KLA making history one try at a time

SPOTLIGHT: Springbok wing Kurt-Lee Arendse is about to write his name into Springbok folklore, as South Africa face Italy in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, and it wouldn’t be the first time.

Last Saturday, the Bok wing moved level with former Springbok centre Danie Gerber (19 tries in 24 Tests) on the Boks’ best try-scoring ratio per game.

Gerber’s try-scoring ratio per game is the highest ever (79.2 %). Before the first Test against Italy in Pretoria last weekend, Arendse’s try ratio per game was 75%.

He scored the Springboks’ third try in the 29th minute, thus becoming only the second player in Springbok history with a 79% try-scoring ratio per game.

Back in 2022, Arendse also made history when he scored his seventh try in six Test matches when South Africa beat England (27-13) in Round Four of the Nations Series, joining Gerber and Chester Williams by scoring in his sixth consecutive Test.

We know it isn’t all about the numbers, but sometimes they help tell the story. And as they say, “numbers don’t lie”.

It is always difficult, and some would say unfair, to compare the modern-day player with those who played in a different era. That is especially true in the South African context, where players in Gerber’s era had to compete during sport isolation when opposition was sparse.

So we hear you when you say one cannot compare a player like Gerber to Arendse, who faces the best in the world three times more than those Springboks back in the day.

However, historical awareness fosters a healthy appreciation for the infinite variety and depth of modern sport.

There are some players from the amateur era that people believe would not make the grade in the professional game, given the changes in physicality.

Then there are some players who would take to the modern game like a duck to water. Gerber is one of the latter.

So, give credit where credit is due, in both of these magnificent players’ cases, and let’s remind ourselves of what it is that Gerber achieved.

The 24-cap Gerber proved to be nothing short of a freak of nature during his twelve-year international career between 1980 and 1992 and had the full package with ball in hand.

He had the power to sit down tacklers and the pace and swerve to leave them in his wake. His running style and pace are comparable to Christian Cullen’s, or rather, Cullen’s was comparable to his, but then Gerber had the brute strength to complement his agility.

Gerber was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2007, and this is what World Rugby said:

“South Africa’s sporting isolation deprived many rugby fans of the chance to marvel at the skills of one of the game’s most gifted centres.

“Exceptional in attack, Danie Gerber used his searing pace and immense power to score 19 tries from 24 international appearances, a tally that included a hat-trick against England at Ellis Park in Johannesburg in 1984. He also represented the Barbarians on three occasions.

“Having played an integral role in the Springboks’ 3-1 series win over an immensely strong New Zealand Cavaliers outfit in 1986, Gerber bagged a brace against the bona fide All Blacks when South Africa marked its return to Test rugby with a narrow 24-27 loss in August 1992.

“In October that year, the Port Elizabeth-born player scored tries in both away tests against France. His swansong came against England at Twickenham a few weeks later, aged 34.”

Sporting history is important because it offers insights into societal changes, human behaviour, and the evolution of sports.

It also helps us understand how sport has shaped national identities, fostered community, and even influenced cultural narratives. Studying sports history allows us to learn from the past, appreciate the present, and potentially shape a better future in sports and beyond.

But back to Arendse, the man of the moment.

When he scores his next try (he is not in action against Italy this weekend), his name will be etched into history forever.

Either way, he will go down in history as one of the greatest Bok finishers ever.

He is a player who shows up, delivers, and does it with minimal fuss.

Let’s celebrate all our sporting heroes, past and present, without unfair judgment, as all of them sacrificed time to serve the Green and Gold.