Tiny Naudé had to come to the Western Province to gain his Bok colours. I don't think they appreciated his ability up north.

He and fellow lock Piet Botha came to the Cape and Tiny soon showed why he deserved to be in the best company. A man is a true Springbok when he can win a test match and during the third test at Christchurch in 1965, Naude showed his true mettle when he put over a wet and heavy ball under the most dreadful conditions to clinch the result for his team.

I remember the ball was so slippery that there was difficulty with the throw-in at the line-outs. And yet Tiny calmly placed the ball from a devilish angle and on a surface so muddy I was surprised he could keep his footing.

I had arrived in New Zealand the previous evening at the invitation of the New Zealand Rugby Union and we were trailing by 16 points to 5 when I turned to a companion and predicted that we could still win. When Gert Brynard scored his second try I knew that I was right, and win we eventually did.

If one considers the long run of test defeats we had suffered before that test, then that win meant a great deal to our morale and to our prestige. A great deal of the credit must go to Tiny Naude, a man with nerves of steel; a versatile lock and a man who has earned his place in our rugby history.