When a Test between the Springboks and Wallabies turned into a boxing match

Sunday’s Test between the Springboks and Wallabies will no doubt be a well-behaved affair, as is mostly the case in the modern era of watchdog TMOs and citing commissioners.

But it wasn’t always like this.

In fact, a match between these sides way back in 1937 has gone down in rugby folklore as one of the dirtiest Tests ever played.

The 1937 Springboks were an exceptional team. They remain the only Bok side to have won a series in New Zealand, where they won 16 of the 17 matches they played.

Before reaching the Land of the Long White Cloud, however, the Boks stopped off in Australia for a short tour — and had one heck of a warm-up against the Wallabies in Sydney.

Rugby historian Chris Greyvenstein wrote that the catalyst for what became a bar-room brawl played out on a rugby field was the Wallabies’ premeditated ambush of ace Bok scrumhalf Pierre de Villiers, the smallest player on the field at just 62kg.

De Villiers was found unconscious when a ruck broke up and had to be carried from the field by a seething Boy Louw, “like a father removing the body of a child from an accident”.

One of the major culprits was Louw’s old friend from the ill-tempered 1933 series in South Africa, Aubrey “Awesome Aub” Hodgson.

Australia’s Daily Mirror explained the plot.

“Awesome Aub was chosen to play the leading role in nullifying De Villiers.

“Winning the ball in a lineout, Hodgson would draw the ball to his chest and run forward towards De Villiers and gently hand him the ball. The next instant the little scrumhalf would find himself in the centre of a ruck and at the Australians’ mercy.”

Springbok prop Harry “Kalfie” Martin, a lieutenant in the SA Air Force, was horrified by De Villiers’ condition.

“He was in a terrible way. His eyes were rolling and his tongue was hanging out. It really upset us.”

Martin decided to take matters into his own hands.

The Mirror described what happened next:

“Hodgson had been charging down the line with the ball when Martin hit him with a fearsome tackle. Hodgson, on the way to the ground, elbowed Martin in the face.

“As Hodgson scrambled to his feet, Martin hit him with an uppercut. The Australian shook his head and replied with a straight left and right.

“They treated 30 000 fans to an exhibition of moderately scientific boxing and the referee did not notice because he was breaking up the individual brawls that had erupted all over the field.”

The next day, newspapers were plastered with photographs of the “Battle of Sydney Oval”.

The Boks had won 26-17 on the scoreboard, but the fight was honours even.

One photograph showed Boy Louw with his right arm pulled back, apparently about to unleash a punch. Louw, with tongue firmly in cheek, had another explanation.

“They are all wrong. I wasn’t about to punch. I had been flung out of a lineout and was trying to regain my balance.”

As mentioned, the Boks and Hodgson had history.

The 1933 Wallabies had intentionally brought two of the roughest players in Australia to South Africa: “Awesome Aub” and the aptly named Wild Bill Cerutti.

Amusingly, the two had earned their nicknames through their long-running battles with each other in Sydney club rugby. Now, however, they had joined forces to subdue the Boks.

The Boks won the first Test 17-3 at Newlands, but it was another bad-tempered affair.

In a unique attempt to calm things down before the second Test, the two teams had dinner together on the eve of the game, with the backs at one hotel and the forwards at another.

It was a doomed effort.

As the forwards completed their uneasy dinner, Boy Louw provocatively declared: “This will only make things worse.”

Cerutti sneered: “That suits us, mate.”

And so the five-Test series continued in Wild West fashion.

The Boks were 3-1 up going into the final match. In the second half, Fanie Louw was knocked unconscious and his brother Boy helped carry him from the field.

He splashed ice water onto Fanie’s face and, when he stirred, asked: “Fanie, was’ sy nommer?” — “What is his number?”

Fanie spluttered: “Dertien.”

Thirteen.

Minutes after the restart, Boy called the referee’s attention to a prone Wallaby and matter-of-factly said.

“Mr Ref, 13 is off.”

It was Cerutti.

Numbering was different in those days — the Australian hooker wore No 13.

@MikeGreenaway

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