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Blast from the past: Guscott drops in to break Bok hearts

Today in SA sport history: June 28

Lions centre Jeremy Guscott kicks the winning drop goal to give the British and Irish Lions an unbeatable 2-0 series lead during the second Test against the Springboks at Kings Park, Durban in 1997.
Lions centre Jeremy Guscott kicks the winning drop goal to give the British and Irish Lions an unbeatable 2-0 series lead during the second Test against the Springboks at Kings Park, Durban in 1997. (Getty Images)

1924 — Bob Catterall scores 120 for his second consecutive Test century on the opening day of South Africa’s second Test against England at Lord’s. With Fred Susskind making 64, SA totalled 273. England went on to reply with 531/2 declared, featuring a double century by opener Jack Hobbs and two tons and a half-century. The home side went on to win the match by an innings and 18 runs, the exact margin of victory as the first Test in which Catterall also scored 120. 

1975 — Captain Morne du Plessis and winger Tossie Fourie score tries as the Springboks beat France 33-18 at Loftus Versfeld to win the home series 2-0. Flyhalf Gerald Bosch converted both and kicked six penalties, with Fourie adding one three-pointer.

1980 — Left wing Gerrie Germishuys is the hero as the Springboks edge the British and Irish Lions 12-10 in the third Test in Port Elizabeth to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series. The Boks were trailing 6-10 with eight minutes remaining at a rain-lashed Boet Erasmus when the Boks won a line-out. The Lions forwards were slow getting back and Germishuys took a quick throw-in, tossing the ball to Theuns Stofberg, who drove forward before passing back for him to go over for his third try of the series. Naas Botha landed the conversion from just a few metres in from the touchline to secure the win.

1980 — Jon Ekerold wins his second consecutive 350cc race of the season, taking the chequered flag at the Dutch motorcycle grand prix in Assen.

1986 — Dingaan Thobela, one of South Africa’s top boxers of all time, makes his professional debut, beating Quinton Ryan on points over four rounds at the Eldorado Park Stadium.

1991 — Jerry Ngobeni, a one-time Cape featherweight champion, is stopped in the 10th round by American Joey Gamache in Lewiston, Maine, in their fight for the WBA’s vacant junior-lightweight crown. 

1997 — The Springboks outscore the British and Irish Lions by three tries to nil, but they still lose the second Test at King’s Park and with it the three-match series. Fullback Neil Jenkins kicked five penalties and centre Jeremy Guscott one drop to secure an unlikely 18-15 triumph. Fullback Andre Joubert, Percy Montgomery, making his debut at centre, and scrumhalf Joost van der Westhuizen scored the tries, but Henry Honiball, Joubert and Montgomery failed to land a kick at posts between them.

2003 — Jacques Kallis scores 107 against England at the Oval in the opening ODI of the triangular series also featuring Zimbabwe, but South Africa still lose the match by six wickets. English openers Marcus Trescothick and Vikram Solanki both made tons as England chased down 265 needed to win with 25 balls remaining.   

2003 — Flyhalf Louis Koen slots a last-gasp penalty to give the Springboks a lucky 26-25 win over Argentina in Port Elizabeth. The visitors won the try count 3-2.

2009 — Spain, ranked No.1 in the world, edge Bafana Bafana 3-2 in extra time at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in their play-off for third place at the Confederations Cup. Katlego Mphela, substitute for Steven Pienaar, put the hosts ahead in the 73rd minute. But Daniel Guiza netted twice in two minutes to give Spain the lead with just two minutes remaining. Mphela forced the draw with a free kick at the end of regulation time. But Xabi Alonso clinched the match from a free kick in the 107th minute.  

2014 — Flank Marcell Coetzee, wing Lwazi Mvovo and lock Lood de Jager score two tries each as the Springboks romp to a 55-6 victory over Scotland in a one-off Test Port Elizabeth.

2019 — Bongani Zungu heads in a corner kick by Percy Tau as Bafana Bafana beat Namibia in their Africa Cup of Nations group match in Cairo.

2019 — The Proteas down Sri Lanka in a World Cup group match at Chester-le-Street for their second victory of the tournament. Dwaine Pretorius and Chris Morris took three wickets apiece as they bowled out their opponents for 203. Skipper Faf du Plessis (96 not out) and Hashim Amla (80 not out) pushed South Africa to victory in the 38th over.

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