Hennie Muller

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Hendrik Scholtz Vosloo Muller (born 26 March 1922 in Witbank), usually known as Hennie Muller is a former South African rugby union footballer. Muller is considered one of the greatest South African footballers, captaining the national side, the Springboks in nine tests, and is a member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame. His usual position was at number 8.

Muller made his international debut for the Springboks on July 16, 1949, in the starting lineup in the first a four matches against the touring All Blacks. The South Africans won the first test, 15 points to 11, which was played at Newlands. The Springboks' winning ways continued at Ellis Park, when the won the second test 12 points to six. South Africa made it 3 games to nil with another win in Durban. The series was tied up as a four to nil whitewash of the All Blacks, as the Springboks won the fourth encounter 11 to eight in Port Elizabeth.

In 1951 Muller skippered South Africa in Edinburgh, which saw the Springboks run away 44 to nil winners, with Muller scoring one try. The game became known in South African folklore as the ‘Murrayfield Massacre’, with nine tries in total being scored against the Scottish. Muller was chaired off the pitch by his humbled but gracious opponents.

After defeating Scotland, the Springboks had the tough task of playing the other three home nations, as well as France on the rest of the tour. The Springboks made it two from two at Lansdowne Road, defeating Ireland 17 to five. Muller guided the team to a closer victory in the subsequent match against Wales in Cardiff, which saw the Springboks keep the clean winning record on tour 3-0, winning the game six points to three, a South African drop-goal proving the difference between the two sides.

The tour had now entered early January, and the next assignment for the Springboks was to face the English at Twickenham. The Springboks came a step closer to getting a grand slam, defeating England eight to three, with Muller adding five of South Africa's nine points, with a conversion and penalty goal. Having defeated all four home nations, the final task to achieving a grand slam waas to defeat the French in Paris. The Springboks ran in six tries to defeat France 25 to three, Muller scoring one of the tries, as well as adding a conversion, and thus, South Africa completing a grand slam tour of Europe.

Muller captained the side against the Wallabies for a four test series in South Africa in 1953. Muller scored a try in the opening exchange at Elils Park, which saw the home side win 25 to three. The Wallabies hit back in Cape Town, taking the second test 18 to 14. However South Africa won the next test, 18 to eight in Durban. In Muller's final match for the Springboks, played in Port Elizabeth, South Africa won 22 points to nine. Muller would go onto coach the Springboks in 1965. In 2001, he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.