelbrecht (5) | ||||
Summary |
| ||||
Total |
| ||||
Test match |
| ||||
Opponent |
| ||||
![]() |
| ||||
Tour chronology | |||||
Previous tour | Australia and New Zealand 1965 | ||||
Next tour | Great Britain and Ireland 1969–70 |
The 1968 South Africa rugby union tour of France was a rugby union tour of France by the South Africa national team in October and November 1968.[1] The tour was South Africa's first sole tour of France, having previously played France on joint-European (Great Britain, Ireland) tours. South Africa's tours of Europe over the previous decades (1906–07, 1912–13, 1931–32, 1951–52, 1960–61, 1965) were extremely successful, holding a win ratio of 88.16%, played across 150 matches.
South Africa won the two-match tour-series 2–0, with both matches being within a five-point margin (20–28 on aggregate). Overall South Africa won five of the six matches on tour.
Background
[edit]All of France's three previous victories over South Africa were on South African soil. South Africa's previous match against France on French soil finished 0–0 at the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir in the Paris suburb of Colombes. The tour and two-match series held great significance in that, before the match, France was the only team that South Africa had a negative win ratio against (40%). Every other team, including the British Lions, who had only recently toured South Africa months prior, kept South Africa to a neutral win ratio (New Zealand) or a positive one. Furthermore, although one team (France) kept South Africa to a negative win ratio, no team had a positive win ratio against South Africa, the highest being New Zealand with a win ratio of 42.31%.
Team | Wins | W% |
---|---|---|
![]() |
4 | 40 |
![]() |
3 | 30 |
Draws | 3 | — |
Total | 10 |
Fixtures
[edit]Match | Date | Venue | Startseite | Score | Away |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 29 October 1968 | Stade Mayol, Toulon, Var | Littoral-Provence | 3–24 | ![]() |
2 | 2 November 1968 | Stade de Gerland, Lyon, Rhône | Selection du Sud-Est | 0–3 | ![]() |
3 | 5 November 1968 | Stade Marcel-Michelin, Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dôme | Selection Auvergne-Centre | 10–26 | ![]() |
4 | 9 November 1968 | Parc Lescure, Bordeaux, Gironde | Frankreich ![]() |
9–12 | ![]() |
5 | 11 November 1968 | Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse, Haute-Garonne | Sud-Ouest XV | 11–3 | ![]() |
6 | 16 November 1968 | Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes, Hauts-de-Seine | Frankreich ![]() |
11–16 | ![]() |
Matches
[edit]First match
[edit]The first match on the Springbok tour was against a combined team from the South-eastern coastal region of France, with the majority of the team playing with Toulon in the French Championship.[2] South Africa won the match in convincing fashion, scoring six tries to one drop goal.[1]
28 October 1968 |
Litorral-Provence | 3–24 | ![]() |
Drop: Laborde (1) | Try: Engelbrecht (4) Olivier Visagie Con: H. de Villiers (3/6) |
Stade Mayol, Toulon Referee: M. Lebecq (Limousin) |
Second match
[edit]2 November 1968 |
Selection du Sud-Est | 0–3 | ![]() |
Pen: Naudé (1) |
Stade de Gerland, Lyon Referee: M. K.M. Jones (Wales) |
Third match
[edit]5 November 1968 |
Selection Auvergne-Centre | 10–26 | ![]() |
Try: Roux Ellis Con: Visagie (1/2) Pen: Visagie (5) Drop: Visagie (1/1) |
Stade Marcel-Michelin, Clermont-Ferrand Referee: M. Tyler (England) |
First test
[edit]The fourth match, and first test, of the Springbok tour was against France, played in the south-western city of Bordeaux.[1] The story of the match was the missed kicks from South African errors.[3] One try scored by France to three penalty goals kicked via South Africa's Piet Visagie gave the visitors a 3–9 lead at half-time.[4] However, by full-time, although scoring two late tries to bring themselves back into the match (9–12),[5] France had failed to kick seven penalty goals, three conversions, and a drop goal.[3] A total of thirty points.[3] The final score finished France 9, South Africa 12.[3]
9 November 1968 |
Frankreich ![]() | 9–12 | ![]() |
Try: Bonal 74' m Dauga (2) ?', 75' m | Bericht | Pen: Visagie (4/5) Drop: Visagie (0/1) |
Parc Lescure, Bordeaux Attendance: 12,516 Referee: Larry Lamb (England) |
|
|
Fourth match
[edit]11 November 1968 |
Sud-Ouest XV | 11–3 | ![]() |
Try: Dargelès (1) Con: Michael (1) Pen: Michael (1) Drop: Pariès | Try: Carelse |
Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse Referee: M. Birell (Scotland) |
Second test
[edit]The sixth match, and final test, of the Springbok tour saw the South Africans play France again, in the Paris commune of Colombes.[6][1] Trailing 6–3 at half-time,[7] the South Africans fought back early in the second half, scoring three tries to one. South Africa won by five points,[8] and took the series 2–0.[1]
16 November 1968 |
Frankreich ![]() | 11–16 | ![]() |
Try: Cester (1) Con: Pariès (1) Drop: Pariès (1) Puget (1) | Bericht | Try: D. de Villiers Engelbrecht Nomis Con: Visagie (2/3) Pen: Visagie (1) |
Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes Attendance: 30,000[9] Referee: Paddy d'Arcy (Ireland) |
|
|
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "France – Afrique du Sud" [France – South Africa]. Rugby : organe officiel de la Federation Française de Rugby (in French). No. 696. 30 November 1968. pp. 4–5 – via Bibliothèque nationale de France (BNF).
- ^ "DÉBUTS PROMETTEURS des Springboks à Toulon (24–3)" [PROMISING START for the Springboks in Toulon (24–3)]. Le Monde (in French). Groupe Le Monde. 31 October 1968.
- ^ a b c d Frost, David (11 November 1968). "Springboks forced into error, but French miss kicks". The Guardian. No. 38, 051. Manchester Guardian. p. 15.
- ^ "Springboks Win With Penalties". The Press. Vol. CVIII, no. 31, 833. 11 November 1968. p. 26.
- ^ "Visagie penalties decide". Sunday Mercury. No. 2, 592. 10 November 1968.
- ^ "Le dernier match des Springboks en France" [The Springboks' last match in France]. Le Monde (in French). Groupe le Monde. 16 November 1968.
- ^ "Fine Recovery By Springboks". The Press. Vol. CVIII, no. 31, 839. 18 November 1968. p. 22.
- ^ "Springbok rally defeats France". The Canberra Times. Vol. 43, no. 12, 160. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 18 November 1968. p. 16. Retrieved 15 October 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "30,000 see test". Derby Telegraph. No. 27, 185. 16 November 1968. p. 8.