Blast from the past: Wales pip Boks despite gallant fightback

Today in SA sports history: December 2

1950 — World bantamweight champion Vic Toweel scores a record 14 knock-downs as he stops Danny O’Sullivan of England in the 10th round at the Wembley Stadium in Johannesburg. That remains the highest number of knock-downs scored in a world title fight.

1960 — Eileen Hurly scores an unbeaten 96 on the opening day of the first-ever cricket Test played by the SA women’s cricket team. They took on England at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth at the start of a four-match series as they became only the fourth women’s team to play international cricket, after England, Australia and New Zealand. The first women’s Test had been contested between Australia and England in Brisbane in 1934. SA, captained by Sheila Nefdt, drew the opening match, played over three days, with a rest day included. The visitors, on 202/4 in the second innings, were 83 runs short of victory when stumps were drawn.

1992 — Welcome Ncita loses his IBF junior-featherweight crown in controversial fashion when he’s knocked out by American challenger Kennedy McKinney in the 11th round of their bout in Tortoli, Italy. Ncita, making the seventh defence of the belt he’d won in 1990, forced the 1988 Olympic gold medallist to turn his back on the action early in the 11th round, which effectively signalled his surrender. But American referee Steve Smoger gave him a count instead. Ncita chased him around the ring after that, but got careless and was felled by a single right hand that kept him down for the full count. The Ring magazine made this their knockout of the year.

2000 — Neil McKenzie scores 120 to lift the Proteas to a first-innings lead of 63 runs over New Zealand in the second Test at St George’s Park. SA, after bowling out the visitors for 148 in their second innings, went on to win by seven wickets.

2000 — England flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson punishes the Springboks as he lands six penalties to help his team to a 25-17 win at Twickenham. Springbok flyhalf Braam van Straaten scored SA’s only try and added four penalties of his own. Centre Will Greenwood scored England’s only try, converted by Wilkinson.

2017 — The Springboks are beaten 22-24 by Wales in their final end-of-tour match at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. At three tries apiece, the difference ended up being a single conversion missed by flyhalf Handré Pollard. Wales had raced into a 21-3 lead 33 minutes into the match, and the Boks did well to fight back to take a 22-21 lead in the 55th minute, but Welsh fullback Leigh Halfpenny won the match with a penalty in the 67th minute. This was coach Allister Coetzee’s last match in charge of the Boks.