In our continued ‘blast from the past’ series, we look back at two classy halfback pairings that stand out from the past 30 years of Springbok rugby.
Looking at the record books, it’s the legendary duo of Joost van der Westhuizen and Henry Honiball who top the list in terms of halfback combinations, having started in 24 Tests together.
Van der Westhuizen and Honiball both made their Test debuts in 1993, with the late great Joost going on to play in 89 Tests, while the latter featured in his 35th and last Test in 1999.
Not far behind this pairing in terms of halfback appearances, Fourie du Preez and Morne Steyn formed a 9-10 starting combination in 19 Tests.
The duo, who both also enjoyed illustrious careers for the Vodacom Bulls, first started as a halfback pairing in the final Test of the memorable 2009 British & Irish Lions series.
Meanwhile, Dawie de Villiers and Piet Visagie played together in 17 Tests, while Faf de Klerk and Handre Pollard have already started alongside each other in 16 games.
It does provide the very real possibility that the 2019 World Cup-winning duo could go on to surpass the combination of Van der Westhuizen and Honiball.
Take a look at some of the highlights from their careers and then let us know in the comments section what some of your best memories of these Bok greats are.
