October 26 - The Golden Lions lost a second former player within days when Lee Stewardt, a lively loose forward, was killed in a car accident on Monday. Former Springbok Mannetjies Gericke passed away last week while recovering from a knee operation. Gericke spent some nine weeks in hospital after complications set in following his knee operation. He played scrumhalf in one Test match against Scotland at the Boet Erasmus stadium in Port Elizabeth in 1960. He was 77. Setting up two tries for flank Hugo van Zyl and scoring one himself, he was never chosen for South Africa after his only Test in a time of fickle team selections. The Springboks, under the captaincy of Des van Jaarsveldt, won the match 18-10. Van Jaarsveldt last week expressed sorrow at the death of his 1960 teammate. "Mannetjies was a very good scrumhalf and had a good game against Scotland," Van Jaarsveldt told Sapa. Gericke played in 34 matches for Transvaal and scored 10 tries. He represented the Junior Springboks in 1955 against the touring British and Irish Lions, and was the vice-captain on the Junior Springboks tour of Argentina in 1959. While playing for Transvaal he was a member of Diggers club and played for Transvaal against the touring All Blacks in 1960. He had a stint as professional (league) rugby in Britain and for years coached at Rand Leases Rugby Club. He also played for Western Transvaal and Griquas and in 1953 played against the touring Australian side. Gericke was educated at Diamantveld High, Kimberley and he and Flippie van der Merwe (1981-89) are currently the only two Boks produced by that school. His funeral is on Friday, 29 October at 12pm at the Rhema Church in Randburg. ** Stewart, who had moved to KwaZulu-Natal some years ago, played in 12 matches for the Lions in 1995 and 1996, and scored one try for the union. The Zimbabwean-born flank attended KES and played his rugby for Roodepoort – where he was at times coached by Gericke. He will be buried in Umhlanga on Friday.