Blast from the past: Prop Le Roux’s Bok career bites the dust

Today in SA sports history: July 23

1960 — The All Blacks win the second Test at Newlands 11-3 to draw level in the four-match series. Colin Meads, playing at eighthman, scored the only try for the visitors, with fullback Don Clarke adding the conversion, a penalty and a drop. Flyhalf Keith Oxlee scored SA’s only points, a try in the first half.

1994 — New Zealand win the second Test at Athletic Park in Wellington 13-9 to take an unassailable lead in the three-match series. But the match was remembered for Springbok prop Johan le Roux biting the ear of New Zealand skipper Sean Fitzpatrick during a ruck, to the point that it dripped with blood — and this was three years before Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield’s ear. Le Roux said he had lost control after being shoulder-charged and then pinned down by Fitzpatrick. Le Roux was banned for 19 months. As for the actual match, eighthman Zinzan Brooke and wing John Timu scored tries for the home side, with fullback Shane Howarth adding a penalty. For the visitors, fullback Theo van Rensburg slotted three penalties.

1996 — Penny Heyns becomes the first South African to win two Olympic golds at a single Games since tennis player Charles Winslow in 1912, as she wins the 200m breaststroke. Having won the 100m breaststroke crown two days earlier, she takes the four-lap race in a 2 min 25.41 sec Olympic record to become the first — and so far only — woman to win the breaststroke double at a single Games.

2001 — Roland Schoeman becomes the first South African to win a world long-course championship medal, taking a share of third place in the 50m freestyle in Fukuoka. Schoeman and Japanese swimmer Tomohiro Yamanoi clocked 22.18 sec for bronze behind Olympic champion Anthony Ervin of the US (22.09) and Holland’s Olympic 100m freestyle king Pieter van den Hoogenband (22.16).

2005 — Wing Breyton Paulse and replacement Schalk Burger are yellow-carded, but the Springboks still beat Australia 33-20 in a Mandela Cup match at Ellis Park. Both teams scored three tries, but Percy Montgomery’s boot made the difference, with three conversions and four penalties.

2011 — Australia score five tries as they down the Springboks 39-20 in a Tri-Nations match in Sydney. Chiliboy Ralepelle and captain John Smit dotted down for SA.

2013 — The Proteas go 0-2 down in the five-match series as they lose the weather-shortened second ODI against Sri Lanka in Colombo by 17 runs. The hosts made 223/9 in 49.2 overs, but SA’s target was revised to 122 from 21 overs.

2018 — Theunis de Bruyn scores 101, but it’s in vain as the Proteas slump to a 199-run defeat in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo, losing the two-match series 0-2. SA’s left-arm spinner, Keshav Maharaj, took nine wickets in the first innings for a career-best match haul of 12/283.