For the match against Wales at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday.
– The total Test caps for the Springbok starting lineup is 445. There are 189 caps in the backline and 256 among the forwards, with a further 226 on the bench.
– The average caps per player in the backline are 27, the forwards 32, while the players on the bench average 24. The average age of the starting XV is 26.
– Pieter-Steph du Toit and Steven Kitshoff are the only two players who will have played in every Test match this season.
– South Africa’s record against Wales in Cardiff: P: 18; W: 13; L: 4; D: 1; PF: 370; PA: 296; TF: 41; TA: 23; Average score: 21-16; Win%: 72%.
– South Africa’s overall record against Wales is: P: 34; W: 28; L: 5; D: 1; PF: 892; PA: 532; TF: 108; TA: 45; Average score: 26-16. Win%: 84%.
– The top Springbok scorers against Wales are Percy Montgomery (91 points, 18 conversions and 10 penalty goals); Joost van der Westhuizen and Jean de Villiers (six tries each); and Hansie Brewis, Lionel Wilson and Handré Pollard (one drop goal each).
– The match records are held as follows: Percy Montgomery (31 points and nine conversions); Joost van der Westhuizen and Pieter Rossouw (three tries each); Butch James, Morné Steyn and Handré Pollard (five penalty goals each); and Hansie Brewis, Lionel Wilson and Handré Pollard (one drop goal each).
– South Africa’s biggest win against Wales (83 points) was on 27 June 1998 at Loftus Versfeld, when the Springboks ran in 15 tries in a 96-13 triumph. Percy Montgomery scored 31 points with two tries, nine conversions and a penalty goal.
– The Springboks’ biggest defeat against Wales was on 26 November 2016 in Cardiff when they lost 27-13.
SUPERBRU: Wales or Springboks?
– Hansie Brewis (1951), Lionel Wilson (1964) and Handré Pollard (2015) are the only Springboks who have scored a drop goal against Wales.
– Should Pollard score 11 or more points in this Test, he will surpass Butch James in third place for the most points in Tests against Wales. Percy Montgomery and Morné Steyn occupy the first two spots.
– The original ground where the Millennium Stadium is now situated was known as Cardiff Arms Park, where Wales played their first Test 134 years ago.
– South Africa’s first Test against Wales at Cardiff Arms Park took place on 14 December 1912, when Billy Millar’s Boks beat Wales 3-0 in front of 26,000 spectators.
– The old stadium at the Arms Park was demolished in 1997 to make way for the Millennium Stadium, which hosted the 1999 World Cup. The first Test at this new stadium was between Wales and South Africa on 26 June 1999, when the Springboks lost 29-19. It was South Africa’s first loss against Wales since 1906 in ironically the 13th Test between the two countries.
– Subsequently, the Springboks won eight consecutive games at the Millennium Stadium, but lost the following three.
– The seating capacity of the stadium is 74,500.
– The referee is Luke Pearce of England. This will be his 19th Test as a referee and the first one with the Springboks involved. The assistant referees are Wayne Barnes and Karl Dixon from England, while Irishman Simon McDowell is the TMO.
POLL: Who will win Saturday’s Test in Cardiff? #WALvRSA
— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) November 20, 2018
Photo: Clive Rose/Getty Images
