Bennie Osler runs into Mark Nicholls on muddy Newlands

Part Two: In which outstanding Springboks five-eighths Bennie Osler completes his description of the 1928 tour of South Africa by the All Blacks.

 When the All Blacks were in the final stages of their 1928 tour of South Africa they faced Western Province in their third last game, in Cape Town. Heavy rain overnight had the ground awash at 1pm on the day of the game.

Bennie Osler recalled the game on a tape recording that was transcribed and published in The South African Sportsman in January 1967.

"Newlands was a sea of mud and the correct tactics were obvious – the forwards must control the proceedings. We knew that we could out-scrum the All Blacks, who were still persisting with their 2-3-2 formation with one forward having a roving commission.

"Our captain Phil Mostert, decided that he would choose scrums to lineouts whenever he could and that I would use the boot to keep the All Blacks on their heels."

Osler recalled that the tactics 'worked like a charm'. However, while the All Blacks three-quarters were knocked over when they got any ball it wasn't the fault of any problems inside them.

"Bill Dalley, the All Black scrum-half, was a shining exception. He was simply great and I doubt if I ever saw a finer exhibition of scrum-half play behind a beaten pack," Osler said.

"It was mainly due to him – and a bad blunder by Jock van Niekerk – that the All Blacks had a 3-nil lead at half-time. Jock tried to stop Robilliard with a high tackle which the All Black wing shook off with ease and the next moment Dalley was up to take the pass and score."

In the second half the All Blacks lost centre Syd Carleton to injury which reduced the effectiveness of Ron Stewart who had to move to the three-quarters.

The All Blacks defence was stout however. Osler was able to level the scores with a penalty goal and then when wing P.K. Morkel unleashed a sidestep to score a try.

Several times Osler looked for a dropped goal only to find the All Blacks keen to deny him.

"We were seeing so much of the ball though that my chance had to come, and it did. I was going to try the blindside of the scrum when I noticed the entire defence swinging across to cut me off. I turned quickly on my left instead and ran a few yards infield.

"The posts were right in my sights and I even had time to aim deliberately before letting fly with my right boot. The sodden ball did not lift too easily but it somehow spun over the crossbar for four points," he said.

Soon after the final whistle blew on the All Blacks' fifth tour loss 3-10.

Hopes were high that the Springboks would do likewise in the deciding fourth Test.

But as Osler recounted the Springboks went into the Test 'just a little too confident and too complacently sure of ourselves'.

"Our mental attitude to the last test certainly played a big part in our defeat, but it was certainly not the only reason for the hiding we got. Oh no, that would be very unfair to the All Blacks' great performance that day.

"They staged one of the most glorious fight-backs in the history of rugby in that final test and deserved every bit of credit for winning," he said.

Osler noted it was the only Test in which Mark Nicholls, the vice-captain and veteran five-eighths, played.

"Why this player was so consistently overlooked throughout the tour I will never know, but we Springboks were certainly grateful that Mark did not get more opportunities against us.

"He gave such a masterful display that wet and miserable day at Newlands that I must rate him the finest fly-half I ever played against – on that one solitary performance.

"It was virtually a repeat performance of the first test of the series with the one important difference that this time the All Blacks wielded the whip. Their forwards came to light with a glorious performance and Nicholls dominated the match with his boot."

While the Springboks scored a first half try to J.C. van der Westhuizen, converted by Osler, Nicholls kicked two penalty goals to give New Zealand the half-time lead 6-5.

"In the second half the Springboks were hammered into the ground. The All Blacks held us even in the scrums and controlled the lineouts and the loose with some of the most fiery determined play I ever saw from any pack of forwards.

"Their dribbling rushes were difficult to stop and from one of them Swain got a try and then, to really rub it in, Mark Nicholls put over a beautiful drop goal to make the final score 13-5 – and we were very fortunate that the margin was not bigger."

Springbok legend describes 1928 series with All Blacks

Springbok flyhalf Bennie Osler is regarded as one of the great five-eighths to have played the game and he was a formidable opponent for the 1928 All Blacks on their tour of South Africa.

Yet, for all his feats during that season, Osler said he went into the 1928 season with his enthusiasm for rugby at a low ebb.

 

Relating his life story, as covered in a series of book extracts from audio tapes he made before his death, in The South African Sportsman magazine in 1966-67, Osler said it wasn't the game that bored him that year.

"It was the atmosphere of exaggerated praise, unfair criticism and constant argument which surrounded me that depressed me most of all," he said.

Osler admitted that he hadn't enjoyed his rugby since leaving the University of Cape Town in 1924. He had become a marked man and that drove him to play more of a kicking game than he wanted.

However, the All Blacks offered a new challenge and he first played them on their second game of the tour against Western Province Town clubs.

"It was a rough, grim match and a very unfortunate one for me. Beforehand there was a rumour that the All Blacks had delegated one of their forwards, Ron Stewart, to make me his prime objective.

"Steward was a good forward, tall, heavy and fast, and with his roving commission, he was a real thorn in my side in this match," he said.

However, Osler's game was badly affected by a twisted ankle when a boot came down hard on the bridge of his foot, causing him to fall awkwardly. It didn't come right until around the time of the first Test, where Osler was buoyed with the news his brother, 'Sharkey' [Stanley Osler] was to play at centre.

"We were quite confident mainly because we knew that the All Blacks could not hold us in the scrums with their outmoded 2-3-2 formation," Osler said.

Once the Test started, Osler noted: "Watching the two packs struggling for supremacy I remember noticing the difference in mental approach. The All Blacks were quiet in a deadly sort of way and Brownlie would only occasionally bark out an order. The Springbok forwards on the other hand appeared more volatile and relaxed and they kept encouraging one another.

"What a great pack they were that afternoon! Slowly but surely they took a vice-like grip on the proceedings and Pierre de Villiers, all nippiness and purpose, began getting the ball away to me despite the attentions of the All Black scrum-half Dalley, who did his best to smother my little partner from Paarl," Osler said.

The Springboks had a chance to score 20 minutes into the game when wing Jack Slater got through with only fullback Dave Lindsay to beat with Stanley Osler unmarked outside him.

"But to our horror Jack, instead of passing to Stanley ran right into fullback Lindsay and a glorious chance was lost."

Soon after inside centre Duffy was tackled heavily and while continuing was not in good shape.

"From virtually the next scrum I got my first chance when Pierre evaded Scrimshaw, who was acting as the All Blacks' 'rover' that day, and passed the ball to me. I was hemmed in by the defence but instead of smothering me as quickly as possible they hesitated – the biggest crime you can commit in a test match. I dropped for goal and the ball went high over the crossbar. With four points up we were off to a good start. This reverse stung the All Blacks into all-out aggression and until half-time we had to defend with all we had."

Duffy was taken from the field at half-time leaving South Africa to play the second half with 14 men.

Soon after the re-start Osler landed his second dropped goal.

"As my boot hit the ball, an All Black tackled me from behind and I was nearly knocked unconscious…

"After my second drop-goal the All Blacks began to concentrate on me with an intensity that was almost frightening. To be too concerned with one player is a double-edged sword, however, and when I was late-tackled less than three minutes later, Mr Neser was on the spot to award a penalty."

Osler added a second penalty goal, although his description was interesting: "I got another straight-forward pot at goal" which to most New Zealanders of a certain age would suggest a dropped goal, or 'taking a pot'.

"I then decided to have another try at bringing Stanley around the blindside and this time he was right there to streak right through. At the right moment he flipped the ball to wing Prinsloo who went over the line but lost the ball as he bent over to dot down!"

Eight minutes before the end they did score through Slater to beat the All Blacks 17-0. Osler's match haul of 14 points was a world record for an individual in Test rugby.

The press and public went wild but Osler remarked it only took three weeks for them to turn after the All Blacks took the second Test 7-6. He was booed when missing touch a couple of times and criticised for not giving his wings more of a chance.

"…yet a quick glance at any newspaper report of the match will tell that no less than four tries were thrown away by the Springboks because of rank bad handling.

"I am not trying to make excuses because I DID kick very badly that day. Although I put over a penalty [sic – conversion], I missed several drop-goals from easy positions and my touch kicking was also weak and pointless," he said.

The third Test at Port Elizabeth he rated as one of the most enjoyable of his career as both teams ran the ball throughout before the All Blacks were beaten 11-6.

But a bigger challenge awaited. (To be continued)