Article By: Jan de Koning Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:54 Jan de Koning goes back into the archives to find a team that compares with John Smit’s class of 2009. He has to go back a few decades to find it. John Smit’s victorious Springbok team has been described variously as ‘better than the World Cup-winning squad of 2007’ and by none other than Richie McCaw as ‘one of the best’ Bok teams he has faced. Those are great compliments, plaudits they thoroughly deserve. But it does raise a few interesting questions.
Exactly how good is the Class of 2009? Where do they rate on the all-time list of Springbok teams? Comparing teams from different eras is fraud with pitfalls. For one, the game and its rules have changed so dramatically that it now requires a different kind of athlete. A ‘monster’ forward from the 1937 team – still the only Bok team to win a series in New Zealand – could be dwarfed by some of the backs of today. Frik du Preez, a true legend of the game and still regarded as one of the all-time great South African lock forwards, stood a mere 188cm and weighed just 96.2kg Victor Matfield, the modern day equivalent, dwarfs him at 200cm and 115kg.
Du Preez played 38 Tests between January 1961 and August 1971 – a celebrate 10-year international career. That, 38 Tests, was a Bok record for almost three decades – till the post-isolation era when ‘internationals’ played by a country started running into double figures every year. Matfield made his debut in June 2001 and has played in 85 internationals in eight years. He is expected to reach his 100th Test cap before 2011. Those are just some of the variables. I also did not have the privilege to see in action the greats of 1937, or the 1949 team that whitewashed the All Blacks or the all-conquering 1951/52 touring team to the United Kingdom and Ireland.
My first recollection of major internationals were the 1970 All Black touring team to South Africa. Just more than a decade later I started my journalistic career – the office junior in helping with coverage of the 1981 Bok tour to New Zealand. Thus, my point of reference, in comparing John Smit’s current outfit with previous Boks teams, is all teams post 1970. And in my humble opinion the men from the 1980s were the closest we can come to a COLLECTION of players as talented as the Class of 2009. The current set of forwards may well be better as a unit, but the backs from the ’80s were simply awesome. I will, briefly, look at each position in the current team and list next to him the player/s from the 1980s I regard as the best I have seen. For the purpose of this exercise, I have taken the team that beat the All Blacks in the past fortnight, as that also closely resembles the side which played in the first two Tests against the British and Irish Lions and is thus the current first choice.
Only at flyhalf did the selection change between the first and second Test against the Kiwis. Where there could be debate over the best selection from the 1980s, I will give as many names as I deem to be in contention and then make my choice. If there’s only one name, it means I regard that player as undoubtedly the best in his position: Here goes:
Fullback: 2009 = Frans Steyn; 1980s = Johan Heunis/Gysie Pienaar (my choice; Heunis).
Right wing: 2009 = JP Pietersen; 1980s = Ray Mordt
Outside centre: 2009 = Jaque Fourie; 1980s = Danie Gerber
Inside centre: 2009 = Jean de Villiers; 1980s = Michael du Plessis
Left wing: 2009 = Bryan Habana; 1980s = Carel du Plessis
Flyhalf: 2009 = Morné Steyn/Ruan Pienaar; 1980s = Naas Botha
Scrumhalf: 2009 = Fourie du Preez; 1980s = Divan Serfontein
No.8: 2009 = Pierre Spies; 1980s = Jannie Breedt/Wynand Claassens/Morné du Plessis (my choice, Du Plessis – he is also my captain)
No.7 flank: 2009 = Juan Smith; 1980s = Gert Smal/Theuns Stoffberg (my choice, Stoffberg)
No.6 flank: 2009 = Heinrich Brüssow; 1980s = Rob Louw
No.5 lock: 2009 = Victor Matfield; 1980s = Louis Moolman/Kevin de Klerk (my choice, Moolman)
No.4 lock: 2009 = Bakkies Botha; 1980s = Moaner van Heerden/Schalk Burger (my choice, Van Heerden)
Tighthead prop: 2009 = John Smit (captain); 1980s = Flippie van der Merwe/Piet Kruger/Johan Strauss (my choice, Van der Merwe)
Hooker: 2009 = Bismarck du Plessis; 1980s = Uli Schmidt/Willie Kahts/Robert Cockerell (my choice, Cockerell)
Loosehead prop: 2009 = Tendai Mtawarira; 1980s = Henning van Aswegen/Frans Erasmus (my choice, Erasmus)
Historiese Janne!
Die artikel is op aanvraag van EEE gepost. Baie interesant. Veral die ouer gardes sal dit geniet.
Pieta – die is jou kos my maat!
#2 Dis mos nou ons….die ouer gardes hehehehe, dankie Supa
Hooker sou ek net Uli gekies het vi rdie 80’s hy was definitief die beste
Een of ander tyd die naweek op SABC se nuus wys hulle die highlights van die game o.a. Morne se drie. Sal daai aap van ‘n komentator wragtag praat van Morne du Plessis!!!
#5 Hahahahahaha the mind boggles, hulle kry alewig alles verkeerd
@6
Soos Hugh Bladen wat Vrydag aand van die Vrystaat se skrummie (Carse) heeltyd “Kaas” noem…
😆 ja nee kyk ou Hugh is die beste, dink hy is permanent gesuip
2# Sal bietjie kyk, later.
Kry nie lekker kans nou nie, moerse besig begin raak hier, en Pampoen se nou net van n verdere bespreking wat pas ingekom het van n groep van 25 vreters en suipers wat die privaat eetkamer vir n uur van nou af bespreek het.
Ek bel nou juis gou rond vir ‘los vrouens’ om te kom help, anders sal ek weer moet self inspring in my maai in, faaaaark…..
Tjeers eers, moet gou gaan rooiwyn haal ook.
#9 What a sight………………Pietman aangetrek as ‘n “los vrou” hehehehee, wonder hoe hy dan sal help?
10 – EEE,
Shudder the thought……. Pieta die lelike los vrou…. bwahahahahahaha
Van has a petrol station in Pofadder and was trying to increase his sales.
So he put up a sign that read, “Free S€x With Every Fill-Up.”
Soon Koos pulled in, filled his tank and asked for his free s€x. Van told him to pick a number from 1 to 10. If he guessed correctly he would get his free s€x. Koos guessed 8 and Van said, “You were close. The number was 7. Sorry. No s€x this time.”
A week later, Koos along with his buddy Frikkie pulled in for another fill-up. Again he asked for his free s€x. Van asked him to guess the correct number. He guessed 2 this time. Van said, “Sorry, it was 3. Close, but no free s€x this time.”
As they were driving away, Koos said to Frikkie, “I think that’s a scam and he doesn’t really give away free s€x.”
Frikkie replied, “Nooooit man, it’s not rigged. My wife won twice last week.”
10#
HAHAHAAAA 😆
What a sight , moer ek skeur my , net aan die gedagte
Suspenders, nipple caps and all!!!! 😆
Ek dink die ou span kry slae op slotte, scrummie, en loskop. Verder vat ek die ouer gaarde.
Ok, het die garing opgespoor!
Laat ons bietjie gesels.
Interessante een hierdie Supa, thx!
Weens die verskil in die moderne spel teenoor die ‘ou’ dae, stel ek voor dat jy die pre-1990 era skei van die post-1990.
My beste span, pre-1990:
HO de Villiers
Ray Mordt
Danie Gerber
Mannetjies Roux
Carel Du Plessis
Tommy duPlessis
Naas Botha
Frans Erasmus
Uli Schmidt
Daan du Plessis
Theuns Stofberg
Kevin de Klerk
Moaner van Heerden
Boland Coetzee
Morne du Plessis (kapt).
* Ek rate nie Divan Serfontein nie, Dave Zietsman (WP) was destyds strate beter as hy, maar weens ‘WP politiek’ (Ikeys/Maties), was Divan oom Danie se goue seun.
My beste span post-1990:
Andre Joubert
Breyten Paulse
Pieter Mulder
Jean de Villiers
Bryan Habana
Henry Honiball
Fourie du Preez
Os du Randt
Bismark du Plessis
Tommie Loubsher
Andre Venter
Victor Matfield
Bakkies Botha
Tiaan Strauss
Gary Teichman (kapt)
Pietman
Ek stem met die onderskeid tussen die twee eras. Pre 90 sal ek op skrummie ook na Dawie De villiers en voormiskien na ou Henning v Aswegen kyk.
Hey Pete, kan jy nie vir ons een maak pre 1950 nie…dan kan jy en K9 daaroor baklei, die res van ons sal staan en cheer?!
As far as post 1990, I hope we have someone better than Paulse! As flanker I will rather move Tiaan to the bench and put Juan in, although not a good mix in the loosies either way…
Hello boys 😉
Koos what is this Manly tells me about you & GBS ?
AB !! Ola 😀
Hey … Is BullsBoks an anagram for something else ? Very close to Bollocks 😆
More RP, told you before, don’t believe all his stories. He got all carried away for no reason what so ever…and just because I used the word ‘up’ in a sentence!
20# James Smal miskien, in Paulse se plek?
19# Dawie het ek oorweeg, maar Naas kies vir Tommie!
#22 RP
Morning mam! Have not spoken to you for quite a while! You Kiwis woul for obvious reasons read “Bollocks” in that, but we are not going to go there!
Pietman
Ja thats true!
# 23 Koos
Jasurenowellfine ! he said you woudl say that ! 😆
More Pietman !
# 25 AB
Why would I automatically see Bollocks in your name ? Cept of course after reading your book 😉
#24 Yip, rather Smal then, at least he could tackle a little…
And yes, if you pick Naas and not Tommie, you are wasting your time.
RP, it is all there for everyone to see, not hiding anything! Told him to get his mind and weepee manners out the gutter, instead he carries on and tell you about it…there is just no helping some people 🙄
Morning all,
I would just like to take this oppurtunity to compliment the creators of this website,well done.I am sure once the finished product is launched that keo will die a slow death as a rugby blog.Good luck for your future endeavours.I will unfortuanatly/fortuantly depending on your view not be able to blog here due to time constraints.Recent developments has resulted in a typical day that starts at 4am and ends at 9pm leaving me with a little time to sleep,and when I sleep I dream of insomnia…Good wishes to you all and keep well.Go Bokke!
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