2007 South Africa rugby union tour of Europe

The 2007 South Africa rugby union tour of Europe were a series of rugby union matches played in November and December 2007 in Europe featuring the 2007 Rugby World Cup winners South Africa. Although the matches had been arranged well in advance of the World Cup,[1] the mini-tour was seen as an opportunity for South Africa to showcase their talents and to say farewell to their outgoing coach, Jake White, who retired after the second game.[2] In the event, several members of the World Cup squad were unavailable for either game, because of retirement (Os du Randt), injury (Percy Montgomery, Fourie du Preez, Bakkies Botha), club commitments (Butch James), or other reasons (Victor Matfield), and the captain, John Smit, who had just joined French club ASM Clermont Auvergne, was released to play only in the first match.[3]

Week 1

The first match, and the only one with full Test status, was against Wales, on 24 November 2007, at the Millennium Stadium. Although Wales had more possession and dominated territorially, they managed to score just two tries, both from kicks. The first was scored by Welsh full-back Morgan Stoddart, who was making his Test debut. The second, the result of a bad mistake by Springbok full-back Ruan Pienaar, was scored by Colin Charvis; it was his 22nd Test try, a new record for a forward in Test rugby. South Africa made better use of their more limited possession, scoring five tries, including one by Ryan Kankowski, also a Test debutant, as the world cup winners won the match 34–12.[4][5]

24 November 2007
14:45 GMT
Wales  12–34  South Africa
Try: Charvis 39' m
Stoddart 53' c
Con: Hook (1/2)
 Report[6] Try: Smith 20' c
Fourie (2) 28' m, 31' c
Pietersen 44' c
Kankowski 67' m
Con: A. Pretorius (3/4)
Pen: F. Steyn (1/1) 3'
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Attendance: 56,000
Referee: Chris White (England)
FB15Morgan Stoddart 69'
RW14Mark Jones
OC13Sonny Parker
IC12Gavin Henson
LW11Tom Shanklin
FH10James Hook 76'
SH9Dwayne Peel 53'
N88Jonathan Thomas
OF7Robin Sowden-Taylor
BF6Colin Charvis (c) 61'
RL5Alun Wyn Jones
LL4Ian Evans 53'
TP3Gethin Jenkins
HK2Huw Bennett 53'
LP1Rhys M. Thomas 69'
Replacements:
HK16T. Rhys Thomas 53'
PR17Duncan Jones 69'
LK18Luke Charteris 53'
FL19Alix Popham 61'
SH20Mike Phillips 53'
FH21Ceri Sweeney 76'
FB22Tom James 69'
Coach:
Nigel Davies
FB15Ruan Pienaar
RW14JP Pietersen 75'
OC13Jaque Fourie
IC12François Steyn
LW11Bryan Habana
FH10André Pretorius 59'
SH9Ricky Januarie 78'
N88Ryan Kankowski 78'
OF7Juan Smith
BF6Schalk Burger
RL5Johann Muller
LL4Bakkies Botha 40'
TP3CJ van der Linde 75'
HK2John Smit (c)
LP1Jannie du Plessis 64'
Replacements:
HK16Bismarck du Plessis 77' to 80' 75'
PR17Heinke van der Merwe 64'
LK18Albert van den Berg 48' to 58' 40'
N819Hilton Lobberts 78'
CE20Wynand Olivier 59'
WG21Akona Ndungane 75'
FB22Conrad Jantjes 78'
Coach:
Jake White

Week 2

The second match, at Twickenham on 1 December 2007, saw a Springbok XV facing a Barbarians side that included such big names as Jerry Collins, Martyn Williams, Matt Giteau, and the retiring Jason Robinson. The Barbarians' plans were disrupted when the English Premier clubs decided not to allow players to be released,[7] and the Irish provinces followed suit. As a result, Brian O'Driscoll, who had been named to captain the side, had to withdraw, as did Andrew Sheridan of Sale Sharks, but Mark Regan of Bristol defied the ban and led the Barbarians,[8] an act for which he was later sanctioned by his club.[9] The match itself proved to be somewhat one-sided affair, the lacklustre Springboks, who included just five World Cup final starters, losing 22–5 to a Barbarians side that played with flair and creativity. The Barabarians scored three tries, the South Africans only one, scored by Barend Pieterse, who was making his first appearance in a Springbok jersey in place of Schalk Burger, who had broken his nose in the game against Wales.[10][11][12]

1 December 2007
15:00 GMT
Barbarians 22–5  South Africa
Try: Giteau 18' m
M. Williams 40' c
Elsom 42' c
Con: Giteau (2)
Pen: Giteau 3'
 Report[13] Try: Pieterse 34' m
Twickenham Stadium, London
Attendance: 58,186
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)
FB15 Jason Robinson 68'
RW14 Joe Rokocoko
OC13 Conrad Smith 58'
IC12 Ma'a Nonu
LW11 Isoa Neivua 63'
FH10 Matt Giteau
SH9 Justin Marshall
N88 Jerry Collins
OF7 Martyn Williams
BF6 Rocky Elsom
RL5 Brent Cockbain 51'
LL4 Justin Harrison 63'
TP3 Federico Pucciariello
HK2 Mark Regan (c) 51'
LP1 Salesi Ma'afu 51'
Replacements:
HK16 Schalk Brits 51'
PR17 JD Moller 51'
LK18 Troy Flavell 51'
FL19 Michael Owen 63'
FH20 Peter Grant 68'
CE21 Tom Shanklin 58'
WG22 Ben Cohen 63'
Coach:
Eddie O'Sullivan
FB15Ruan Pienaar
RW14Akona Ndungane
OC13Jaque Fourie
IC12François Steyn
LW11Bryan Habana
FH10André Pretorius 33'
SH9Ricky Januarie 43'
N88Ryan Kankowski
OF7Juan Smith
BF6Barend Pieterse 66'
RL5Johann Muller (c)
LL4Johan Ackermann 54'
TP3CJ van der Linde 75'
HK2Bismarck du Plessis 71'
LP1Jannie du Plessis 43' 75'
Replacements:
HK16Tiaan Liebenberg 71'
PR17Heinke van der Merwe 43'
LK18Albert van den Berg 54'
N819Hilton Lobberts 66'
CE20Wynand Olivier 33'
WG21Wayne Julies
FB22Conrad Jantjes 43'
Coach:
Jake White

References
  1. Hands, David (24 November 2007). "Match against world champions provides Welsh with chance to prove their point". Times Online. London: Times Newspapers. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
  2. Kitson, Robert (22 November 2007). "South Africa captain calls for a White-hot farewell". Guardian Unlimited. London: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
  3. "Springboks name testing Cardiff line-up". Guardian Unlimited. London: Guardian News and Media. 21 November 2007. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
  4. Jones, Stephen (25 November 2007). "South Africa run Wales into submission". The Sunday Times. London: Times Newspapers. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
  5. Butler, Eddie (25 November 2007). "Wales are devoured by Burger with relish". The Observer. London: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
  6. "Wales 12-34 South Africa". BBC News. 24 November 2007. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  7. Hands, David (27 November 2007). "Clubs refuse to let Mark Regan and Andrew Sheridan play for Barbarians". Times Online. London: Times Newspapers. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
  8. Rees, Paul (29 November 2007). "Regan is Premier Rugby's Baa-Baa black sheep". Guardian Unlimited. London: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
  9. "Regan punished after Baa-Baas row". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 4 December 2007. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
  10. Barnes, Stuart (2 December 2007). "Baa-Baas magic lives on". The Sunday Times. London: Times Newspapers. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
  11. Cain, Nick (2 December 2007). "World caves in on champions". The Sunday Times. London: Times Newspapers. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
  12. Butler, Eddie (2 December 2007). "Baa-Baas laugh off the goodbyes". The Observer. London: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
  13. "Barbarians 22-5 South Africa". BBC News. 1 December 2007. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
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