Springbok Rugby History, Chapter 1

Hooking Periods in that sequence.
• With more three-quarter movements, the Gould
brothers of Newport found that with four threequarters
less passes went astray. In time to come
the game copied this trait.
• A try counted for 3 points, a goal from a try 5 and a
dropped goal 4 points.
• Ferdie Aston (S.A.) was a brother of R. L. Aston,
the crack centre of Maclaglan’s team who scored
so many tries and later served on the Rugby
Union (Eng.) and the Selection Committee. This
time Byrne followed suit and scored in practically
every match. Aston and Paul Scott were the only
two players who played in all the international
matches.
• This tour yielded the most double Internationals in
our history. In brackets is given the cricket date: P.
S. T. Jones (1902), Biddy Anderson (1902, when he
was captain); Bertie Powell (1899). Alf Richard’s
brother, W. H. played cricket for S.A. in 1889 and
W. S. Taberer’s brother, H.M. (and Oxford Blue),
in 1902 when he captained S.A. W. M. Bissett’s
brother, Murray, played cricket in 1898, 1899 and
in 1901 - when he captained South Africa’s touring
team and had with him in that side his brother, A.
Bissett. Fairy Heatlie, Jackie Powell, Charlie van
Renen, George Devenish, Toski Smith and Guthrie
also played for S.A. in 1891. Jim H. Crosby and
‘Long George’ Devenish represented Transvaal
twice and South Africa, and both became S.A.
selectors.
• It was appropriate that, when for the first time
in South Africa’s history, that they wore green
jerseys, in the last international match, they also
gained their first international match win.
SOURCE LIST:
A, C. Parker: The Springboks, 1970
D.H. Craven - Springbok Annals, 1964
Chris Greyvenstein - Springbok Saga, 1989
Teddy Shnaps - A Statistical History of Springbok Rugby
Springbok Rugby History - 1891 - 1996 1903 ©Published by Johan Jooste - Oubokrugby - 2021
1903
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