APRIL 1965, and Scotland has just become the first rugby team to have twice recorded wins over South Africa in Europe, thanks to an eight points-to-five victory at Murrayfield. The first win had taken place back in 1906.
“The margin,” our rugby correspondent, John Downie, wrote of the latest game, “was a goal and a drop goal to a goal, which was probably an ideal score from a Scottish point of view.
“It would have been humiliating to lose to a side who had had a draw and three defeats as the previous results of their five-match tour, yet no-one who has been in regular touch with those likeable tourists, against whom the cards have been stacked since the tour dates were arranged, would have like to see them trounced.
“In fact,” he continued, “Scotland might well have won by a greater margin if their threequarter line had matched up to their forwards and half-backs. “ But he observed that never in modern times “has a Springbok pack been outplayed as this one was.”
The Scottish side that day was S.Wilson (London Scottish), captain; D.J. Whyte (Edinburgh Wanderers), J.A.P. Shackleton (London Scottish), I.H.P. Laughland (London Scottish) and W.D. Jackson (Hawick); D.H. Chisholm (Melrose) and A.J. Hastie (Melrose); N. Suddon (Hawick), F.A.L. Laidlaw (Melrose), D.M.D. Rollo (Howe of Fife), P.K. Stagg (Sale), M.J. Campbell-Lamerton (London Scottish), J.P. Fisher (London Scottish), P.C. Brown (West of Scotland) and D. Grant (Hawick).
Read more: Herald Diary
Scotland and South Africa had both been seeking their first victory of the year; and the hosts had finished with the wooden spoon in that year's Five Nations.
The action picture on the right shows the Springboks’ J.Gainsford with the ball.
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