Springbok no. 277 · Eighthman
Hennie Muller
Hendrik Scholtz Vosloo Muller · Lions
Test career
First test
16 Jul 1949, age 27 · Eighthman v New Zealand, Newlands, Cape Town
Last test
26 Sep 1953, age 31 · Eighthman v Australia, Crusaders (St George's Park), Port Elizabeth
Biography
Hennie Muller, the ‘Greyhound’, changed the way eighthmen played. Born in Witbank on 26 March 1922, he played for Transvaal and was perhaps the fastest loose forward of his time. Against the 1949 All Blacks he hunted down their flyhalf so effectively that South Africa won the series 4–0.
He played 13 Tests and lost only one, and captained South Africa nine times. He led the 1951–52 side to wins over Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England and France, scoring tries against Scotland and France, and captained the 1953 series against Australia. He died on 26 April 1977.
Test history
13 tests · 9 as captain · 16 points| Date | Opponent | Venue | Position | Result | Province |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jul 1949 |  New Zealand | Newlands, Cape Town | Eighthman | W 15–11 | Lions |
| 13 Aug 1949 | New Zealand | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | Eighthman | W 12–6 | Lions |
| 03 Sep 1949 | New Zealand | Kingsmead, Durban | Eighthman | W 9–3 | Lions |
| 17 Sep 1949 | New Zealand | Crusaders (St George's Park), Port Elizabeth | Eighthman | W 11–8 | Lions |
| 24 Nov 1951 |  Scotland | Murrayfield, Edinburgh | Eighthman (C) | W 44–0 | Lions |
| 08 Dec 1951 |  Ireland | Aviva Stadium (Lansdowne Road), Dublin | Eighthman (C) | W 17–5 | Lions |
| 22 Dec 1951 |  Wales | Millennium Stadium (Cardiff Arms Park), Cardiff | Eighthman (C) | W 6–3 | Lions |
| 05 Jan 1952 |  England | Twickenham, London | Eighthman (C) | W 8–3 | Lions |
| 16 Feb 1952 |  France | Stade Olympique, Colombes, Paris | Eighthman (C) | W 25–3 | Lions |
| 22 Aug 1953 |  Australia | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | Eighthman (C) | W 25–3 | Lions |
| 05 Sep 1953 | Australia | Newlands, Cape Town | Eighthman (C) | L 14–18 | Lions |
| 19 Sep 1953 | Australia | Kingsmead, Durban | Eighthman (C) | W 18–8 | Lions |
| 26 Sep 1953 | Australia | Crusaders (St George's Park), Port Elizabeth | Eighthman (C) | W 22–9 | Lions |