A former Springbok coach has died

SPOTLIGHT: On Thursday morning former Springbok coach John Williams passed away following a battle with leukaemia.

The 78-year-old Williams was the first Springbok coach post-isolation.

Mark Alexander, President of SA Rugby, paid tribute to Williams, stating: “John Williams was one of only six people who played for South Africa and then also coached the Boks after unity in 1992, along with Carel du Plessis, Nick Mallett, Rudolf Straeuli and Rassie Erasmus.

“He was a tough-as-nails lock and a great lineout jumper, and because of his knowledge of the game, he had a successful career in coaching, although the return to the Test arena in 1992 was a difficult time for the Boks.

“The Bulls teams from the late 1980s carried the hallmark of his coaching and were almost unstoppable as they dominated the local rugby scene for a number of years.

“As a true rugby man, John plowed back into the game after he had hung up his boots and he remained a loyal supporter of both the Bulls and the Springboks. Our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones in this very sad time of bereavement.”

The 2.01m Williams coached the Springboks for five Tests in 1992, winning only one. He will go down as one of the least successful Bok coaches, but he was more than that.

His influence on Northern Transvaal, first as a player and later as a coach, was undeniable. As a Springbok, he was unmatched in the line-outs.

When he was appointed as Bok coach, he was thrown into the deep end with just two days’ notice, He had the impossible task of preparing the Boks to face the All Blacks at Ellis Park as South Africa returned to international rugby.

The Boks lost 24-27 and a week later went down 3-26 to Australia at Newlands in Cape Town.

His time as Springbok coach ended abruptly after the tour to France and England and he was subsequently replaced by Ian McIntosh after four losses and one win.

Williams, born in 1946 in Johannesburg, was Springbok No. 450 and only played 13 Test matches during the isolation years from 1971 to 1976.

He made his Springbok debut at the age of 24 against France in Bloemfontein winning 22-9, and played his last Test for South Africa, aged 29, against New Zealand, also in Bloemfontein.

Because of his height, Williams was a tower of strength in the line-out, quickly landing him the nickname Jolly Jumper. He was an excellent scrummager too, because he had the strength, but it was his line-out work that made him exceptional.

No one had a chance against him when he went up for the ball in the front of the line-out, where he invariably towered. That is one of the reasons why Northern Transvaal’s line-out work is still something they pride themselves on – Williams, who coaches them, was a true authority on this vital aspect of the game.

Williams enjoyed his rugby at the Bulls for the entirety of his local career, playing from the mid-1960s into the 1970s. This coincided with the Bulls’ dominant run, where they secured the Currie Cup trophy an incredible six times between 1966 and 1976.

He shared the pitch with legends like Frik du Preez, Syd Nomis, Piet Visagie, and Piet Greyling.

In 1976, South Africa beat the All Blacks 3-1 in a series at home. Williams was in action in the first test in Durban, but in the second in Bloemfontein, he broke his nose. It signaled the end of his playing career.

At the age of 30, he retired and went on to do his doctoral degree in Canada.

After his retirement, he would come back to coach the Bulls from 1987 to 1991, experiencing similar success as a provincial coach.

Williams has the unique distinction of winning the Currie Cup three times as a player (1973-74-75) and three times as a coach (1987-88-89). The 1989 title was shared with WP (16-16).

Later in life, Williams spent 20 years on the family farm Mayholme in Limpopo where he farmed livestock and game. He was also a former chairman of Agri Limpopo and won the province’s Farmer of the Year award.

He had three children with his first wife, Martie, who passed away in 2003 – Elmien, Lianie and Boeta. He was later married to Mariana.