The 1931–32 South Africa tour of Britain and Ireland was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the South Africa national team against the four British Home Nation teams. The tour also took in several matches against British and Irish club, county and invitational teams. This was the fourth South Africa tour and the third tour of the Northern Hemisphere.
The tour was extremely successful for the South Africans, as the team only lost a single match. In the tests played the team beat all four home nations. The only team to beat the Springboks was the invitational East Midlands county team. The final tour record saw 26 matches played, with South Africa winning 23, losing one and drawing two.
Criticism of playing style Although very successful on the pitch, the touring South Africans were unloved by their hosts and the press back home. Bennie Osler, the South African captain, introduced a style of play which centred on a continual kicking game; either into touch in an attempt to support his large pack or diagonally across the pitch for his wings to chase. This was seen by many critics of the time as 10-man tactics, with the backs taken out of the match, and thus the entertainment brought by previous South African tours removed.
Welsh journalist 'Old Stager' stated "The Africans, by adherence to ten-man rugby, are winning their matches, but are not capturing the hearts and the imagination of rugby followers...". O.L. Owen in his History of the RFU concurred with these thoughts, "The least spectacular and, so far as back play was concerned, the most disappointing of the South African touring sides..."Billot (1974), pg 126.
Results DateOpponentLocationResultScoreMatch 1Gloucester and SomersetBristolWon14–3Match 28 OctoberNewport RFCRodney Parade, NewportWon15–3Match 310 OctoberSwansea RFCSt Helens, SwanseaWon10–3Match 414 OctoberAbertillery and Cross KeysAbertillery Park, AbertilleryWon10–9Match 5LondonTwickenham, LondonWon30–3Match 6Midland CountiesVilla Park, BirminghamWon13–3Match 7Durham and NorthumberlandRoker Park, SunderlandWon41–0Match 828 OctoberGlasgowAnnieslandWon21–13Match 931 OctoberRowans Rugby Guide. Scottish edition. 1931-32. pub Rowans Ltd. 70 Buchanan St. GlasgowSouth of ScotlandMelrose, ScotlandDrawn0–0Match 10Cambridge UniversityCambridgeWon21–9Match 11Combined ServicesTwickenham, LondonWon23–0Match 12Oxford UniversityOxfordWon24–3Match 1314 NovemberLeicestershire and East MidlandsWelford Road, LeicesterLost21–30Match 14Devon and CornwallDevonportDrawn3–3Match 1521 NovemberCardiffCardiff Arms Park, CardiffWon13–5Match 1624 NovemberLlanelliStradey Park, LlanelliWon9–0Match 1728 NovemberNeath and AberavonThe Gnoll, NeathWon8–3Match 185 DecemberSt Helens, SwanseaWon8–3Match 19Lancashire and CheshireWaterlooWon20–9Match 20UlsterRavenhill, BelfastWon30–3Match 2119 December DublinWon8–3Match 22LondonTwickenham, LondonWon16–8Match 232 January 1932 Twickenham, LondonWon7–0Match 24Cumberland and YorkshireWorkingtonWon27–5Match 259 January 1932Rowans Rugby Guide. Scottish edition. 1931-32. pub Rowans Ltd. 70 Buchanan St. GlasgowNorth of ScotlandAberdeenWon9–0Match 2616 January 1932 Murrayfield, EdinburghWon6–3
Touring party
Management Manager: Theo Pienaar Captain: Bennie Osler
Full backs Gerry Brand (Western Province) Jackie Tindall (Western Province)
Three-quarters Geoff Gray (Western Province) Jock van Niekerk (Western Province) Floors Venter (Transvaal) Frank Waring (Western Province) JC van der Westhuizen (Western Province) JH van der Westhuizen (Western Province) Jimmy White (Border) M Zimerman (Western Province)
Half backs Danie Craven (Western Province) Murray "Tiny" Francis (Orange Free State) Bennie Osler (Western Province) P. de Villiers (Western Province)
Forwards W.F. Bergh (South Western Districts) J.N. Bierman (Transvaal) George Daneel (Transvaal) John Dold (Eastern Province) H.M. Forrest (Transvaal) Manie Geere (Transvaal) Bert Kipling (Griqualand West) Matthys "Boy" Louw (Western Province) S.C. Louw (Western Province) J.A.J. McDonald (Western Province) Albertus Viljoen van der Merwe (Western Province) P.J. Mostert (Western Province) Philip Nel () L.C. Strachan (Transvaal) S.R. du Toit (Western Province)
The matches
Newport
Newport: WA Everson, Jack Morley (capt.), K Richards, JR Edwards, K Watkins, Dicky Ralph, R Tovey, JC Slade, J Hughes, JA Addison, Harry Peacock, R Newton, DA Jones, P Hordern, Sam Danahar
South Africa: GH Brand, M Zimerman, JH van der Westhuizen, JC van der Westhuizen, FW Wearing, BL Osler, P de Villiers, MM Louw, PJ Mostert, SC Louw, JN Bierman, SR du Toit, PJ Nel, AJ van der Merwe, GM Daneel
Swansea
Swansea: Iorrie Herbert, Rhys Evans, Jack Rees (capt.), Claude Davey, Jim Dark, Dennis Manley, Idwal Rees, Bryn Evans, Tom Day, Glyn Jones, Gwynfor Lewis, Dai Thomas, Will Davies, Joe White, Edgar Long
South Africa: JC Tindall, JH van der Westhuizen, JC van der Westhuizen (capt.), FW Wearing, GH Brand, MG Francis, DH Craven, MM Louw, HG Kipling, SC Louw, AJ van der Merwe, V Geere, HM Forrest, GM Daneel, JAJ McDonald
Abertillery and Cross Keys
Abertillery/Cross Keys: Jimmy O'Neill (Abertillery) (capt.), Jim Bird (Abertillery), George Thompson (Cross Keys), Gerald Lewis (Cross Keys), JR Davies (Cross Keys), Syd Watkins (Cross Keys), Albert Hockey (Abertillery), Mel Meek (Abertillery), Lonza Bowdler (Cross Keys), Ken Salmon (Cross Keys), Steve Morris (Cross Keys), Trevor Thomas (Abertillery), Eddie Lloyd (Abertillery), RT Probert (Cross Keys), Albert Fear (Abertillery)
South Africa: JC Tindall, JH van der Westhuizen, BG Gray, J White, M Zimmerman, BL Osler (capt.), DH Craven, PJ Mostert, HG Kipling, SR du Toit, V Geere, PJ Nel, LC Strachan, JB Dold, AJ van der Merwe
Glasgow
Leicestershire and East Midlands
Leicestershire and East Midlands:Bobby Barr (Leicester); Jeff Hardwicke (Leicester), Ralph Buckingham (Leicester), Charlie Brumwell (Bedford), Len Ashwell (Bedford); Charles Slow (Northampton), Bernard Gadney (Leicester); Henry Greenwood (Leicester), Doug Norman (Leicester), Ray Longland (Northampton), Thomas Harris (Northampton), Anthony Roncoroni (West Herts), Bill Weston (Northampton), George Beamish (Leicester), Eric Coley (Northampton) South Africa: Tindall; Venter, van der Westhuizen, Gray, Zimmerman; Francis, Craven; Louw, Mostert, du Toit, Nel, Strachan, Bierman, Dold, Daneel
Cardiff
Cardiff: Tommy Stone, Ronnie Boon, Graham Jones, Bernard Turnbull, John Roberts, Harry Bowcott (capt.), Maurice Turnbull, Tom Lewis, Don Tarr, Tom Gadd, Archie Skym, Viv Osmond, Colin Ross, Bob Barrell, Iorrie Isaacs
South Africa: GH Brand, M Zimerman, BG Gray, JC van der Westhuizen, DO Williams, BL Osler (capt.), P de Villiers, MM Louw, PJ Mostert, SR du Toit, AJ van der Merwe, WF Bergh, V Geere, JN Bierman, JAJ McDonald
Llanelli
Llanelli: Bryn Howells, Wattie Lewis, Sid Howells, Tom Evans, Horace Fairhurst, Dai John, Bert Jones, Bryn Evans, Jack Williams, Edgar Jones, Cliff Treharne, Alf Parker, Will Lang, Jim Lang, Ivor Jones (capt.)
South Africa: GH Brand, DO Williams, BG Gray, JH van der Westhuizen, FW Waring, MM Louw (capt.), DH Craven, MG Francis, HG Kipling, V Geere, GM Daneel, PJ Nel, WF Bergh, JN Bierman, LC Strachan
Neath and Aberavon
Neath & Aberavon: Phil Lloyd (Neath), Dan Jones (Neath), Glyn Daniels (Neath), Gwyn Moore (Neath), Fred Nicholas (Aberavon), Wilf Selby (Aberavon), Tal Harris (Aberavon), Tom Arthur (Neath), Miah McGrath (Aberavon), Ned Jenkins (Aberavon), Walter Vickery (Aberavon), Gordon Hopkins (Neath), Arthur Lemon (Neath), Cyril Griffiths (Aberavon) (Capt.), Glyn Prosser (Neath)
South Africa: JC Tindall, M Zimerman, J White, JC van der Westhuizen, FD Venter, BL Osler (capt.), DH Craven, SR du Toit, HG Kipling, PJ Mostert, AJ van der Merwe, PJ Nel, WF Bergh, JB Dold, JAJ McDonald
Wales
Wales: Jack Bassett (Penarth) (capt.), Jack Morley (Newport), Claude Davey (Swansea), Frank Williams (Cardiff), Ronnie Boon (Cardiff), Dicky Ralph (Newport), Wick Powell (London Welsh), Tom Day (Swansea), Lonza Bowdler, (Cross Keys), Archie Skym (Cardiff), Ned Jenkins (Aberavon), Tom Arthur (Neath), Arthur Lemon (Neath), Watcyn Thomas (Swansea), Will Davies (Swansea)
South Africa: GH Brand, M Zimerman, BG Gray, J White, FD Ventor, DH Craven, PJ Mostert, BL Osler (capt.), HG Kipling, MM Louw, AJ van der Marwe, WF Bergh, PJ Nel, GM Daneel, JAJ McDonald
Ireland
Ireland: Major Egan, Ned Lightfoot, Eugene Davy, Morgan Crowe, Jack Arigho, Laurence McMahon, Paul Murray, Hal Withers, Victor Pike, Jimmy Farrell, Jack Russell, Jack Siggins, Noel Murphy, George Beamish (c), Jammie Clinch
South Africa: Gerry Brand, Morris Zimerman, Franky Waring, C van der Westhuizen, Ponie van der Westhuizen, Bennie Osler (c), Danie Craven, Boy Louw, Bert Kipling, Phil Mostert, Flip Nel, Ferdie Bergh, Nick Bierman, Andre McDonald, George Daneel
England
Scotland
Bibliography
References