New Zealand’s rugby team can seem unbeatable at times. For many nations, that is literally true.
Two of the Home Nations, Scotland and Ireland, have never beaten the All Blacks. Argentina plays New Zealand at least twice a year now, and every time they line up, they are chasing their maiden win.
With the exception of South Africa, France, England, and Australia, most teams know they will never beat New Zealand.
But there is an All Black scalp in Bulawayo. It was taken on the 27th of July in 1949.
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe. The name Bulawayo comes from the SiNdebele word “KoBulawayo” which means “a place where he is being killed.” known as the City of Kings.
Situated in the southwest, on the pathway between Harare and its large southern neighbour, the city is currently the hotbed of opposition to the oppressive government of Robert Mugabe.
Sanitation is struggling – there was even a cholera outbreak recently, and water is in short supply. It is a high place, and even though it lies in the tropics, their winters are dry and cool.
And in this place, the All Blacks were beaten by then Rhodesia. The score was 10-8. That is what the books say. That is a fact.
Also, it should be pointed out that Rhodesia was at that time a ‘province’ for purposes of South African rugby, and their players aspired to play for South Africa.
Still, Rhodesia/Zimbabwe has beaten the All Blacks.
How did that happen?
New Zealand was led on tour by Fred Allen, who had too many challenges to overcome, and wound up winning only 14 of the 25 matches played (four were draws), including an 0-4 whitewash during the four Tests against the Springboks.
Allen and his team sailed on a tiny ship without space to train, they were without top class Maori players due to South Africa’s racial policies, their hot and dusty itinerary using local transportation was punishing, and it must be said, some very dodgy ruck refereeing.
To be fair, Allen was also forced to be de facto coach and manager, as both were elderly and in poor health.
But the tours in those days had similar complaints for all sides. When the Boks went to New Zealand, the sagas were also replete with incredibly arduous sea and train voyages, muddy roads and fields, extreme cold, and odd referee decisions.
But back to Bulawayo. After losing the first Test to South Africa in Cape Town (15-11), the Kiwi tourists took a 26-hour train ride to Johannesburg to play (and beat) Transvaal (13-3). The night of that game, they boarded another train to Bulawayo, and arrived over 24 hours later. A side trip to Victoria Falls (by train) cost them a couple of days of training, and then they played Rhodesia on Wednesday afternoon, 27 July, 1949.
Rhodesia scored two tries against the All Blacks. To put that in perspective, only seven tries were scored against the visitors in the entire 1949 tour.
The All Blacks were surprised by the dash of the Rhodesians, who played a different, open, and attacking brand, distinct from the safety-first South African teams.
The Rhodesians wore hooped jerseys; the All Blacks in their traditional all dark uniforms.
Two Rhodesian players, the big, fast flanker Salty du Rand and centre Ryk van Schoor, in particular bedevilled New Zealand’s attack, which relied on penetration in the midfield, through aggressive but straightforward running by the inside centre.
Crashball specialist Van Schoor tackled the All Black centres so effectively in the backfield that the entire attack was crippled. New Zealand’s loose forwards did not get to the breakdown in Bulawayo in time.
A New Zealand reporter wrote afterwards: “There is no doubt about it, the Rhodesians deserved to win the game and what is more, the All Blacks themselves were unstinted in their praise for the type of football played by their opponents. There was plenty of movement, and if there was one thing the All Blacks did appreciate, it was the fact that the Rhodesians attempted to score tries.”
Both du Rand and Van Schoor were picked for the second Test between New Zealand and South Africa. Van Schoor, who was living in Rhodesia to seek his fortune as a tobacco farmer, went to play for the Springboks twelve times. He was one of the most feared tacklers in rugby.
New Zealand player Bob Scott called Van Schoor’s defensive abilities “amazing” and wrote: “If you saw a cloud of dust rising from midfield like an atom-bomb cloud, you knew Van Schoor was at work. He was big and strong and nerveless.”
On that day in Bulawayo, Rhodesia played a balanced game, the forwards were fit for 80 minutes and linked with the backs. The first try was scored on cross kick from flyhalf to wing. The second was scored from a steal by a prop, who passed to a flanker named Claude Jones, who scored on a breakaway.
New Zealand scored two tries in their comeback attempt, but failed to convert from the corner and Rhodesia hung on for a famous victory.
To prove it was not a fluke, Rhodesia drew 3-3 with the All Blacks three days later in Salisbury (Harare).
Will something like this ever happen again?
Martin
Guest
This comment did not age well. :silly:
Kevin Pope
Guest
We need to have IRB financial assistance & authority over all the International Teams to release their Current Zimbabwe/Rhodesia & Zambia Born Bred (& Mostly Schooled) Rugby International Players Eg Australia has David Pocock ( Zim nee Southern Rhodesia) at Wing Forward Or 8th man- with Scrum half George Gregan( Zambia nee Northern Rhodesia RSA SpringBoks would release The “ Beast “ Matawira ( Zim & ( Churchill/PeterHouse) And Seven other Rhodie/Zim In Gary Teichman; Bob Skinstad Plus 5/6 props/ wings/flyhalf In Noble bench & squad select etc Their is Kriegie Zambia - nee Northern Rhodesia Dave Denton Of Scotland & Zim ( Peterhouse & RSA School) Johnston lock of Scotland Dave Curtis of Ireland Nyanja of USA Eagles Current Flank from Italy & Zim- nee Southern Rhodesia An England squad select from Exeter- Zim - nee Rhodesia ETC - Please add to this Respected Zim/Zam Exporter of QUALITY International Rugby Players Should they ALL be late summer September 2019 Pre RWC in Japan Released To Officially Play New Zealand All Blacks In their final Pre RWC warm up in Our 70th Famous UNBEATEN Two Test Series Win vs NZ AB’s this would mark an Outstanding Deserving Respected Tribute & Very Feasible Relavant Practise International ( Test ) match Venue Victoria Falls - Wonder of The World & where the full touring All Blacks went & played a Practise Game vs a local Livingstone XV Team All the hotels on the Zim & Zam side of Mighty Zambezi River could Sponsor & Offer Free Accomodation Or Very subsidised accom with very Passionate Zim ( Welsh)& Zam Born Rugby Players/Supportes & Hotel /Exclusive Safari Lodge Owners In Allen Moroney-Roberts of Shearwater Village & Peter Jones nee Rusawi & PeterHouse & Own of The RiverClub Are fore runner visionary Planners to Assist Support & Action this I Believe Vital IRB 70th Anniversary Test series match involving the three Countries Zim/Zam/NZ & very much RSA/Aussie & Six Nations Europe plus USA to PLAY Host & Make this PROUD Anniversary Test Touring Two Rugby Matches Happen Again this 2019 & it could also happen on exactly 27 July 2019 as well Yours aye Winstonian & Mashonaland Country Districts & Scottish Regiment Player Kevin ( Brush) Pope
Mattia
Guest
You're a bit cocky and arrogant when you say Ireland and Scotland will never beat All Blacks.Big words,maybe you were sure in 1949 Zimbawe could never beat you and what happened?
Vic
Guest
He actually did, JtE, after realizing we were just students touring. 6 of us sharing a Kombi and a two man tent for 6 weeks..... If I remember correctly he also let us use the showers and phone home to check in with the parents - no mobile phones in those days, and all the tiekie boxes were out of order! Beautiful country, Wankie, Vic Falls, Ruins, Kariba. Wonderful veld, a bit different to SA. Locals very friendly.
Lassitude
Guest
Correct about the NZRFU not having the gumption to stand up and say "no Maoris no tour" - notables from the war (like Kippenberger) were incensed, largely because of the value of the Maori battalion and the perceived lack of starch from the South African forces in Egypt. Interestingly SARFU made the same representations about Nicholas Shenadie (being of middle eastern origin) for the 1953 tour- to which the ARU made him vice-captain and nothing further was said.
Jerry
Guest
I can.
Bakkies
Guest
Adrian Garvey was a more than handy prop.
richard
Guest
Essentially an AB B team.Most of the squad stayed home due to work commitments.
JamestheElder
Guest
Lovely story Vic. Had quite a laugh. Hope he gave you breakfast?
JamestheElder
Guest
Thanks Tigranes. A lot of the ex Rhodesians lived or were born in Zambia etc. At that time it was pretty open borders etc. I knew many fine athletes from that part of the world when I was sent there to help train the famous Selous Scouts. Great, great people. Incidentally, the Selous Scouts were born out of much earlier conflicts such as the Kenya problems during the Mau Mau troubles. Originally they were secret units operated by the British using local people. But that is not about rugby. History is always distorted because the victors get to write it!
Tamworth
Guest
Thanks for a good trip back in time. the 1949 tour was an important one as it marked the first tour after the war, and the first time the All Blacks and Springboks had met since Danie Craven's great 1937 Springboks. The team contatined a number of Second world war veterans who had played in the NZ Army team that played in the UK at the end of the war.This included Fred Allen and Bob Scott. An interesting sidelight on Vince Bevan, the Wellington halfback who was left behind - he had to much Maori to tour SA, but not enough to pllay for the maoris. The South Africans were desperate for the tour to go ahead, and had the NZRU had the courage to insist on all their players being picked, the odds are that that the SA government would have given in. It was a disgrace for NZ not to have stood up for JB Smith, who had fought in the desert and in Italy. As a schoolboy, I saw Bob Scott kick goals from halfway - barefoot and both feet. His book "Bob Scott on Rugby"" is a good insight to rugby in those days. The ultimate compliment to the All Blacks is the thrill teams get out of beating them. In Wales they wrote a song about Llanelli's win (Max Boyce), and it is part of Munster's folklore. The All Blacks were generous in defeat in both those games.
Bakkies
Guest
That was England's tour from Hell you can't include that.
Harry Jones
Guest
And that sounds like a movie!
Harry Jones
Guest
Hope so.
Harry Jones
Guest
Cheers, Allanthus. Some of the photos of this tour show almost a V-shaped AB backline. Odd. I'll research
Buzzard
Guest
I tend to forget that match ever took place. Only a fragment of my imagination.
Harry Jones
Guest
Possibly.
Jerry
Guest
They at least beat England in warm up games in 1998. In 1949, they lost every test they played.
Bakkies
Guest
1998 surely? Did you win a test against SA and Aus that year?
Bakkies
Guest
Tatenda Taibu, Henry Olonga.