A former Springbok from the 1950s, Daniël Hendrik 'Daantjie' Rossouw, has died in Mossel Bay at the age of 79.

He was born September 5, 1930 and was a 23-year-old student at Stellenbosch University when he made a huge impression during the winter of 1953, representing South Africa in two Test matches.

His call-up for the third Test of the series at Kingsmead, Durban came when Tjol Lategan, then a veteran of 11 Tests, withdrew from the team with a shoulder injury - he was fated not to play for South Africa again - and the outstanding Lategan-Ryk van Schoor centre combination was broken after 10 Tests together since the second Test against the All Blacks in 1949. Nine of the Test matches they played in together were won.

Rossouw had been chosen for Western Province for their traditional early-season friendly against Transvaal at Newlands in May, 1953, and his form had attracted plenty of attention. Later, he was nominated for the Springbok trials which coincided with a combined UCT-Stellenbosch tour of the then Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), and Rossouw, thinking he had little chance in the trials, opted rather to go on the tour.

Jan du Preez, Rossouw's Stellenbosch centre partner played well on the tour and he was the focus of the national selectors when WP Universities played the Australians at Newlands three days before the second Test. The students won the match 24-5.

Du Preez, after a promising start when he scored a try, injured his shoulder and ankle and took no further part in the match after about 10 minutes. He had to wait until the tour to Australia and New Zealand in 1956 for a call-up to the national team.

Rossouw, meanwhile, had a brilliant game in the Universities match, cutting through the Wallaby defence time and again while showing excellent acceleration - preferring the outside gap - and he also tackled well.

He also had the good fortune to play so well in front of three national selectors - Danie Craven, Geoff Gray and Frank Mellish, and so with Lategan out of the vital Durban Test, Rossouw got the nod.

The second Test had been won by the Australians 18-14 and the series was tied 1-1 with two matches to play.

Rossouw was one of six changes for the Durban Test. Out went the two wings, Chum Ochse and Buks Marais, Lategan (injured), Ian Kirkpatrick at flyhalf, prop Chris Koch, Ernst Dinkelmann at and they were replaced by Steve Hoffman and Dolf Bekker, brother of prop Jaap, on the wings, Rossouw at centre, Natie Rens at flyhalf, Harry Newton Walker at prop and Jan Pickard at lock - all new caps except for Pickard, who had toured the British Isles and France in 1951-52 without playing a Test.

The Springboks playing brilliant rugby, won the third Test 18-8, with Rossouw and Bekker each scoring tries on debut.

South Africa went on to win the fourth Test at Port Elizabeth 22-9 to clinch the series 3-1 and maintain their unbeaten status in a home series during the 20th Century.

SAPA