Will Smit follow the 100-Test crowd?
John Smit’s 100th Test match is set to be a grand occasion, with 90,000 fans packed into the Calabash to see the Springbok skipper reach his milestone. rugby365.com’s Timmy Hancox takes a look at what happened to past Test rugby centurions on the big day.
Coming out of the dark tunnel and stepping into the bright sunlight to the roar of the biggest crowd he has ever played in front of – Smit can be excused if he feels as giddy as a rookie on debut when he makes his way onto the field on Saturday.
The 32-year-old will become the 15th player, and just the second South African to reach triple figures – following fullback Percy Montgomery, and the first hooker to play 100 Test matches.
The rarity of a rugby player having the longevity to compete at the highest level for such a long time means that the occasion becomes more than just a Test match for him and his team.
The pressure of winning the match to salute Smit’s great achievement will no doubt weigh heavy on the shoulders of the already underfire Springboks come Saturday early evening.
Historically, the team with the centurion has done well, with eight of the 14 players thus far finding themselves on the winning team at the final whistle.
Smit will be the fifth player to captain his country during his 100th Test, following in the footsteps of George Gregan, Fabien Pelous, Brian O’Driscoll and Gareth Thomas. The Bok skipper will hope to emulate the achievements of Gregan and Pelous, who led their teams to victory on the day (Gregan captained his team against the Boks in Perth), whilst O’Driscoll played his part in a thrilling draw against Australia.
The only other South African to pass the 100-cap mark is Montgomery, whose 100th Test was marred by a comprehensive 0-19 mauling from the All Blacks in Cape Town in 2008.
The most recent man to pass the mark was Scotland’s goal-kicking machine, Chris Paterson, who would just as soon forget the match.
Paterson lasted just 29 minutes before being stretchered off with a serious injury. Scotland went on to lose the Test 24-31 against Wales.
Ireland’s favourite son, Brian O’Driscoll, will have fond memories of his 100th Test against Australia in 2009 at Croke Park.
The dancing feet of the centre did their magic at the end of the match, as he crossed the whitewash to score the try that gave Ireland a hard-fought 20-20 draw. The Irish skipper is the only player to score a try in his 100th Test.
Win or lose, the whole of South Africa – and indeed the rugby world – should celebrate this achievement of Smit’s.
Whilst the Test remains unscripted (isn’t that what makes Test rugby so exciting?), the stage is certainly set for Smit to celebrate one of the great Bok Test victories – against the world’s best team, on a landmark occasion in Soweto and in front of the second largest crowd ever to witness a Test match in South Africa.
Who could ask for more?
The ‘100 Club’:
(In order of most-capped players)
George Gregan – 139 caps (won his 100th Test)
Jason Leonard – 119 (won)
Fabien Pelous – 118 (won)
Philippe Sella – 111 won)
George Smith – 110 (lost)
Brian O’Driscoll – 109 (drew)
John Hayes – 104 (won)
Gareth Thomas – 103 (lost)
Stephen Larkham – 102 (won)
Percy Montgomery – 102 (lost)
David Campese – 101 (won)
Ronan O’Gara – 101 (lost)
Alessandro Troncon – 101 (won)
Chris Paterson – 100 (lost)
By Timmy Hancox
