James Small

[Dave Cahill]

Reports are emerging in SA that former Springbok James Small has passed away aged 50 from a heart attack

[Ruckedtobits]

One of the S.A. "hard men" who was a competitor first and a winger second. His marking of Jomu was one of the tactical strokes which won the RWC1995 for the President and the Nation.

When running the line in early 1995, I saw him play in Jo'berg in the summer of '95 and the support from all South Africans - Africaaners & Kwazulus alike - was immense. He wore his heart on his sleeve. He occasionally spoke from the shoulder and what sounded right in the changing room sounded brash and wrong through the media.

RIP James, competitor, try scorer and great team player

[Flash Gordon]

His battles with Bentley on the 97 Lions tour were epic. Bentley didn't have a very high opinion of him as a man and to be honest, I'd share his view. Funny how the narrative on a player changes when they get sick or pass away, Joost Van der Westhuizen being another case in point. Obviously, thoughts are with his family of course, 50 is no age.

[Dave Cahill]

He was an extremely complex character, he was a notorious sledger on the pitch - and not a funny one, he was vicious and used an opponents health, family, race, whatever he felt would give him an edge then couldn't understand why off the pitch people carried grudges. He had a turbulent personal life too, he was abusive to his partner, abused drugs and alcohol and spent time in a mental institution after a suicide attempt. The night he was arrested in a Port Elizabeth night club (which led to him being dropped by the Boks) was still legend in PE when I worked there nearly a decade later (the word used was 'rampage'). He was an ardent proponent of Transformation and was vocal in his dislike and mistrust of what he saw as an innate social and political conservatism in Afrikaners and in the decade before his death had seemingly come to some kind of peace with himself and had returned to rugby through coaching.

[cormac]

3rd player from that 1995 team to pass away.

[Flash Gordon]

He was an extremely complex character, he was a notorious sledger on the pitch - and not a funny one, he was vicious and used an opponents health, family, race, whatever he felt would give him an edge then couldn't understand why off the pitch people carried grudges. He had a turbulent personal life too, he was abusive to his partner, abused drugs and alcohol and spent time in a mental institution after a suicide attempt. The night he was arrested in a Port Elizabeth night club (which led to him being dropped by the Boks) was still legend in PE when I worked there nearly a decade later (the word used was 'rampage'). He was an ardent proponent of Transformation and was vocal in his dislike and mistrust of what he saw as an innate social and political conservatism in Afrikaners and in the decade before his death had seemingly come to some kind of peace with himself and had returned to rugby through coaching.

Interesting! Wasn't he also sent off for dissent in a match for the Bokke?

[Flash Gordon]

3rd player from that 1995 team to pass away.

4th if you count Kitch Christie.

[Dave Cahill]

He was an extremely complex character, he was a notorious sledger on the pitch - and not a funny one, he was vicious and used an opponents health, family, race, whatever he felt would give him an edge then couldn't understand why off the pitch people carried grudges. He had a turbulent personal life too, he was abusive to his partner, abused drugs and alcohol and spent time in a mental institution after a suicide attempt. The night he was arrested in a Port Elizabeth night club (which led to him being dropped by the Boks) was still legend in PE when I worked there nearly a decade later (the word used was 'rampage'). He was an ardent proponent of Transformation and was vocal in his dislike and mistrust of what he saw as an innate social and political conservatism in Afrikaners and in the decade before his death had seemingly come to some kind of peace with himself and had returned to rugby through coaching.

Interesting! Wasn't he also sent off for dissent in a match for the Bokke?

First ever Springbok to be sent off. He sarcastically congratulated Ed Morrison for moving a penalty forward 10 for dissent, so Morrison sent him to the stands (against the Aussies)

[Oldschool]

He was an extremely complex character, he was a notorious sledger on the pitch - and not a funny one, he was vicious and used an opponents health, family, race, whatever he felt would give him an edge then couldn't understand why off the pitch people carried grudges. He had a turbulent personal life too, he was abusive to his partner, abused drugs and alcohol and spent time in a mental institution after a suicide attempt. The night he was arrested in a Port Elizabeth night club (which led to him being dropped by the Boks) was still legend in PE when I worked there nearly a decade later (the word used was 'rampage'). He was an ardent proponent of Transformation and was vocal in his dislike and mistrust of what he saw as an innate social and political conservatism in Afrikaners and in the decade before his death had seemingly come to some kind of peace with himself and had returned to rugby through coaching.

Interesting! Wasn't he also sent off for dissent in a match for the Bokke?

First ever Springbok to be sent off. He sarcastically congratulated Ed Morrison for moving a penalty forward 10 for dissent, so Morrison sent him to the stands (against the Aussies)

Denis Leamy did something similar.
He gave ref some lip after awarding a penalty, ref asked him if he wanted another 10m added.
Leamy said, go ahead, which the ref duly obliged.
He was lucky not to get a card.
Dumb and dumber.