1912–13 South Africa rugby union tour of Europe

In 1912-13 the South Africa national rugby union team toured England, France, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, playing a series of test matches, as well as games against club, regional, and representative teams. South Africa accomplished their first Grand Slam by winning all four tests against the Home Nations sides, and also won the test match against France. This was the second South African tour of the Northern Hemisphere, after the very successful 1906 tour.

1912–13 South Africa rugby union tour of Europe
ManagerMax Honnet
Tour captain(s)William Millar
Summary
P W D L
Total
27 24 00 03
Test match
05 05 00 00
Opponent
P W D L
 Scotland
1 1 0 0
 Ireland
1 1 0 0
 England
1 1 0 0
 Wales
1 1 0 0
 France
1 1 0 0
Tour chronology
Previous tour1906–07 Europe
Next tour1921 Aus & NZ

Although not managing to win all the matches on the tour, the Springboks won all five test matches against international opposition. Billy Millar was the tour captain even though he was the last person chosen for the tour and was not the selectors' choice of captain, but they were over-ruled by the South African Rugby Board.[1] Millar did have the advantage of being one of the few players to have toured Britain in the previous test, but was seen by the hosts as a fiery character and was not as popular with the players or fans as the 1906's tour captain, Paul Roos.[2] The other two members of the squad to have played in the 1906 tour were vice-captain Fred 'Uncle' Dobbin and Doug Morkel.

In the touring party were two sets of brothers; Richard, Freddie and John Luyt and Gerhard and Jack Morkel.[2]

Touring party

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Match summary

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Complete list of matches played by the Springboks in Europe:[3]

  Test matches

 
Captain Douglas Morkel holding the ball, besides him, G. Thompson (left) and S.N. Cronje, entering the pitch to play Cornwall in Redruth
 
England and South Africa teams posing together for their Test match at Twickenham, 4 Jan 1913
# Date Opponents City Venue Score
1 3 Oct 1912 Somerset RU Bath 24–3
2 5 Oct 1912 Devon RU Exeter 8–0
3 10 Oct 1912 Cornwall Redruth 15–6
4 12 Oct 1912 Monmouthshire Pontypool Recreation Ground 16–0
5 17 Oct 1912 Glamorgan Cardiff Cardiff Arms Park 35–3
6 19 Oct 1912 Llanelli RFC Llanelli Stradey Park 8–7
7 24 Oct 1912 Newport RFC Newport Rodney Parade 3–9
8 26 Oct 1912 London Counties Blackheath 12–8
9 30 Oct 1912 Combined Services Portsmouth 18–16
10 2 Nov 1912 East Midlands Northampton 14–5
11 6 Nov 1912 Oxford University RFC Oxford 6–0
12 9 Nov 1912 Midland Counties Leicester 25–3
13 14 Nov 1912 Cambridge University Cambridge 24–0
14 16 Nov 1912 London Counties London Twickenham Stadium 8–10
15 20 Nov 1912 Northern Counties Newcastle 17–0
16 23 Nov 1912   Scotland Inverleith 16–0
17 27 Nov 1912 Combined Scottish Districts Glasgow New Anniesland 38–3
18 30 Nov 1912   Ireland Dublin Lansdowne Road 38–0
19 4 Dec 1912 Ulster Belfast 19–0
20 7 Dec 1912 Northern Counties Birkenhead Birkenhead Park 21–8
21 14 Dec 1912   Wales Cardiff Cardiff Arms Park 3–0
22 19 Dec 1912 Neath RFC Neath The Gnoll 8–3
23 21 Dec 1912 Cardiff RFC Cardiff Cardiff Arms Park 7–6
24 26 Dec 1912 Swansea RFC Swansea St Helen's Ground 0–3
25 28 Dec 1912 Gloucestershire RU Bristol 11–0
26 4 Jan 1913   England London Twickenham Stadium 9–3
27 11 Jan 1913   France Le Bouscat Stade Sainte-Germaine 38–5
Balance
Pl W D L Ps Pc
27 24 0 3 441 101

Match details

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Monmouthshire

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12 October
Monmouthshire0–16South Africa
Try: Mills (2)
F Luyt
van Vuuren
Con:Wrentmore (2)
Recreation Ground, Pontypool
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: TD Schofield (Bridgend, Wales)

Glamorgan

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17 October
Glamorgan RFC3–35South Africa
Try: B LewisTry: Stegmann (4), Mills, D Luyt,
F Luyt, van Vuuren
Con: F Luyt
Pen: D Morkel
Drop: D Luyt
Arms Park, Cardiff
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: AO Jones (Leicester, England)

Llanelli

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19 October
Llanelli RFC7–8South Africa
Try: J Evans
Drop: Hiams
Try: van der Hoff, J Morkel
Con: J Morkel
Stradey Park, Llanelli
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Gil Evans (Birmingham, England)

Newport

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24 October
Newport RFC9–3South Africa
Try: Birt
Con:Birt
drop: Birt
Try: D Morkel
Rodney Parade, Newport
Attendance: 18,300
Referee: F.C. Potter-Irwin (London, England)

Scotland

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23 November
Scotland  0–16  South Africa
Try: Stegmann (2), McHardy, W H Morkel
Con: D Morkel, G Morkel
Inverleith, Edinburgh
Attendance: 26,000
Referee: F.C. Potter-Irwin (London, England)

Ireland

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30 November
Ireland  0–38  South Africa
Try: Stegmann (3), McHardy (3), J Morkel (2),
Francis, Millar
Con: G Morkel (3), JD Luyt
Lansdowne Road, Dublin
Attendance: 20,000
Referee: John Dallas (1st half)[4]
Fred Gardiner (2nd half)
F.C. Potter-Irwin (London, England) [sick]

Wales

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14 December
Wales  0–3  South Africa
Pen: D Morkel
Arms Park, Cardiff
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: F.C. Potter-Irwin (London, England)

Neath

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19 December
Neath RFC3–8South Africa
Try: RichardsTry: Van der Hoff
W Morkel
Con: D Morkel
The Gnoll, Neath
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: R.G. Smith (Bristol, England)

Cardiff

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21 December
Cardiff RFC6–7South Africa
Try: Spiller
Pen: Rogers
Pen: D Morkel
Drop: J Morkel
Arms Park, Cardiff
Referee: J.H. Miles (Leicester, England)

Swansea

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26 December
Swansea RFC3–0South Africa
Try: Thomas
St. Helen's, Swansea
Attendance: 35,000
Referee: James Greenlees (Scotland)

England

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4 January
England  3–9  South Africa
Try: PoultonTry: J Morkel
Pen: D Morkel (2)
Twickenham, London
Attendance: 29,000
Referee: John Tulloch (Scotland)

France

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11 January
France  5–35  South Africa
Try: Bruneau
Con: André
Try: Francis, Ledger, R Luyt,
McHardy (2), D Morkel (2), J Morkel,
W Morkel
Con: D Morkel (2), J Morkel (2)
Pen: D Morkel
Le Bouscat, Gironde
Attendance: 20,000
Referee: W. Williams (England)

Bibliography

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  • Billot, John (1974). Springboks in Wales. Ferndale, Glamorgan: Ron Jones Publications.
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References

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  1. ^ Billot (1974), p. 70.
  2. ^ a b Billot (1974), p. 71.
  3. ^ South Africa tour, 1912-13|Match results on ESPN Scrum
  4. ^ "Who was the first substitute referee?". World Rugby Museum. 28 May 2018.