South Africa's strong association with the British rugby union dates back to 1891, when a team captained by William Edward Maclagan arrived on our shores. The visitors, unsurprisingly, won the tour.
In 1896, the British returned under the captaincy of Johnny Hammond, the year after the disastrous Jameson Raid, which had tried to capture Johannesburg and overthrow Paul Kruger's Transvaal government.
To some sections of the Dutch/Afrikaans-speaking population, the tour seemed like the ideal opportunity to settle a simmering score. It was not to be, however: the visitors emerged victorious.
The next visit by Britain took place in 1903, the year following the horrors of the Anglo-Boer War. This side was captained by the popular
