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1968 South Africa rugby union tour of France

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1968 South Africa rugby union tour of France
ManagerFritz 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
P W D L
Total
06 05 00 01
Test match
02 02 00 00
Opponent
P W D L
 France
2 2 0 0
Tour chronology
Previous tourAustralia and New Zealand 1965
Next tourGreat 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%.

South African pre-series record against France
Team Wins W%
 South Africa 4 40
 France 3 30
Draws 3
Total 10

Fixtures

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Match Date Venue Home Score Away
1 29 October 1968 Stade Mayol, Toulon, Var Littoral-Provence 3–24  South Africa
2 2 November 1968 Stade de Gerland, Lyon, Rhône Selection du Sud-Est 0–3  South Africa
3 5 November 1968 Stade Marcel-Michelin, Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dôme Selection Auvergne-Centre 10–26  South Africa
4 9 November 1968 Parc Lescure, Bordeaux, Gironde France  9–12  South Africa
5 11 November 1968 Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse, Haute-Garonne Sud-Ouest XV 11–3  South Africa
6 16 November 1968 Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes, Hauts-de-Seine France  11–16  South Africa

Matches

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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-Provence3–24 South Africa
Drop: Laborde (1)Try: Engelbrecht (4)
Olivier
Visagie
Con: H. de Villiers (3/6)
Stade Mayol, Toulon
Referee: M. Lebecq (Limousin)

Second match

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2 November 1968
Selection du Sud-Est0–3 South Africa
Pen: Naudé (1)
Stade de Gerland, Lyon
Referee: M. K.M. Jones (Wales)

Third match

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5 November 1968
Selection Auvergne-Centre10–26 South Africa
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
France 9–12 South Africa
Try: Bonal 74' m
Dauga (2) ?', 75' m
ReportPen: Visagie (4/5)
Drop: Visagie (0/1)
Parc Lescure, Bordeaux
Attendance: 12,516
Referee: Larry Lamb (England)
FB 15 Henri Magois
RW 14 Jean-Marie Bonal
OC 13 Claude Dourthe
IC 12 Jean-Pierre Lux
LW 11 Pierre Besson
FH 10 Christian Boujet
SH 9 Marcel Puget (c)
N8 8 Walter Spanghero
OF 7 Michel Greffe
BF 6 Claude Chenevay
RL 5 Élie Cester
LL 4 Benoît Dauga
TP 3 Jean Iraçabal
HK 2 Jean-Paul Baux
LP 1 Michel Lasserre
Coach:
Fernand Cazenave
FB 15 HO de Villiers
RW 14 Jannie Engelbrecht
OC 13 Mannetjies Roux
IC 12 Eben Olivier
LW 11 Syd Nomis
FH 10 Piet Visagie
SH 9 Dawie de Villiers (c)
N8 8 Tommy Bedford
OF 7 Jan Ellis
BF 6 Piet Greyling
RL 5 Gawie Carelse
LL 4 Frik du Preez
TP 3 Hannes Marais
HK 2 Gys Pitzer
LP 1 Mof Myburgh
Coach:
Johan Claassen

Fourth match

[edit]
11 November 1968
Sud-Ouest XV11–3 South Africa
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
France 11–16 South Africa
Try: Cester (1)
Con: Pariès (1)
Drop: Pariès (1)
Puget (1)
ReportTry: 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)
FB 15 Henri Magois
RW 14 Jean-Pierre Lux
OC 13 Claude Dourthe
IC 12 André Ruiz
LW 11 Jean-Marie Bonal
FH 10 Lucien Pariès
SH 9 Marcel Puget (c)
N8 8 Walter Spanghero
OF 7 Dominique Bontemps
BF 6 Bernard Dutin
RL 5 Élie Cester
LL 4 Benoît Dauga
TP 3 Jean-Michel Esponda
HK 2 Jean-Paul Baux
LP 1 Michel Lasserre
Coach:
Fernand Cazenave
FB 15 HO de Villiers
RW 14 Jannie Engelbrecht
OC 13 Mannetjies Roux
IC 12 Eben Olivier
LW 11 Syd Nomis
FH 10 Piet Visagie
SH 9 Dawie de Villiers (c)
N8 8 Tommy Bedford
OF 7 Jan Ellis
BF 6 Piet Greyling
RL 5 Gawie Carelse
LL 4 Frik du Preez
TP 3 Hannes Marais
HK 2 Gys Pitzer
LP 1 Mof Myburgh
Coach:
Johan Claassen

References

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  1. ^ 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).
  2. ^ "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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Springboks Win With Penalties". The Press. Vol. CVIII, no. 31, 833. 11 November 1968. p. 26.
  5. ^ "Visagie penalties decide". Sunday Mercury. No. 2, 592. 10 November 1968.
  6. ^ "Le dernier match des Springboks en France" [The Springboks' last match in France]. Le Monde (in French). Groupe le Monde. 16 November 1968.
  7. ^ "Fine Recovery By Springboks". The Press. Vol. CVIII, no. 31, 839. 18 November 1968. p. 22.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ "30,000 see test". Derby Telegraph. No. 27, 185. 16 November 1968. p. 8.