Syd Nomis
Full names: Sydney Harold
Date of birth: 15 Nov 1941
Place of birth: Johannesburg
School: Damelin College
Springbok no: 408
Debut test province: Transvaal
Physical: 1.75m, 80.7kg
Date of death: 16 Jun 2018 (Age 76)

Test summary: Tests: 25 Tries: 6
First Test: 12 Aug 1967 Age:25 Outside Centre against France at Newlands, Cape Town
Last Test: 3 Jun 1972 Age:30 Right Wing against England at Ellispark, Johannesburg
Test history:
DateAgePositionOpponentResultScoreVenueProv
12 Aug 196725Outside CentreFranceDraw: 6-6 Newlands, Cape TownTvl
08 Jun 196826Outside CentreBritainWin: 25-20 Loftus Versfeld, PretoriaTvl
22 Jun 196826Outside CentreBritainDraw: 6-6 Boet Erasmus, Port ElizabethTvl
13 Jul 196826Left WingBritainWin: 11-6 Newlands, Cape TownTvl
27 Jul 196826Left WingBritainWin: 19-61 tryEllispark, JohannesburgTvl
09 Nov 196826Left WingFranceWin: 12-9 Stade Municipal, BordeauxTvl
16 Nov 196827Left WingFranceWin: 16-111 tryStade Olympique, Colombes, ParisTvl
02 Aug 196927Left WingAustraliaWin: 30-112 triesEllispark, JohannesburgTvl
16 Aug 196927Left WingAustraliaWin: 16-9 Kingspark, DurbanTvl
06 Sep 196927Left WingAustraliaWin: 11-3 Newlands, Cape TownTvl
20 Sep 196927Left WingAustraliaWin: 19-8 Free State Stadium, BloemfonteinTvl
06 Dec 196928Right WingScotlandLose: 3-6 Murrayfield, EdinburghTvl
20 Dec 196928Right WingEnglandLose: 8-11 Twickenham, LondonTvl
10 Jan 197028Right WingIrelandDraw: 8-8 Aviva Stadium (Lansdowne Road), DublinTvl
24 Jan 197028Right WingWalesDraw: 6-61 tryMillenium Stadium (Cardiff Arms Park), CardiffTvl
25 Jul 197028Right WingNew ZealandWin: 17-61 tryLoftus Versfeld, PretoriaTvl
08 Aug 197028Right WingNew ZealandLose: 8-9 Newlands, Cape TownTvl
29 Aug 197028Right WingNew ZealandWin: 14-3 Boet Erasmus, Port ElizabethTvl
12 Sep 197028Right WingNew ZealandWin: 20-17 Ellispark, JohannesburgTvl
12 Jun 197129Right WingFranceWin: 22-9 Free State Stadium, BloemfonteinTvl
19 Jun 197129Right WingFranceDraw: 8-8 Kingspark, DurbanTvl
17 Jul 197129Right WingAustraliaWin: 19-11 Sydney Cricket Ground, SydneyTvl
31 Jul 197129Right WingAustraliaWin: 14-6 Brisbane Exhibition Ground, BrisbaneTvl
07 Aug 197129Right WingAustraliaWin: 18-6 Sydney Cricket Ground, SydneyTvl
03 Jun 197230Right WingEnglandLose: 9-18 Ellispark, JohannesburgTvl

Syd Nomis : Doc Craven

Ou Siddie. I met up with him a little while ago and I recalled how he stumbled and crawled to score that dramatic try against France in 1968. It's a funny thing about the Jewish players who have played for South Africa. With the exception of Geffin and Smollan they were all backs and most of them had flair, the flair our own coloured compatriots have, the flair the French have shown so frequently on the field.

Syd could play as well at centre as he could on the wing because he was so fast and so agile. What a charming boy he was too, and how well he fitted into the Springbok pattern.

Jokingly, his team-mates would refer to him as "Joodjie", but he took it all in good spirit. After all, his brilliant efforts gave birth to the saying: "With a Jewish player in the side, South Africa can't lose!!"

He was a most alert player and with his body sway and the way he ran while bent almost double with his head thrust forward, he could go through a brick wall, despite his lack of size.

An opportunist, but nevertheless a grafter, Syd scored some of our most spectacular tries.