The Worst Punch I Have Seen In Rugby

I say this is the worst punch as it was thrown from behind by Burger Geldenhuys and Andy Dalton didn't know what hit him. The circumstances is what makes it far worse than just a punch. Andy Dalton was playing for the New Zealand Cavaliers which was a rebel All Black team touring South Africa whilst the sporting ban was still in place. South Africa due to the Gleneagles agreement was shunned by the rest of the world due to the Apartheid policies that were going on. These tours offered some international flavor and this team was an All Black team having 28 out of the 30 in the All Black squad at the time.

This was 1986 and the ban would only be lifted in 6 years time with an official Australian tour taking place. The Cavaliers were risking their playing careers and had no idea if they would be allowed back in to the international fold ever again. Rugby was an amateur sport back then and these guys must have been paid a small fortune to come over. Who would say no if you could go back home afterwards and buy a farm or set yourself up for life. The payments were very secret as that would have banned them immediately from the RFU.

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The New Zealand Cavaliers was an All Black team except for the name.

The South African public were starved of any international sport and this team was as close as it came. It was 99 percent of the current Al Black team and money was a big lure but also wanting to play the best in the world. test matches go back a long way between these tow rugby nations and they are known for their physicality. No team up until that point in time had ever won an overseas tour against each other. South Africans believe they were robbed in the 1981 tour when the referee Clive Norling awarded a penalty to New Zealand in the last minute of the game. I am neutral on this and it was blatantly obvious what had just happened. what comes around goes around is all I can say and every nation was guilty in those days.

Andy Dalton had his jaw broken in two parts and his tour lasted just over 4 minutes and all the risks he had taken to come had literally been shattered by an idiot. He stayed on the tour as he was the captain and there is no ways the South Africans would let him go home. They were the VIP's for the next 6 weeks and were treated like royalty. Any sportsmen coming and touring here will never forget this experience. Game parks,great food and wine along with stunning scenery what isn't there to love.

This type of thing wouldn't happen today as this type of foul play would get you banned for a lengthy period of time. If you watch the clip you will hear the touch judge say that Burger punched Andy Dalton yet nothing happened. It turned out that this was not the first punch thrown in the match that was only 4 minutes old and Burger was retaliating after being punched at the previous maul by another Andy, being Andy Haden. Not mistaken identity as Andy Haden is twice the size of Andy Dalton so still no excuse and should have bided his time as surely in the next 76 minutes he would have had a decent opportunity somewhere. Two punches thrown in the first 4 minutes lets you know it was a dirty game.