1912–13 South Africa rugby union tour of Europe

1912–13 South Africa rugby union tour of Europe
Manager	Max 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 tour	1906–07 Europe
Next tour	1921 Aus & NZ

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.

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

Match summary

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

  Test matches

#	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

Monmouthshire

Team details

Monmouthshire HA James (Abertillery), W Davies (Brynmawr), J Wetter (Newport), R Plummer (Newport), WJ Thomas (Abertillery), E Marsh (Abertillery), R Lloyd (Pontypool), Rees Thomas (Pontypool), F Talbot (Pontypool), E Stephens (Pontypool), T Davies (Pontypool), F Andrews (Pontypool), J Webb (Abertillery), J Hennessy (Rhymney), J Williams (Newport) South Africa PG Morkel, EE McHardy, WA Krige, FJ Dobbin, MJ Mills, FP Luyt, GM Wrentmore, ET Delaney, EH Shum, SH Ledger, AS Knight, TF van Vuuren, LH Louw, ET Delaney, WA Millar (capt.)

Glamorgan

Team details

Glamorgan P Howells (Penarth), G Heslop(Penarth), T Evans (Cardiff), William Davies (capt.) (Swansea), B Lewis (Swansea), J Rogers (Cardiff), Clem Lewis (Cardiff),W Jenkins (Cardiff), E Mithan (Cardiff), Bob Hayward (Llwynypia), W Hopkins (Aberavon), Harry Hiams (Llanelli), Glyn Stephens (Neath), T Williams (Swansea), T Morgan (Swansea) South Africa PG Morkel, JA Stegmann, RR Luyt, JWH Morkel, MJ Mills, FP Luyt, JH Immelman, ET Delaney, TF van Vuuren, WH Morkel, AS Knight, JAJ Francis, G Thompson, DF Morkel, WA Millar (capt.)

Llanelli

Team details
Llanelli F Rees, J Evans, W Watts, J Owen Davies, E Thomas, L Bennett, D Lloyd, S Phillips, G Evans, R Williams, DM Job, AJ Stacey (capt.), J Morgan, H Hiams, T Williams South Africa JJ Meintjies, EE McHardy, WA Krige, JWH Morkel, FJ Dobbin (capt.), JD McCulloch, EH Shum, SN Cronje, SH Ledger, JAJ Francis, LH Louw, A van der Hoff, JS Braine, JD Luyt, G Thompson

Newport

Team details
Newport H Wreford, Billy Geen, Walter Martin capt., J Wetter, Fred Birt, Reg Plummer, Tommy Vile, Jack Beames, J Williams, Harry Wetter, C Anderson, A Bell, R Dibble, Harry Uzzell, AR Williams South Africa JJ Meintjies, JA Stegmann, RR Luyt, GM Wrentmore, A van der Hoff, FP Luyt, JH Immelman, ET Delaney, JS Braine, JD Luyt, AS Knight, TF van Vuuren, G Thompson, DF Morkel, WA Millar (capt.)

Scotland

Team details

Scotland Walter Dickson, Walter Sutherland, Alex Angus, AW Gunn, James Pearson, James Boyd, Eric Milroy, Patrick Blair, Lewis Robertson, WDCL Purves, David Howie, David Bain, JMB Scott, J Dobson, FH Turner capt. South Africa PG Morkel, JA Stegmann, RR Luyt, JWH Morkel, EE McHardy, FP Luyt, FJ Dobbin capt., JD Luyt, SH Ledger, G Thompson, TF van Vuuren, JAJ Francis, DFT Morkel, WH Morkel, AS Knight

Ireland

Team details
Ireland South Africa Ireland CP Stuart, R Watson, GW Holmes, JB Minch, M Abraham, RA Lloyd capt., HM Read, G. S. Brown, RB Burgess, SBB Campbell, H Moore, C Adams, R d'A Patterson, FG Schute, JJ Clune South Africa PG Morkel, JA Stegmann, RR Luyt, JWH Morkel, EE McHardy, FP Luyt, FJ Dobbin, WA Millar capt., SH Ledger, G Thompson, TF van Vuuren, JAJ Francis, DFT Morkel, WH Morkel, AS Knight

Wales

Team details

Wales Bobbie Williams (Cardiff), Billy Geen (Newport), Fred Birt (Newport), Billy Spiller (Cardiff), Reg Plummer (Newport), Horace Thomas (Swansea), Tommy Vile (Newport) (capt.), F Andrews (Pontypool), Rees Thomas (Pontypool), F Perrett (Neath), Glyn Stephens (Neath), Percy Jones (Newport), Harry Wetter (Newport), Bert Hollingdale (Swansea), Johnnie Morgan (Llanelli) South Africa PG Morkel, JA Stegmann, RR Luyt, JWH Morkel, EE McHardy, FP Luyt, FJ Dobbin, JAJ Francis, JD Luyt, AS Knight, TF van Vuuren, G Thompson, WH Morkel, DF Morkel, WA Millar (capt.)

Neath

Team details
Neath G Gethin, H Richards, G Rees, T Owen Jones, T John, F Rees, S Evans, F David (capt.), T Jenkins, F Perrett, W Hopkins, J Pullman, W Davies, G Stephens, TC Lloyd South Africa PG Morkel, A van der Hoff, RR Luyt, JWH Morkel, MJ Mills, FP Luyt, JH Immelman, EH Shum, JAJ Francis, ET Delaney, AS Knight, WH Morkel, G Thompson, DF Morkel, WA Millar (capt.)

Cardiff

Team details
Cardiff RF Williams, W Bowen, Billy Spiller (capt.), T Evans, WT Grassmore, Clem Lewis, J Rogers, WJ Jenkins, C Palmer, A Barker, JS Michael, J Birch, F Gaccon, T Mithan, A Green South Africa PG Morkel, JA Stegmann, RR Luyt, JWH Morkel, EE McHardy, FP Luyt, JH Immelman, FJ Dobbin, JAJ Francis, JD Luyt, AS Knight, TF van Vuuren, G Thompson, DF Morkel, WA Millar (capt.)

Swansea

Team details
Swansea D Williams, Howell Lewis, WJ Trew (capt.), T Williams, F Williams, O Jenkins, Sidney Jerram, E Morgan, David John Thomas, B Williams, Tom Morgan, B Hollingdale, G Evans, H Moultan, G Hayward South Africa PG Morkel, JA Stegmann, RR Luyt, JWH Morkel, WJ Mills, FP Luyt, FJ Dobbin, SH Ledger, JAJ Francis, JD Luyt, AS Knight, WH Morkel, G Thompson, DF Morkel, WA Millar (capt.)

England

Team details

England South Africa England William Johnston, Cyril Lowe, FM Stoop, RW Poulton, VHM Coates, W. J. A. Davies, WI Cheesman, JAS Ritson, Norman Wodehouse, SEJ Smart, JA King, LG Brown, AL Kewney, Jenny Greenwood, CH Pillman South Africa PG Morkel, JA Stegmann, RR Luyt, JWH Morkel, EE McHardy, FP Luyt, JD McCulloch, SH Ledger, JAJ Francis, EM Shum, AS Knight, WH Morkel, TF van Vuuren, DF Morkel, WA Millar (capt.)

France

Team details
France South Africa France FB J Caujolle, G Andre, M Bruneau, J Sentilles, P Jaureguy, A Chatau, M Hedembaigt, P Mauriat, JR Pascarel, H Tilh, P Mouniq, M Leuvielle capt., M Legrain, F Forgues, M Communeau South Africa PG Morkel, JA Stegmann, JWH Morkel, RR Luyt, EE McHardy, J Immelman, J McCulloch, D Morkel, T van Vuuren, A Knight, W Morkel, SH Ledger, JAJ Francis, WA Millar capt., J Luyt

Bibliography

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

External links

HistoryPlayersCompetitions and trophiesRelated teamsMatches

World Cup finals	1995 2007 2019 2023
By opponent	Argentina Australia Barbarians British & Irish Lions England France Ireland Italy New Zealand Scotland Wales
See also	New Zealand (1992)

Tours

Argentina and South America	1932 1959 1966 1972 1980 1993 1996 2000 2005
Australia	1921 1937 1956 1965 1971 1993
Europe	1906–07 1912–13 1931–32 1951–52 1960–61 1965 1969–70 1992 1994 1996 1997 1998 2000 2001 2002 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
New Zealand	1921 1937 1956 1965 1981 1994
North America	1981 2001