By DAVID ISAACSON
Stormers coach John Dobson wants to invoke the spirit of 1976 at Cape Town Stadium on Friday night when his team takes on the All Blacks at the start of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.
July 17 was the day Western Province (WP) shattered the aura of invincibility that had shrouded Andy Leslie’s All Blacks, who had been unbeaten in 28 matches — Tests and tour games — since 1973.
Leading 11-0 against Morné du Plessis’s WP at Newlands with 15 minutes to go, the Kiwis seemed sure to stretch it to 29 matches, but what followed was a fightback that has become lore. “There are so many nice images and stories around that game,” said Dobson, who was in the stadium that day.
WP’s first try was scored by left-wing Bossie Clarke, collecting the ball and diving over after a chip-ahead by scrumhalf Divan Serfontein. Yet, less than a week earlier, Clarke had not expected to play. He was visiting his parents on their farm in Hofmeyr when Stellenbosch rugby boss Dr Danie “Doc” Craven summoned him back.
Clarke’s meeting started with the usual penitence ritual demanded by Doc. During a koshuis match some time earlier, Clarke, preparing to line up a conversion that beat Craven’s Wilgenhof residence team, had sworn at a dog nearby.
Beloved Bliksem
The dog was Craven’s beloved Bliksem, and Doc was in earshot. In the office Craven gestured, and Clarke turned to the animal: “Jammer, Bliksem.”
Craven told Clarke he had been picked to play for WP and, in his unique way, motivated the player to take on Bryan Williams, describing him as the world’s best winger.
And when you do tackle him, just hurt him a little bit
“I don’t care about you, I don’t care about Western Province. I care about Stellenbosch, and if you make a mess-up on Saturday, it puts Stellenbosch’s name in a bad light.”
Craven told Clarke to stand outside Williams. “And when you do tackle him, just hurt him a little bit.”
Flyhalf Robbie Blair took the conversion from the left touchline, having not converted a kick all day. “I think I missed six penalties,” he recalled.
When I told him three separate articles had counted his misses at seven, eight and nine, he replied with a laugh: “Then we must make it seven.”
The match balls had been hard before the game, but by the time Blair got onto the field, they were soft.
Using side of his boot
The Super Springbok balls had pointed tips, which made it easy for Blair, who kicked around the corner, using the side of his boot. “But most of the All Blacks kicked with the toe, and to connect that small little point with the toe wasn’t easy.”
To this day, Blair doesn’t know who softened the balls — easy to do with a matchstick — but that suited the All Blacks, although Laurie Mains still missed two conversions.
Blair raised his concern with the referee before kick-off but was told to get on with it. “I had this little thing in my head that these balls aren’t right.”
By the time left-footed Blair attempted that conversion, he had stopped worrying. “I decided that I’m just going to kick the ball as hard as I possibly can.”
It went through the posts: 11-6.
With some three minutes remaining, fullback Dawie Snyman neatly picked the loose ball off his feet and counterattacked with a slicing run upfield.
He passed to skipper Du Plessis, who charged forward. He had a man on his outside but flipped the ball inside to fast-approaching right wing Chris Pope, who dotted down near the right corner: 11-10.
Famous 12-11 victory
The captain handed the ball to Snyman. “I gave him the ball to kick the last kick, and he said, ‘I’m not kicking this, give it to Robbie,’ and he gave it back to me,” said Du Plessis.
Blair, who felt more confident kicking from the right side because his action created a left-to-right draw, slotted the ball high and true for a famous 12-11 victory.
Pope, one of the only three men to have played in all four Tests against the 1974 British Lions, was dropped for the Boks’ first match against New Zealand in Durban the following week, probably because he committed errors that led to the two All Blacks tries.
He returned for the next three matches, and the Boks won the series 3-1.
WP, with five Boks, later lost the Currie Cup final to Free State in Bloemfontein.
Trade the win over New Zealand for the 1976 Currie Cup? No way.
“You’ve always got another chance to win the Currie Cup the next year. You’re not going to get another lifetime chance to beat the All Blacks,” said Du Plessis, who shared the trophy with Northern Transvaal in 1979.
Clarke agreed. “Everyone still remembers the win over the All Blacks.”
Even half a century later.
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