1951–52 South Africa rugby union tour of Europe explained

Team:South Africa
Yearstart:1951
Yearfinish:1952
Destination:Europe
Matchplayed:31
Matchwon:30
Matchdraw:0
Matchlost:1
Testplayed:5
Testwon:5
Testdraw:0
Testlost:0
Played1:1
Won1:1
Draw1:0
Lost1:0
Played2:1
Won2:1
Draw2:0
Lost2:0
Played3:1
Won3:1
Draw3:0
Lost3:0
Played4:1
Won4:1
Draw4:0
Lost4:0
Played5:1
Won5:1
Draw5:0
Lost5:0

In 1951–52 the South Africa national rugby union team toured England, France, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, playing a series of test matches, as well as games against club, regional, and representative teams. South Africa accomplished their third Grand Slam by winning all four tests against the Home Nations sides, and also won the test match against France. This was the sixth South Africa tour and the fourth tour of the Northern Hemisphere. It was also the first time the South Africans played the invitational British Barbarian team.

The tour was the most successful the South African team had undertaken; the team only lost a single match. In the tests played the team beat all four Home Nations, France and the Barbarians. The only team to beat the Springboks was the invitational London Counties team. The final tour record saw 31 matches played, with South Africa winning 30 and losing just the one game.

Touring party

Management

Full backs

Three-quarters

Half backs

Forwards

Results

DateOpponentLocationResultScore
Match 110 October 1951South East CountiesBournemouthWon31–6
Match 213 OctoberSouth West CountiesPlymouthWon17–8
Match 318 OctoberPontypool and NewbridgePontypoolWon15–6
Match 420 OctoberCardiffPontypool Park, PontypoolWon11–9
Match 523 OctoberLlanelliStradey Park, LlanelliWon20–11
Match 627 OctoberNorth West CountiesBirkenhead ParkWon16–9
Match 731 OctoberGlasgow - EdinburghOld Anniesland, GlasgowWon43–11
Match 83 NovemberNorth East CountiesGosforthWon19–8
Match 98 NovemberCambridge UniversityCambridgeWon30–0
Match 1010 NovemberLondon CountiesTwickenham, LondonLost9–11
Match 1215 NovemberOxford UniversityOxfordWon24–3
Match 1217 NovemberAberavon and NeathAberavonWon22–0
Match 1324 NovemberSCOTLANDMurrayfield, EdinburghWon44–0
Match 1428 NovemberNorth of ScotlandAberdeenWon14–3
Match 151 DecemberUlsterRavenhill, BelfastWon27–5
Match 168 DecemberIRELANDDublinWon17–5
Match 1711 DecemberMunsterLimerickWon11–6
Match 1815 DecemberSwanseaSt Helens, SwanseaWon11–3
Match 1922 DecemberWALESCardiff Arms Park, CardiffWon6–3
Match 2026 DecemberCombined ServicesTwickenham, LondonWon24–8
Match 2129 DecemberEast MidlandsLeicesterWon3–0
Match 225 January 1952ENGLANDTwickenham, LondonWon8–3
Match 2310 JanuaryNewportRodney Parade, NewportWon12–6
Match 2412 JanuaryWestern CountiesBristolWon16–5
Match 2516 JanuaryMidlands CountiesCoventryWon19–8
Match 2619 JanuarySouth of ScotlandHawickWon13–3
Match 2726 JanuaryBarbariansCardiff Arms Park, CardiffWon17–3
Match 282 FebruarySouth East FranceLyonsWon9–3
Match 297 FebruarySouth West FranceBordeauxWon20–12
Match 309 FebruaryFrance BToulouseWon9–6
Match 3116 FebruaryFRANCEParisWon25–3

The matches

Cardiff

Cardiff: Frank Trott, Haydn Morris, Bleddyn Williams, Jack Matthews (capt.), Alun Thomas, Cliff Morgan, Rex Willis, Arthur Hull, Geoff Beckingham, Cliff Davies, Bill Tamplin, Malcolm Collins, Sid Judd, Des O'Brien, CD Williams

South Africa: JU Buchler, MJ Saunders, MT Lategan, RA van Schoor, JK Ochse, JD Brewis, JS Oelofse, HJ Bekker, PW Wessels, AC Kosh, SP Fry, WHM Barnard, E Dinkelmann, CJ van Wyk, HSV Muller

Scotland

Scotland: Dod Burrell, John Hart, Donald Scott, Oliver Turnbull, David Rose, Angus Cameron (capt), Arthur Dorward, Hamish Dawson, John Macphail, Bob Wilson, James Johnston, Hamish Inglis, Doug Elliot, Bob Taylor, Peter Kininmonth

South Africa: Johnny Buchler, Buks Marais, Tjol Lategan, Ryk van Schoor, Paul Johnstone, Hannes Brewis, Fonnie du Toit, Chris Koch, Willa Delport, Okey Geffin, Salty du Rand, Ernst Dinkelmann, Basie van Wyk, Stephen Fry, Hennie Muller (capt)

Ireland

Ireland: Gerry Murphy, William McKee, Noel Henderson, Antony Browne, Mick Lane, Jackie Kyle, John O'Meara, Tom Clifford, Karl Mullen, John Hartley Smith, Patrick Lawlor, Robin Thompson, Bill McKay, Jim McCarthy, Des O'Brien (capt)

South Africa: JU Buchler, PG Johnstone, RA van Schoor, MT Lategan, JK Ochse, JD Brewis, E Dinkelmann, A Geffin, WH Delport, AC Kosh, SP Fry, WHM Barnard, JD du Rand, CJ van Wyk, HSV Muller

Wales

Wales: Gerwyn Williams (Llanelli), Ken Jones (Newport), Malcolm Thomas (Newport), Bleddyn Williams (Cardiff), Lewis Jones (Llanelli), Cliff Morgan (Cardiff), Rex Willis (Cardiff), Billy Williams (Swansea), Dai Davies (Somerset Police), Don Hayward (Newbridge), Rees Stephens (Neath), Roy John (Neath), Len Blyth (Swansea), John Gwilliam (Edinburgh Wanderers) (capt.), Allen Forward (Pontypool)

South Africa: JU Buchler, PG Johnstone, RA van Schoor, MT Lategan, JK Ochse, JD Brewis, PA du Toit, A Geffin, WH Delport, AC Kosh, SP Fry, WHM Barnard, JD du Rand, CJ van Wyk, HSV Muller

England

England: Bill Hook, Ted Woodward, Albert Agar, Lewis Cannell, Chris Winn, Nim Hall (capt), Gordon Rimmer, Wally Holmes, Eric Evans, Bob Stirling, John Matthews, Squire Wilkins, Don White, Alec Lewis, John Kendall-Carpenter

South Africa: Johnny Buchler, Paul Johnstone, Tjol Lategan, Ryk van Schoor, Chum Ochse, Hannes Brewis, Fonnie du Toit, Chris Koch, Willa Delport, Jaap Bekker, Salty du Rand, Ernst Dinkelmann, Basie van Wyk, Stephen Fry, Hennie Muller (capt)

Barbarians

Barbarians: Gerwyn Williams (Llanelli), Ken Jones (Newport), Bleddyn Williams (Cardiff), LB Cannell (St. Mary's Hospital), Ted Woodward (Wasps), Cliff Morgan (Cardiff), Rex Willis (Cardiff), John Kendall-Carpenter (Penzance), Dai Davies (Somerset Police), RV Stirling (RAF), Rees Stephens (Neath), Roy John (Neath), Doug Elliot (Edinburgh Academicals), JE Nelson (Malone) (capt.), VG Roberts(Harlequins)

South Africa: AC Keevy, PG Johnstone, RA van Schoor, FP Marais, JK Ochse, MT Lategan, PA du Toit, HJ Bekker, WH Delport, FEB van der Ryst, SP Fry, E Dinkelmann, JM du Rand, CJ van Wyk, HSV Muller

France

France: Pierre Guilleux, Georges Brun, Jacques Mauran, Maurice Prat, Jean Colombier, Georges Carabignac, Gerard Dufau, Rene Bienes, Paul Labadie, Rene Brejassou, Lucien Mias, Bernard Chevallier, Jean Prat, Jean-Roger Bourdeu, Guy Basquet (capt)

South Africa:

Bibliography