Arise Sir John

John Smit’s achievement of becoming the world’s most-capped international rugby captain raises the question whether he is the greatest Springbok skipper ever?

In modern times Morné du Plessis, whose 86.6% win record is the best ever, Francois Pienaar, as the first captain to hold aloft the Webb Ellis Cup, and Gary Teichmann are ranged alongside Smit in the inevitable discussion about who is the best but there have been others who might be thrown into the equation.

Could it be Paul Roos, the first Springbok captain? Phillip Nel, leader of the great side to New Zealand in 1937, Danie Craven, Hennie Muller, Avril Malan or Dawie de Villiers?

Having been a not-so-silent observer of Smit’s career, from his Springbok debut in East London in 2000 to the first time he led the Boks out in Sydney in 2003 and his record-setting moment in 2009, I know you would get no help from him in pursuing the debate.

Smitty, as he his generally addressed in the clan, would simply dismiss the question by stating that you cannot compare the different eras and that each man who ever wore the cloak of captaincy would have done so with humility, honour and dedication.

John Smit is big on each man doing his duty, on suppressing individual aspirations for the good of the team and he would not have enjoyed having his personal, most significant, milestone interfering with the quest to beat the All Blacks and going on to claim what will be the second Tri-Nations title of his career.

However Smit, by leading his country with great distinction and on more occasions than such esteemed captains as George Gregan, Will Carling, Brian O’Driscoll, John Eales and Sean Fitzpatrick, certainly has a claim to being acclaimed as the greatest ever.

Springbok captains are expected to cope with issues that do not even enter the realm of captaining New Zealand, Australia, England and Ireland and on that front Smit has proven himself to be the supreme diplomat – never putting a foot wrong through the minefield of coaching controversies, political interference, supporter dissatisfaction and refereeing aggravation that must at times seem impossible to negotiate.

And from a playing perspective his record is impressive, impeccable and already at a level that you think might never be equalled.

Now 31, Smit made his Currie Cup debut as a teenager (ironically with the “Engelsmanne” of Natal and not with his native Blue Bulls) in 1997 having played Craven Week for Northern Transvaal in ’95 and ’96 and gaining a SA Schools cap in the latter year.

He played for SA under 21 for three years running (’97, ’98 & ’99) and in the latter year not only made his Super 12 debut but collected the first of an impressive collection of international trophies when, playing at tighthead, he led the “Bokkies” to victory in the SANZAR/UAR under 21 championship (a tournament that would evolve into the under 21 World Cup) in Buenos Aires.

This excursion brought him into close contact with Jake White, who was the team’s assistant coach to Eric Sauls, and thus was formed the partnership that would ensure South Africa’ second World Cup in France in 2007.

He made his Springbok debut as a substitute against Canada in East London in 2000 (under Nick Mallett), captained the Boks for the first time against Georgia during the World Cup in Australia in 2003 (under Rudolf Straeuli) and embarked on a journey that would see him collect a Tri-Nations Trophy (in 2004 and there should be another this year), held up the Mandela Plate and won the 2009 series against the British and Irish Lions, was part of record victories over Australia and England and never stood back to the All Blacks.

When he reached the record setting milestone of 60 international caps as captain his win ratio was an incredible 71%.

History will show that, unlike André Markgraaff and Nick Mallett who discarded respected captains, Pieter de Villiers’ smartest move was to make sure that Smit, who had signed up with French club Clermont-Auvergne, was brought back to South Africa to take charge of a golden group of players who, like their “cappy”, will figure in those inevitable greatest ever discussions.

For me his supreme moment of captaincy occurred in the quarter-final of the Rugby World Cup in Marseille in 2007. Up against the giant and, for a time, rampant Fijians, a foot-stomping crowd in the Stade Velodrome willing the Boks to follow Australia and New Zealand out of the tournament and a blundering referee Smit, by all accounts, delivered a most stirring speech that rallied his troops when defeat seemed imminent.

With Fiji having levelled the scores at 20-20 after 59 minutes I was sitting up in the stands wrestling with the horror of having to compose a losing match report but noticed Smit marching backward and forward among his players, speaking animatedly, while Fiji were taking the conversion.

The conversion missed, television mikes did not pick up what he said, but afterwards all the Springboks said it had been a tongue-lashing for the ages – strong language that told the Boks to pick themselves, straighten their shoulders, lift their chins and get back on the road to Paris.

They did. They scored 17 more points to win 37-20 and on October 20 at the Stade de France it was John Smit who stepped up to receive the World Cup as it was passed from Syd Millar to French President Nicolas Sarkozy and back into South Africa’s possession.

Had he been English John Smit would surely have been knighted. In South Africa he is just one of our special sons and I suspect that would be good enough for him.