Legendary former Springbok wing James Small has passed away at the age of 50.
Small suffered a heart attack on Wednesday. He played 47 Tests for the Springboks between 1992 and 1997 and formed part of the 1995 World Cup-winning team.
The powerful winger scored 20 tries in his career, but is fondly remembered by many for the manner in which he marked giant All Black winger Jonah Lomu in the 1995 World Cup final.
Lomu had scored a World Cup-record seven tries in the lead-up to the final, including four in the semi-final against England, and the 1.96m, 115kg powerhouse was deemed unstoppable by many.
However, Small effectively marked him out of the game as the Boks went on to record a famous 15-12 win.
Small remained a key player for the Springboks and played in the first Test of the British & Irish Lions series of 1997, before ending his international career with a brace of tries against Scotland at the end of that year.
He continued playing provincially until 1999 when he decided to call time on his career.
Records/Honours:
- SA Player of the Year nominee, 1993
- Member of the World Cup-winning Springbok squad, 1995
- Currie Cup winner with the Sharks, 1995 & 1996
- Top try-scorer in the Super 12, 1996
- Currie Cup winner with Western Province, 1997
Photo: Mike Cooper/Allsport
