Daniël Mattheus Gerber (born 14 April 1958) is a South African former rugby union player who played for South Africa between 1980 and 1992. Widely regarded as one of the greatest rugby players ever and considered by many as the greatest center of all time, he played mainly at inside or outside centre, but also on the wing.
Gerber etched his name into rugby folklore by scoring 158 tries in 261 games in first-class rugby. It's the highest ever strike rate for a centre. For South Africa he scored 19 test tries in 24 appearances. It's the highest ever try-scoring ratio per game for a centre (79.16%) in the history of international rugby. Gerber was the blueprint of Springbok rugby in the 1980s and he is still regarded by many to be the greatest Springbok player ever. In 1981 he scored an individual try against Ireland; his agility and footwork caused 2 Irish players to tackle each other. In 1984 he scored tries against England and in 1992 he scored 2 tries against New Zealand. Despite limited exposure internationally due to apartheid-era isolation, his impact on the game and talent was considered and still today, way ahead of his time.
Early life
Gerber initially played football and cricket at school level, but accelerated quickly when starting rugby, playing for SA schools. He said in multiple interviews that he got his incredible footwork and ball control abilities from his early childhood, when he played football with other kids in Despatch. One of his school teachers recognized his abilities and got him into rugby.
Rugby career
In South African domestic rugby Gerber played 115 games for Eastern Province, 40 for Western Province and 24 for Orange Free State.
Gerber's international career of games played and points scored:
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In 1980, he played two tests against the South American Jaguars (a team mainly made up of Argentine players but also included a few Uruguayan, Chilean, Paraguayan and Brazilian players) in Montevideo and Santiago.
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In 1981, he played two tests against Ireland in Cape Town (scoring two tries) and in Durban without scoring points. He also went on the controversial 1981 Springbok Tour of New Zealand, playing in all three tests, (Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland) without scoring any points. The infamous tour was lost by the Springboks due to a controversial penalty by the referee four minutes into injury time in the final test. (Ray Mordt scored three tries in the final test of the series.) He also played the final test of 1981 against the USA in Glenville, without scoring any points.
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In 1982, he played two tests against the South American Jaguars (again, mainly made up of Argentine players but also included a few Uruguayan, Chilean, Paraguayan and Brazilian players) scoring three tries in Pretoria and one in Bloemfontein.
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In 1984, he played two tests against England, scoring one try in his hometown, Port Elizabeth and three in Johannesburg. In this series, Gerber played outside South Africa's first ever Black player, Errol Tobias,
[ ] Again the South American Jaguars toured South Africa and Gerber scored one try and one conversion in Pretoria and one try in Cape Town.
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In 1986, the New Zealand Cavaliers (a rebel tour conducted against the wishes of the NZ Rugby Union) toured South Africa, Gerber played in all four 'test' fixtures in Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria and Johannesburg and only managed one try in the Pretoria game.
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In 1992, after a long period of South African rugby isolation, Gerber played his final five test matches vs: New Zealand in Johannesburg scoring two tries, Australia in Cape Town without scoring any points, France in Lyon and Parc des Princes scoring one try in each match. His final test was against England in Twickenham which went without scoring any points.
Test history
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| Wanderers Club, Montevideo |
| Prince of Wales Cricket Club, Santiago |
| Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
| Newlands Stadium, Cape Town |
| Kings Park, Durban |
| Lancaster Park, Christchurch |
| Athletic Park, Wellington |
| Eden Park, Auckland |
| Owl Creek Polo ground, Glenville, New York |
| Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
| Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein |
| Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth |
| Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
| Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
| Newlands, Cape Town |
| Newlands, Cape Town |
| Kings Park, Durban |
| Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
| Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
| Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
| Newlands, Cape Town |
| Stade de Gerland, Lyon |
| Parc des Princes, Paris |
| Twickenham, London |
Gerber scored 19 tries in 24 internationals,
Style of play
Gerber had high acceleration and pace, could sidestep off either foot, break tackles,
had a clear vision of space on the field, and high ball skill levels (catching, passing and kicking). He was also very solid in defence.
Gerber attributed his sidestep to his early football. He trained extensively (particularly running, but also swimming, circuit training and weights) and had a high fitness level, which were unusual attributes before rugby went professional.
Legacy
Gerber has been described as one of the greatest ever rugby players and considered by many as the greatest centre in the history of the game. Many former and current players admire Gerber's impact on the game and the legacy he left behind. Jean de Villiers former Springboks captain described Gerber as his childhood hero and the best player South Africa has ever produced. Former legendary Scottish commentator Bill McLaren regarded Gerber as the greatest centre the world has ever seen.
He has been named South Africa's greatest ever centre,
and
Naas Botha has said he is one of the greatest ever South African rugby players.
Martin Johnson named him in his International Rugby Hall of Fame member's XV, and
Bill McLaren's named him in his 'all time' XV.
[XV refers to the fifteen players on a rugby team.]
Personal life
Gerber is married to Elsabe.
In 2002, he had heart surgery, and his family have a pattern of high cholesterol.
See also
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List of South Africa national rugby union players – Springbok no. 514
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SA Rugby Player of the Year - 1984
http://www.espnscrum.com/southafrica/rugby/player/9270.html
