Bok Century No.5

 

Along with the 100 game milestone, there are a number of other intersting facts and stats for the big game of the weekend.

 

* Jean de Villiers will be playing in his 100th Test for South Africa. He will become the fifth Springbok to achieve this feat behind Victor Matfield (114), John Smit (111), Percy Montgomery (102) and Bryan Habana (100).

 

* The Springbok starting team boasts a total of 685 Test caps (319 in the backline and 366 in the forwards), while there are a further 142 caps worth of experience on the bench.

 

* South Africa and New Zealand have played each other 87 times since 1921, with the Springboks winning 34 tests, losing 50 and three was drawn. The Springboks have scored 1,355 points and 133 tries and conceded 1,679 points and 177 tries for an average score of 16-19.

 

* South Africa and New Zealand last met on 5 October, 2013 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg and the Springboks lost this Castle Lager Rugby Championship decider by 27-38.

 

* De Villiers will also extend his record as the most-capped Springbok centre, with 84 Tests in this position, as well as his own South African record of 47 Castle Lager Rugby Championship matches. He will captain South Africa for the 28th time, which places him fourth behind John Smit (83), Gary Teichmann (36) and Francois Pienaar (29).

 

* Victor Matfield will extend his own record as the most capped Springbok in history (114 Tests). He will also extend his own record of 114 Tests as a lock for He will also be playing against New Zealand for the 25th time to extend his own record.

 

* Bryan Habana will be playing in his 100th Test for South Africa on the wing. If he scores a try, he will extend his record of 56 Test tries as well as his Castle Lager Rugby Championship record of 18 tries and will extend his own SA record of seven career tries against New Zealand.

 

* If he goes on and scores a try, Bismarck du Plessis will extend his own record of eight Test tries for South Africa as a hooker.

 

* The referee is Jerome Garces of France. This will be his third Test involving South Africa. The Springboks have won both the previous Tests – the last being against Scotland on 17 November, 2013 at Murrayfield in Edinburgh (28-0).

 

 

* Most points – 21 (1t, 5c, 2p) by Morne Steyn on 17 September, 2011 against Fiji.

 

* Most tries – one by nine players on eight occasions.

 

* Most conversions – five by Morne Steyn on 17 September, 2011 against Fiji.

 

* Most penalty goals – two by Morne Steyn on 17 September, 2011 against Fiji and by Morne Steyn again on 9 October, 2011 against Australia.

 

* Most drop goals – one by Werner Greeff 20 July, 2002 against New Zealand and by Morne Steyn on 9 October, 2011 against Australia.