Class is permanent

It is an interesting fact of the Absa Currie Cup, another version of which starts on Friday, that three of South Africa’s greatest backline players continue to hold competition records.

Three players who might be included in South Africa’s supreme backline, Naas Botha, Carel du Plessis and Johan Heunis, have been retired for some years now but their records continue to endure.

Botha still holds the record (among others!) for the most career points by a player in the competition, a total of 1 699, while Du Plessis holds the record for the most tries in a season, 19 in 1989.

Interestingly, the one record one would expect to see behind the name of Botha, most points by a player in a season, is in fact held by Heunis who set the mark of 268 when standing in at flyhalf for his injured Northern Transvaal teammate for most of the 1989 season.

The collective class of the trio is unquestioned but my statement about their being in the greatest Springbok backline ever is likely to ignite heated debate.

It is one thing to put together the best Bok backline ever but who were the finest “thin green line” who actually played together?

Name a line of Divan Serfontein, Naas Botha, Carel du Plessis, Michael du Plessis, Danie Gerber, Ray Mordt and Johan Heunis, all of whom played during the 80s, and most would put them right up there as the best unit ever – but for one amazing point; they never actually played together in the same test match.

Ironically the closest to this line-up in a test was in 1982 against the South American Jaguars in Bloemfontein, with Willie du Plessis at centre instead of his younger brother Michael, and the result was a shock 21-12 defeat for the Boks as Hugo Porta scored all his side’s points!

Two years later Errol Tobias played flyhalf against the Jaguars, instead of Botha, but the backline many consider to be the best never actually played together.

From an overseas perspective South African rugby is renowned for its forwards but over the years there have been many outstanding combinations in the backs. It is unlikely, however, that there will ever be agreement as to which unit was the best.

Some might, for instance, go for the line who played in the 1995 World Cup Final – Joost van der Westhuizen, Joel Stransky, Chester Williams, Hennie le Roux, Japie Mulder, James Small and Andre Joubert – while others would argue that the core line-up during the run of 17 straight wins under Nick Mallett in 1997/98 – Joost van der Westhuizen, Henry Honiball, Pieter Rossouw, Dick Muir, Andre Snyman, James Small and Percy Montgomery – was a more effective try-scoring machine.

Other excellent combinations have taken the field down the years such as Dawie de Villiers, Piet Visagie, Gert Muller, Mannetjies Roux, Joggie Jansen, Syd Nomis and Ian McCallum against New Zealand in 1970 but aficionados from that era would argue that you could hardly have a great Bok backline if it did not include John Gainsford or H.O. de Villiers.

It’s a debate as old as the game and those that saw them – there are not too many left but there thoughts have been recorded for posterity – would argue that the immortal 1937 grouping of Danie Craven, Tony Harris, D.O. Williams, Louis Babrow, Flappie Lochner, Freddie Turner and Gerry Brand was easily the best, while those of more recent vintage would plump for the formidable 1951/52 marauders of Fonnie du Toit, Hansie Brewis, Paul Johnstone, Tjol Lategan, Ryk van Schoor, Chum Ochse and Johnny Buchler.

For my part I have a special affinity for Dick Lockyear, Keith Oxlee, Mike Antelme, John Gainsford, Ian Kirkpatrick, Hennie van Zyl and Lionel Wilson, the 1960's Boks who were my first heroes, but I have to concede that there is almost no way that rugby fans (even two of them!) will ever be able to agree as to which permutation was the best.

The one thing this meander down memory lane does show, though, is what opportunity lies in wait in the forthcoming Absa Currie Cup for, with the Springboks (mostly) away, there is going to be an opportunity for others to shine and we might just see the emergence of the next generation of great Springboks and, if the Gods be kind, may one of them be a flyhalf!