Blast from the past: HO de Villiers makes mark on Bok debut

Today in SA sports history: July 15

1924 — The SA cricket team lose the third Test against England in Leeds to go down 0-3 in the five-match series.

1967 — Legendary fullback HO de Villiers is one of eight debutants as the Springboks trounce France 26-3 in the first Test in Durban. Wing Corra Dirksen and flanker Piet Greyling, also making his debut, scored two tries apiece, while Jan Ellis went over for SA’s fifth. De Villiers landed four conversions and added a penalty.

2000 — Francois Botha is blown away in the second round by WBC and IBF heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis in London.

2001 — Rowers Donovan Cech and Ramon Di Clemente scoop SA’s first-ever World Cup medal, winning the men’s pair race at the fourth and final event of the season in Munich. They were more than three seconds ahead of Romania. Egypt was third. 

2006 — The Springboks, captained by John Smit, are hammered 49-0 by Australia in a Tri-Nations match in Brisbane, conceding six tries in all.

2015 — The Proteas suffer their first ODI series defeat against Bangladesh, losing the final weather-shortened third match in Chattogram by nine wickets. JP Duminy’s 51 was the best score in SA’s 168/9 off 40 overs. The hosts lost one wicket achieving a victory that earned them a 2-1 series triumph. 

2017 — Sune Luus takes five wickets, but it’s not enough as the SA women’s cricket team lose to Australia by 59 runs in a World Cup group match in Taunton. Chasing 270 to win, opener Laura Wolvaardt top-scored with 71.

2018 — Moruti Mthalane survives a late knock-down as he turns back the clock to recapture the IBF flyweight crown he used to own, outpointing Muhammad Waseem over 12 rounds in Kuala Lumpur. Mthalane had been stripped of the belt in 2013, after he had refused to fight for a paltry purse in what would have been his fifth defence.

2018 — Brad Binder wins his first Moto2 race in his second season in the 600cc class, finishing first in the German motorcycle Grand Prix at Sachsenring.