Thank you for a wonderful series, its with great sadness I watch these videos and see how great the Springboks were, living in New Zealand these days I am constantly bombarded by how great the AB's are and not to take anything away from them but things they are being hailed for these days are actually the way the Boks played 30 and 40 years ago. AB rugby of this vintage is actually Springbok rugby from a bygone era.
MrSweetaz I couldn't agree with you more. It's a falacy that the Boks of the amateur years played boring 10 man rugby. It's simply not true. Springbok sides were known for scoring tries and having potent backs that could run from anywhere. One can only hope that we can somehow get back to the level we belong. Let's hope...
Agreed ..yes the all blacks play attack rugby ..but rugby is a simple game ...let the ball do the work and put a man into space ..the springboks and before them 71 74 lions all did this .. nothing new under sun ..if the boks went back to having mean forwards allied to electric fast three quarters the rugby world would be better for it
I'm from NZ as well. Great to recognise elite players, wherever they come from. Danie is a rugby legend and the best 13 I've ever seen. May we see great players, like him, in the future to grace this great sport.
The Easter Club rugby championship in Durban brought out the best in Danie Gerber in my humble opinion as it did in so many top players. They loved their clubs as much as their provinces and the Boks. Danie in particular went all out for Despatch. The first time Despatch won it, they were complete underdogs but boy did Danie turn up that week.
I also had high regard for Christo Wagenaar from Northern Transvaal and David Smith from my former country Rhodesia. They done both Northern Transvaal, Rhodesian and South African rugby proud. They both deserved their Springbok colours.
gary duplessis I agree but I still like Mannetjies Roux for his tackling and his tries. When Mannejies and Joggie Jansen tackled a guy they don't get up!
@@vanvandervyver2506 Hi Van...memories of the great Rhodesian backline of the 80's...Leroy Duberley, Ray Mordt, Dave Smith (reminded me of the Great John Gainsford), Ian Robertson, Des Christian, Terry Bowes, Billy Lemon, ? Harris, Ian Buchanan, Eric Barrett.
Two brothers in the top 10. Ad a younger brother that's regarded as one of the best ever Bok wings. The Du Plessis brothers has gold written all over them!
Peter whipp the prince of centres,his timing of the pass was magical,a very special centre,most of the centres were strong runners and individualistic,whipp made the backline a unit ,that looked composed,inventive and leathel
@@bonjovi7120 I beg to differ. Whipp was very creative and freed up his outside backs with ease. Johan Oosthuizen really flourished alongside him. Dawie Snyman joining the backline between outside centre and wing. Whipp was instrumental in WP wings seeing a lot of ball. He was just injury prone
It has to be Danie Gerber, even though I was a toddler when he was in his prime. Lukhanyo Am is knocking on the door of this list. The thing about Gerber is that he had that extra size, power and pace. Difficult to compete with. His tries are mostly under the posts, because nobody could bring him down. I wish Danie had played 1995 WC. Jacque Fourie's famous and devastating try against the lions ensured instant top 5 on this list
Joh, this is a hard one. From what I heard on the radio during the 1960s, John Gainsford and Mannetjies Roux were awesome. What I saw with my own eyes from the stands during the 1970s was the magic between Peter Whipp and Johan Oosthuizen. During the 1980, there were incredibly good centre pairings, such as Michael du Plessis and Faffa Knoetze. Ultimately, for me, the greatest centre ever was Danie Gerber. For me, he was the player of the 20th century. (Jammer, Oom Frik, na al die dekades bly dit moeilik vir 'n WP onderstener om te sluk😉)
I remember Danie Gerber at his peak in the early 80s built like a prop but fast and a hard man to tackle. John Gainsford was before my time but legendary All Blacks like Colin Meads and Sid Going rated him as the best centre they had played against.
Gerbers's sidestep at 15:28 was so good his two opponents crashed into each other! Only other player on par with Danie's sidestepping is Cheslin Kolbe.
Cheslin Kolbe isn't even close to Gerber. In fact, I'd go as far to say Kolbe is well overated. When Richie Mounga can catch a guy that has stepped another player, has Mounga at a disadvantage position wise as a result, is on the outside of Mounga; yet Mounga can close him down and catch him with relative ease...... And that commonly occurs with Kolbe. Lots of stepping and running sideways, but not really getting anywhere.
@@MrT67 Yeah, you're right- all that silly sidestepping and running sideways and tries that result from that are all fake, just a show put on for television. Like his sidestepping try against England to win the RWC, all so silly and fake. Like you.
@@MrT67 You've given one example of an instance where Kolbe should have done better (I watched the game and agree with you) but to say "Lots of stepping and running sideways, but not really getting anywhere" is to willfully ignore a good deal of evidence that proves otherwise - you don't have to go far, the video(s) are right here on youtube. It's almost as if you have a personal dislike of the man.
As a humble Kiwi who has seen many many great players...John Gainsford and Danie Gerber were simply the best I have ever seen.Just in another class perhaps with M.RouX just behind? Gainsford was so far ahead of his time...and was better than Gibson who was hailed as the prince of centres. Gerber was just like a very fast,strong elusive Gainsford probably faster than John to be fair. No disrespect but the only Kiwi to come close was Bryan Williams and he was God in NZ!!
Agree, Gerber was in a league of his own - fearless but clever. Dr Danie Craven picked Gerber (together with Mannetjies Roux) as 2 of the best 5 Boks of the Century. Bryan W played in the 1970 AB tour to SA as a right wing. Only Leon Vogel of Free State scored a try past him all tour of 24 matches. At the end of the tour Bryan gave Leon Vogel his AB tie as symbol of respect.
As a Kiwi, Wynand Olvier was a very talented centre in my view. Had Jaque Fourie and Jean De Villiers to contend with at the time, but he was bloody lethal when he got going. Reminds me of Richard Kahui in which both had enormous talent but just missed out on fully capitalising on that talent in the International arena.. Richard Kahui unfortunately through injury and Olivier having to contend with other great springbok centre's.
Totally agree. Andre is a huge man build like an absolute brick. Injury problems stopped him from becoming one of the best players in world rugby of all time. Even though I am a Cheetah, I thought he was one of the best ever.
I realise that i am biased, but John Gainsford played for 7 years, was never ommited from a springbok team. he held the record for most tries. most tries against all blacks, most tests. the allblacks published a team they would least like to face. only 3 centres were featured. one was john gainsford. in 1963, he was regarded the best center on the planet. no south african center has never missed a game in 7 years of playing, sure its different today. i buy that, but ask the centers featured. i am quite sure they wouldnt put my old man at number 7. biased, yes. would it matter to my dad that he was at number 7. no.
+kirk gainsford Hi Kirk, you are allowed to be biased! Like I said in the other comment, it's so hard to compare players from different eras, and perhaps its not fair. Do we think Michael Du Plessis was better than your dad? No, but we left it to the public to vote (which we have now stopped). I'm too young to have ever seen your dad play, but my old man couldn't stop raving about him. In our opinion, Danie Gerber, Mannetjies Roux and John Gainsford were the greatest Bok centres ever. We are making videos each week on the greatest players in each position, you are more than welcome to share your opinion and we'll take it into account when we make these videos. Thanks again for the support and feedback
+kirk gainsford Hi Kirk, I had the great pleasure of growing up in Carnarvon where I had the great pleasure of seeing your dad play rugby. Even a greater pleasure was seeing him and Mannetjies play together! I also used to play at center for De Aar high school, and af course these two were my role models. Great to hear from his son!!
Hi Kirk,In my opinion your father was as we say in New Zealand the best 2nd five eighth to ever tour here.He was along with Danie Gerber the two best centres to have played for the Springbok team.The public vote is skewed by the fact that most are to young to have ever seen him play and there is little footage from his era.
You are referring of course to the best centers in the professional era because centers like Tjol Lategan, Ryk van school, Mannetjies Roux etc were brilliant in the amateur days.
@@PFNel Absolutely. Two fantastic players who complemented each other. Again, this is just my opinion, plus, I don't reallt footage from the 40's and 50's
@ P. F. Nel Copy and paste from a previous comment reply. Great centre but to include Peter Whipp you have to exclude someone else. Who? It's a great list with fantastic memories. Whipp could have been an even better player (in my opinion) perhaps even legendary of the likes of big name centre's had we a better backline. Bayvel a very average #9. Bosche great place kicker (The Golden Boot) but zero tries (??) Pope hmmm...OK.
The best one was NZ winning 15-11, 5 penalties. The 49ers really enjoyed that. There used to be an old rugby joke in NZ. Q: What was the best rugby team to leave NZ? A: The 1937 Springboks.@@RealRugby
When Eastern Province had Danie and Michael Du Plessis playing at centre. Danie's loyalty to EP who did his best and attracted many individual Boks over the years to play with him, rather than the other way around, could never as a team win that Currie Cup
Danie and Michael never played together at EP. Michael played for EP from 1990 - 1992 when Danie left to play for WP. They did however play together for the Springboks in 1986
All good. But taken into account the age of Danie Gerber, and then being the best in the world should make Danie Gerber the top. Amazing skill and ability.
+Gerhard Pietersen Thanks for the support Gerhard! We'll post a new video each week. Also check out our Facebook page where you can vote for your favourite players in each position.
Great video, yet I would prefer to see center pairings rather than individuals. Point is that centers hunt in pairs as shown by the Du Plessis - Gerber pairing. Selectors also select centers as a pair rather than individuals.
Hi Mitch, Yes, unfortunately it has been blocked world wide. Obviously someone doesn't want the world to see how awesome Ray Mordt, Gert Muller and Carel Du Plessis were... If you want a copy, drop me a mail, I can put it in a Google drive/Dropbox folder for you. Cheers mate
Hi Werner. No, it's fine. I have seen it. Just a pity that people want copyright on events that happened so long ago, when we could all see and enjoy it. I mean really, what are they going to do with the footage?
Yeah I know. I'm not an expert on copyright laws, but I'm also not going to push the boundaries. If UA-cam says it's ok to upload, then I'll share it. So far only one or two have been blocked, so I'll take it
@@RealRugby ...and Syd Nomis. Gert Muller had some serious pace of note - bliksem!! aah the good old days of radio and amateur rugby when S. Africa produced some of the finest rugby players.
Great centre but to include Peter Whipp you have to exclude someone else. Who? It's a great list with fantastic memories. Whipp could have been an even better player (in my opinion) perhaps even legendary of the likes of big name centre's had we a better backline. Bayvel a very average #9. Bosche great place kicker (The Golden Boot) but zero tries (??) Pope hmmm...OK.
Peter whipp was the greatest centre in the world not just in South Africa,your list is full of centres that played for themselves selfish and individualistic,they were not created like whipp,he had vision all your other centres were blind
I recall a try at Twickenham , involving a World XV which had Gerber at 13 and Carel du Plessis at 11 . The try which started on the World XV 10 yard line involving both players , had the commentator Nigel Starmer Smith at the time saying , it was the best try the Twickenham crowd had ever seen .
gdan , the best center of all times , but a little bitgerber is one of my favorite player but a linncttle bit disappointed for no mention to pter muller , sorry for my english , i"m french
Imagine Joost Van De Westuizen scrum half, Naas Botha fly half and Captain, Danie Gerber and Manetjies Roux Centre's, Brain Abana and Carel Du Plessis Wingers and Cheslin Colbie or Andre Joubert full back, who would beat that team?? Naas Botha will be my greatest rugby player of all time, Danie Gerben the greatest center of all time. I don't think any team any time or period in history could beat that backline. FORWARDS Peter Stef du Toit and Bakkies Botha locks, Frik Du Preez and Hennie Muller flanks and Eben Etzebeth eighth man, Os Du Rant and Beast front row and the hooker Malcom Marx.
Gert Muller / Pierre Spies / Andy van der Watt / Chris Pope / Hermanus Potgieter / Deon van Zyl / Jaco Reinhardt / all wingers that had to work for scoring their try .... not players who want to be " interception specialists"
Pretty good team. I would have Bismark at hooker, locks Bakkies and Victor or Eben and Morne du Plessis at number 8. I would rather have Hannibal at ten and maybe ray Mordt at right wing because both Habana and Carel are left wing players.
Yes they are! I did a poll on my Facebook page and these are the players people voted for. It's not really my opinion. Might be time to do a new vid...
Joggie Jansen absolute killer tackles like NO other (Sorry Japie Mulder :( Didn't Jansen also put the Lions flyhalf out of action with a legal rib breaking tackle? As an individual there is NO other than the "Jesus of centre's" Danie Gerber - vicious sidestep jinx, strong in the tackle; how many times he toyed with the opposition ball in hand!! .....and I'll tell you something else for free folks. Here the Boks are in 2020 with 3 RWC wins. Had the Boks played in 1991, without a doubt the Boks would be looking at 4 RWC wins!! With the team they had then? I laugh at the doubters and haters :p
Tony de Fresnaye Ha ha. Thought so. I think the list is good. We had a prize at Varsity called “The Jorrie of the week” which was a prize for the guy who made the biggest blunder in the game....
@@jacquesdelaharpe804 Yah I pride myself on my rugby knowledge so you can imagine what a Jorrie I feel. Quickly deleted that comment so please don't tell. Be well, stay safe my mate.
@@augustineminimbi5668 what do you mean "good change"? I try to tell some stories and show highlights of players who played in a different era. I can only use the footage I have available, I don't selectively pick white or Afrikaans players to feature om this channel. If you say "good change", does it mean featuring white players is bad??
@@augustineminimbi5668 not tense at all. I just like good rugby and don't care if it's a white or black player scoring the try. Thanks for the support!
Danie boytjie van despatch. Die beste ooit. Middeburg hoerskool toer 1975. Wen hoerskool cilliers wen framesby wen almal in port elizabeth ook n wen teen brandwag uitenhaag ook n wen teen road alexander p e maar ons verloor ons enigste toerwedstryd teen hoerskool despatch met n briljante danie gerber in diespan. Wat n vooreg om teen hom te kon speel
Not by any wilber force of your imagination......! Are you sure your name is not "Illusional" Wilberforce..? These guys can be lucky they never faced Danie Gerber on the field or they'd run away with their reputations between their legs ...!ha ha
Danie Gerber …. Will forever be the best of the Best . Outstanding
Absolutely - and if anyone would have survived the modern game it would have been Danie...
Danie Gerber - his talent spans all generations. Would be equally devastating in 2024
Have to agree absolutely. Danie Gerber was one of THE great centres of world Rugby and he would have loved the new rugby.
Gerber stepped so hard the opposition tackled each other! What a player! Good video.
Thank you for a wonderful series, its with great sadness I watch these videos and see how great the Springboks were, living in New Zealand these days I am constantly bombarded by how great the AB's are and not to take anything away from them but things they are being hailed for these days are actually the way the Boks played 30 and 40 years ago. AB rugby of this vintage is actually Springbok rugby from a bygone era.
MrSweetaz I couldn't agree with you more. It's a falacy that the Boks of the amateur years played boring 10 man rugby. It's simply not true. Springbok sides were known for scoring tries and having potent backs that could run from anywhere. One can only hope that we can somehow get back to the level we belong. Let's hope...
MrSweetaz Oh, and thanks so much for the support!
As a Kiwi, we sure miss the Springbok s of old, they definitely played great rugby, as is shown here
Agreed ..yes the all blacks play attack rugby ..but rugby is a simple game ...let the ball do the work and put a man into space ..the springboks and before them 71 74 lions all did this .. nothing new under sun ..if the boks went back to having mean forwards allied to electric fast three quarters the rugby world would be better for it
Aaaand the Boks are the world champs again!
The All Blacks can thank their lucky stars they saw so little of Danie.
Chris Reynecke -Agree, wish SA can produce more of the quality.
Mate I'm from NZ and totally agree, The best and would be the best if playing now
I'm from NZ as well. Great to recognise elite players, wherever they come from. Danie is a rugby legend and the best 13 I've ever seen. May we see great players, like him, in the future to grace this great sport.
NZ have 5 world class centers at that time
@thefobbie sally Vaughn
For sure- Danie Gerber maybe the best center SA ever produced, by a mile!!!
No doubt about that - Danie Gerber - The Greatest Centre the world has ever seen.
Best attacking centre yes, but not on defence.
Just wish all the new provincial players and springboks can watch this... These guys have serious skills...
And back in the "old days", these guys had a 9-5 job...
The Easter Club rugby championship in Durban brought out the best in Danie Gerber in my humble opinion as it did in so many top players. They loved their clubs as much as their provinces and the Boks. Danie in particular went all out for Despatch. The first time Despatch won it, they were complete underdogs but boy did Danie turn up that week.
I also had high regard for Christo Wagenaar from Northern Transvaal and David Smith from my former country Rhodesia. They done both Northern Transvaal, Rhodesian and South African rugby proud. They both deserved their Springbok colours.
Chris to wagenaar is my doctor now and we talk rugby and golf when I go to him
with wagenaar best centre in world rugby
@@johanndewit4771 Christo was my doctor when i grew up and stayed in Durban.
Just reminded me of David Smith. He was a fantastic player.
No one better than danie gerber
Also David Smith from my former beloved country Rhodesia
@@vanvandervyver2506 Ian Robertson is also an honourable mention
Best center I've seen never got his true status due to isolation of boycott
gary duplessis I agree but I still like Mannetjies Roux for his tackling and his tries. When Mannejies and Joggie Jansen tackled a guy they don't get up!
@@vanvandervyver2506 Hi Van...memories of the great Rhodesian backline of the 80's...Leroy Duberley, Ray Mordt, Dave Smith (reminded me of the Great John Gainsford), Ian Robertson, Des Christian, Terry Bowes, Billy Lemon, ? Harris, Ian Buchanan, Eric Barrett.
Hel Faffa Knoetze! Haven't heard that name since Primary school. Damn this brings back good memories.
Makes us about the same age. He was great to watch!
Two brothers in the top 10. Ad a younger brother that's regarded as one of the best ever Bok wings. The Du Plessis brothers has gold written all over them!
Not forgetting brother Jacques too who also had a very notable career!
Ag, please, Michael Du Plessis was a joke....! Not worth a mention in company such as this. I suspect you have a very heavy "Province" bias....!
@@danielcoetzee5793 Stem saam met jou.
@@danielcoetzee5793 ok blou bul
@@dawiebenjamin3249 Gebruik Hoof letters...!!!
En staan op aandag as jy een aanspreek, slap chips!
Gerber...the greatest centre ever!
Spot on choice. The current Bok pairing de Allende and Am ain't too shabby either
Geez! That tackle from Joggie Jansen is the stuff Horror movies are made from!
And the Afrikaans commentary was hysterical. Such a wonderful language.
@@cherylk6164 Yes it is, altyd lekker om Afrikaans te praat! What is your home language?
Peter whipp the prince of centres,his timing of the pass was magical,a very special centre,most of the centres were strong runners and individualistic,whipp made the backline a unit ,that looked composed,inventive and leathel
Peter Whipp the most brilliant inside centre. Had Danie played with him he would have reached greater heights
agree very much
Peter Whipp was average at best
@@bonjovi7120 I beg to differ. Whipp was very creative and freed up his outside backs with ease. Johan Oosthuizen really flourished alongside him. Dawie Snyman joining the backline between outside centre and wing. Whipp was instrumental in WP wings seeing a lot of ball. He was just injury prone
Agree Peter was very good.
Also it's a pity Pieter Muller missed out. He was a big strong running center that could tackle very well
Totally agree. Another guy that never let his team down is Brendan Venter.
Is there a better description in any language than " 'n skitterende drie"?
It has to be Danie Gerber, even though I was a toddler when he was in his prime. Lukhanyo Am is knocking on the door of this list. The thing about Gerber is that he had that extra size, power and pace. Difficult to compete with. His tries are mostly under the posts, because nobody could bring him down. I wish Danie had played 1995 WC. Jacque Fourie's famous and devastating try against the lions ensured instant top 5 on this list
Joh, this is a hard one. From what I heard on the radio during the 1960s, John Gainsford and Mannetjies Roux were awesome. What I saw with my own eyes from the stands during the 1970s was the magic between Peter Whipp and Johan Oosthuizen. During the 1980, there were incredibly good centre pairings, such as Michael du Plessis and Faffa Knoetze. Ultimately, for me, the greatest centre ever was Danie Gerber. For me, he was the player of the 20th century. (Jammer, Oom Frik, na al die dekades bly dit moeilik vir 'n WP onderstener om te sluk😉)
I remember Danie Gerber at his peak in the early 80s built like a prop but fast and a hard man to tackle. John Gainsford was before my time but legendary All Blacks like Colin Meads and Sid Going rated him as the best centre they had played against.
I WATCHED TO SEE WHERE DANIE GERBER WILL BE....NO 1...IN MY HEAD GREATEST ❤❤❤ DANIE AND CAREL MAGICIANS
Sadly, as a rugby fan from Rhodesia no mention of David Smith also Christo Wagenaar and Joggie Jansen.
Michael du Plessis a rugby genius,the most exciting player that ever graced the rugby field.
Ettiene Botha did not play Springbok rugby, but I rated him highly. He died before his time could have come.
Gerbers's sidestep at 15:28 was so good his two opponents crashed into each other! Only other player on par with Danie's sidestepping is Cheslin Kolbe.
Cheslin Kolbe isn't even close to Gerber. In fact, I'd go as far to say Kolbe is well overated. When Richie Mounga can catch a guy that has stepped another player, has Mounga at a disadvantage position wise as a result, is on the outside of Mounga; yet Mounga can close him down and catch him with relative ease......
And that commonly occurs with Kolbe. Lots of stepping and running sideways, but not really getting anywhere.
@@MrT67 Yeah, you're right- all that silly sidestepping and running sideways and tries that result from that are all fake, just a show put on for television. Like his sidestepping try against England to win the RWC, all so silly and fake.
Like you.
@@MrT67 You've given one example of an instance where Kolbe should have done better (I watched the game and agree with you) but to say "Lots of stepping and running sideways, but not really getting anywhere" is to willfully ignore a good deal of evidence that proves otherwise - you don't have to go far, the video(s) are right here on youtube. It's almost as if you have a personal dislike of the man.
@@garethedwards1926 I see this with Kolbe in plenty of games. It's almost as if you have a personal like of the man.
As a humble Kiwi who has seen many many great players...John Gainsford and Danie Gerber were simply the best I have ever seen.Just in another class perhaps with M.RouX just behind?
Gainsford was so far ahead of his time...and was better than Gibson who was hailed as the prince of centres.
Gerber was just like a very fast,strong elusive Gainsford probably faster than John to be fair.
No disrespect but the only Kiwi to come close was Bryan Williams and he was God in NZ!!
Don't forget Jacques Fourie he was on another level
Agree, Gerber was in a league of his own - fearless but clever. Dr Danie Craven picked Gerber (together with Mannetjies Roux) as 2 of the best 5 Boks of the Century. Bryan W played in the 1970 AB tour to SA as a right wing. Only Leon Vogel of Free State scored a try past him all tour of 24 matches. At the end of the tour Bryan gave Leon Vogel his AB tie as symbol of respect.
Top post,from a bok fan
Somebody should send you a ton of biltong.😆
Just a pitty you couldn't see BETTER players of colour due that sick APARTHEID era
As a Kiwi, Wynand Olvier was a very talented centre in my view. Had Jaque Fourie and Jean De Villiers to contend with at the time, but he was bloody lethal when he got going. Reminds me of Richard Kahui in which both had enormous talent but just missed out on fully capitalising on that talent in the International arena.. Richard Kahui unfortunately through injury and Olivier having to contend with other great springbok centre's.
Wynand seemed to do well with the Bulls at SuperRugby level, but didn’t seem to take step up to international level
thanks for posting this
Thanks for this video!!!
Wonderful pass time during lockdown....thank you.
Put John Gainsford up there next to Danie Gerber, and you'll have the best pairing ever.
Robbie Fleck was part of the world team of l’Equipe (French journal) in the 90s.
For sure, Fleckie was a very good centre! He had great hands, speed and vision...lots of flair.
If Snyman didn't have that issue with his Achilles Heel, he would have been the second-best centre ever... maybe even the best.
Totally agree. Andre is a huge man build like an absolute brick. Injury problems stopped him from becoming one of the best players in world rugby of all time. Even though I am a Cheetah, I thought he was one of the best ever.
I realise that i am biased, but John Gainsford played for 7 years, was never ommited from a springbok team. he held the record for most tries. most tries against all blacks, most tests. the allblacks published a team they would least like to face. only 3 centres were featured. one was john gainsford. in 1963, he was regarded the best center on the planet. no south african center has never missed a game in 7 years of playing, sure its different today. i buy that, but ask the centers featured. i am quite sure they wouldnt put my old man at number 7. biased, yes. would it matter to my dad that he was at number 7. no.
+kirk gainsford Hi Kirk, you are allowed to be biased! Like I said in the other comment, it's so hard to compare players from different eras, and perhaps its not fair. Do we think Michael Du Plessis was better than your dad? No, but we left it to the public to vote (which we have now stopped). I'm too young to have ever seen your dad play, but my old man couldn't stop raving about him. In our opinion, Danie Gerber, Mannetjies Roux and John Gainsford were the greatest Bok centres ever. We are making videos each week on the greatest players in each position, you are more than welcome to share your opinion and we'll take it into account when we make these videos. Thanks again for the support and feedback
+kirk gainsford
Hi Kirk, I had the great pleasure of growing up in Carnarvon where I had the great pleasure of seeing your dad play rugby. Even a greater pleasure was seeing him and Mannetjies play together! I also used to play at center for De Aar high school, and af course these two were my role models. Great to hear from his son!!
@Gainsford - gainsford gets my vote.
Hi Kirk,In my opinion your father was as we say in New Zealand the best 2nd five eighth to ever tour here.He was along with Danie Gerber the two best centres to have played for the Springbok team.The public vote is skewed by the fact that most are to young to have ever seen him play and there is little footage from his era.
What an honour
Just a pitty we never had the chance to see our great coulerd rugby centres
You are referring of course to the best centers in the professional era because centers like Tjol Lategan, Ryk van school, Mannetjies Roux etc were brilliant in the amateur days.
Many of the players mentioned here are from the amateur era, like Danie, Ryk, Joggie, Mannetjies.
He didn't get many chances in the Springbok jersey, but to me there's no doubt that Peter Whipp should at least be in the top 10.
He wad a good player, but didn't play enough tests to make the top 10 in our opinion. David Smith was also fantastic
@@RealRugby What about Ryk van Schoor and Tjol Lategan? I never saw them play, but the old-timers raved about them.
@@PFNel Absolutely. Two fantastic players who complemented each other. Again, this is just my opinion, plus, I don't reallt footage from the 40's and 50's
@ P. F. Nel
Copy and paste from a previous comment reply.
Great centre but to include Peter Whipp you have to exclude someone else. Who? It's a great list with fantastic memories.
Whipp could have been an even better player (in my opinion) perhaps even legendary of the likes of big name centre's had we a better backline. Bayvel a very average #9. Bosche great place kicker (The Golden Boot) but zero tries (??) Pope hmmm...OK.
Power, speed, acceleration, lethal sidestep and a rugby brain. Best of all time, likely forever.
Who?
Danie Gerber of course!
Oh sorry don't know him@@ivorilanahorwitz9300
Looking forward to Lukhanyo Am joining your group.
Botha - Gainsford - Gerber would demolish any team in history. And I'm a Kiwi. Seen them all.
A Kiwi that knows his rugby... What a combo
But only at Ellis Park with a 1949 referee. (You asked for it).@@RealRugby
@@intercept6741 Hahahaha. I think they can take on the All Blacks at Eden Park with a 1981 Welsh referee....
The best one was NZ winning 15-11, 5 penalties. The 49ers really enjoyed that. There used to be an old rugby joke in NZ. Q: What was the best rugby team to leave NZ? A: The 1937 Springboks.@@RealRugby
Vs Carter-nonu-umaga,,,great match up
When Eastern Province had Danie and Michael Du Plessis playing at centre. Danie's loyalty to EP who did his best and attracted many individual Boks over the years to play with him, rather than the other way around, could never as a team win that Currie Cup
Danie and Michael never played together at EP. Michael played for EP from 1990 - 1992 when Danie left to play for WP. They did however play together for the Springboks in 1986
All good. But taken into account the age of Danie Gerber, and then being the best in the world should make Danie Gerber the top. Amazing skill and ability.
tx fo great video's! IMO I would place exchange Willie and Michael du Plessis's positions.
+Gerhard Pietersen Thanks for the support Gerhard! We'll post a new video each week. Also check out our Facebook page where you can vote for your favourite players in each position.
we now need an update and slot in Am. Gerber is my favourite 12 ever!
Great video, yet I would prefer to see center pairings rather than individuals. Point is that centers hunt in pairs as shown by the Du Plessis - Gerber pairing. Selectors also select centers as a pair rather than individuals.
Bang on.
Japie Mulder was Jonu Lomo's nightmare. He never missed a tackle.
As a rugby fan from Rhodesia what a pity that David Smith is not featured and what a shame that he only played 4 tests for South Africa in 1980
Gerber- Legend
Gerber!.....what was that saying about George Best giving defenders "twisted blood".....
Gerber the best outside centre.If you watch Dainie's tries, always the flick of the ball to the kicker. Here, I've done my job, do yours.
My choice:
1. Daniel Gerber
2. Gogogo Cekisani
3. Peter Whipp
These are the best ever South African centres.
The du Plesis brother have got to be amongst the greatest rugby family on earth. Such a pity most of their rugby was played during the apartheid era.
Peter wipp and oosthuien
Jacques Fourie in top 2
1 Gerber
2 Fourie
Yip. Fourie is special, but Gerber was a beaut. And I think Frans Steyn should make the Top 10.
Hi Werner. What happened to the "Greatest Ever Wings" video. It's been blocked for copyright??
Hi Mitch, Yes, unfortunately it has been blocked world wide. Obviously someone doesn't want the world to see how awesome Ray Mordt, Gert Muller and Carel Du Plessis were... If you want a copy, drop me a mail, I can put it in a Google drive/Dropbox folder for you. Cheers mate
Hi Werner. No, it's fine. I have seen it. Just a pity that people want copyright on events that happened so long ago, when we could all see and enjoy it. I mean really, what are they going to do with the footage?
Yeah I know. I'm not an expert on copyright laws, but I'm also not going to push the boundaries. If UA-cam says it's ok to upload, then I'll share it. So far only one or two have been blocked, so I'll take it
@@RealRugby ...and Syd Nomis. Gert Muller had some serious pace of note - bliksem!! aah the good old days of radio and amateur rugby when S. Africa produced some of the finest rugby players.
@@RealRugby I would love to see this "greatest ever wings" video! Can you upload it somewhere? :)
Frans Steyn match winner can play fullback and wing
decent list except for absence of Peter Whipp
Great centre but to include Peter Whipp you have to exclude someone else. Who? It's a great list with fantastic memories.
Whipp could have been an even better player (in my opinion) perhaps even legendary of the likes of big name centre's had we a better backline. Bayvel a very average #9. Bosche great place kicker (The Golden Boot) but zero tries (??) Pope hmmm...OK.
Peter whipp was the greatest centre in the world not just in South Africa,your list is full of centres that played for themselves selfish and individualistic,they were not created like whipp,he had vision all your other centres were blind
That tackle at 7:29! It even hurts while watching it in 2020
That's just gotta hurt! 😳
Michael du Plessis..? How was that knee to the face of the scrum half in front of everyone..?
13:54 say goodbye to the skin on your knees. That field looks hard as nails.
11:20 the sheer determination.
The game was different back in the days
Update add Lukhanyo Am and Daiman De Allende
They won't even rank in my top 20...
@@RealRugby Watch the Space I believe they will develop into one of the best bok centre duo in the next few years
@@NFR213 I hope you prove me wrong. Centres need to be able to pass, hit a gap and put their wings away. These two can't do that
Very average
Gainsford and Gerber best centre,s ever
Vir my die beste senter Danie Gerber
Frans Steyn the best 12 ever!
you smoking what again ?????????
Willie Du Plessis, a great rugbly player but even greater Child of God.
Ok dq, ekt nou mooi gelees RR!
Jaque fourie is the best
Who's better than Andre Snyman & Jappie Mulder??❤❤❤
Danie Gerber
@RealRugby with the ball ja,not shore about Daniel's defence.
And you don't show Gerber's best try ever??? Against the Cavaliers on Newlands in the rain...
Where is Ettiene Botha on this list?
I recall a try at Twickenham , involving a World XV which had Gerber at 13 and Carel du Plessis at 11 .
The try which started on the World XV 10 yard line involving both players , had the commentator Nigel Starmer Smith at the time saying , it was the best try the Twickenham crowd had ever seen .
gdan , the best center of all times , but a little bitgerber is one of my favorite player but a linncttle bit disappointed for no mention to pter muller , sorry for my english , i"m french
Imagine Joost Van De Westuizen scrum half, Naas Botha fly half and Captain, Danie Gerber and Manetjies Roux Centre's, Brain Abana and Carel Du Plessis Wingers and Cheslin Colbie or Andre Joubert full back, who would beat that team?? Naas Botha will be my greatest rugby player of all time, Danie Gerben the greatest center of all time. I don't think any team any time or period in history could beat that backline.
FORWARDS
Peter Stef du Toit and Bakkies Botha locks, Frik Du Preez and Hennie Muller flanks and Eben Etzebeth eighth man, Os Du Rant and Beast front row and the hooker Malcom Marx.
there are better wings bro
@@za9393 who
Gert Muller / Pierre Spies / Andy van der Watt / Chris Pope / Hermanus Potgieter / Deon van Zyl / Jaco Reinhardt / all wingers that had to work for scoring their try .... not players who want to be " interception specialists"
Pretty good team. I would have Bismark at hooker, locks Bakkies and Victor or Eben and Morne du Plessis at number 8. I would rather have Hannibal at ten and maybe ray Mordt at right wing because both Habana and Carel are left wing players.
Ray Mordt instead of Carel
i tell you what, give Rohan Janse van Rensburg a few bok caps, you'll also see one of the best of all time
And?
Danie Gerber - by a mile.
Big Danie fan. Mannetjies was a bit before my time. But SURELY Jean De Villiers & Jaque Fourie & Andre Snyman are better than Michael Du Plessis?!!
Yes they are! I did a poll on my Facebook page and these are the players people voted for. It's not really my opinion. Might be time to do a new vid...
@@RealRugby Didn't realise it was a poll. Great choices anyway and love your channel!
@@colingray9655 thanks for the support! Appreciate it!
@@RealRugby it's exactly the same as cricket . It's only fair that they compare players , by decade .
Superb Superb Jorrie Muller
Danie gerber. N regte LEGEND
No Am?
Yes, they were all good and humble too. It's funny to see how Google translates the commentary and comes up with utter nonsense.
Where would Lukhanyo Am fit in? He must be up there somewhere.
Joggie Jansen absolute killer tackles like NO other (Sorry Japie Mulder :(
Didn't Jansen also put the Lions flyhalf out of action with a legal rib breaking tackle?
As an individual there is NO other than the "Jesus of centre's" Danie Gerber - vicious sidestep jinx, strong in the tackle; how many times he toyed with the opposition ball in hand!! .....and I'll tell you something else for free folks.
Here the Boks are in 2020 with 3 RWC wins. Had the Boks played in 1991, without a doubt the Boks would be looking at 4 RWC wins!! With the team they had then? I laugh at the doubters and haters :p
Boks 1987 team was better than the 91 team
Was all black flyhalf Wayne Cottrell he nailed in the 1970 test series, even Colin Lahore reckons that tackle won the boks that series
Sorry but you people are wrong what about Christo Wagenaar and John Knox this is the best ever Senter pair in South Africa rugby
What is that statement based on Kwagga? If we are wrong and you are right, surely you can back up your statement somehow?
Bha ha you clown🤣🤣
Jean de Villers and Jaque Fourie was the best SA center pairing of all time.....
Danie Gerber het nie sy klas nie beste ooit
How could you ommit the likes of Jorrie Muller? Lol.
Tony de Fresnaye I was making a joke. Jorrie Muller was poor. Maybe you are cunfusing him with Pieter Muller
@@jacquesdelaharpe804 My bad....yes. Sorry.
Tony de Fresnaye Ha ha. Thought so. I think the list is good. We had a prize at Varsity called “The Jorrie of the week” which was a prize for the guy who made the biggest blunder in the game....
@@jacquesdelaharpe804 Yah I pride myself on my rugby knowledge so you can imagine what a Jorrie I feel. Quickly deleted that comment so please don't tell. Be well, stay safe my mate.
Tony de Fresnaye Just had a good laugh! You too mate👍
Michael du Plessis a questionable choice.
I agree that he does not belong in the list. Pieter Muller and Brendan Venter and some of the new players are far better than Michael.
What the f is Jean de Villiers even doing on this list????
Gerber,, Willie du Plessis in beste
6. ek
Danie Gerber het sy teenstanders verwar met sy systappe.
I think Dilliende and Am should really be staking a claim in that top ten Jesse as well only time will tell
Do one for best black players
Why only black players?
@@RealRugby you've done so many for the Afrikaner and Anglo-African players. Surely this would be a good change
@@augustineminimbi5668 what do you mean "good change"? I try to tell some stories and show highlights of players who played in a different era. I can only use the footage I have available, I don't selectively pick white or Afrikaans players to feature om this channel. If you say "good change", does it mean featuring white players is bad??
@@RealRugby no, but it is the status quo. If you do not have footage of black players, no sweat. Why so tense?
@@augustineminimbi5668 not tense at all. I just like good rugby and don't care if it's a white or black player scoring the try. Thanks for the support!
How Robbie Fleck and Marius Joubert didn't make it into the list? Danie Gerber GOAT
Marius Joubert...amazing centre
because all the guys in this top 10 where miles apart from Fleck or Joubert, seriously Joubert you are kidding me right
@@ivanmynhardt
Joubert scored a hat trick against NZ, not too many peoe have done that.
Certainly ahead of Japie Mulder imo.
Lukhanyo am*
you drunk ??
I don't agree with Japie Mulder bring on this list
And they all want to be Bruce Robinson, Bill Osboune, Frank Bunce, Tana Umaga, Ma'a Nonu & too many to mention.
Danie boytjie van despatch. Die beste ooit. Middeburg hoerskool toer 1975. Wen hoerskool cilliers wen framesby wen almal in port elizabeth ook n wen teen brandwag uitenhaag ook n wen teen road alexander p e maar ons verloor ons enigste toerwedstryd teen hoerskool despatch met n briljante danie gerber in diespan. Wat n vooreg om teen hom te kon speel
Not by any wilber force of your imagination......! Are you sure your name is not "Illusional" Wilberforce..?
These guys can be lucky they never faced Danie Gerber on the field or they'd run away with their reputations between their legs ...!ha ha
JdV 🥇🇿🇦