For Saturday's third Test against Ireland at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

– The Springbok starting team boasts a total of 397 Test caps (129 in the backline and 268 in the forwards), while there are a further 86 caps on the bench.

– South Africa and Ireland have played each other 24 times since 1906, with the Springboks winning 17 Tests, losing six and one drawn. The Boks have scored 484 points and 68 tries and conceded 329 points and 30 tries for an average score of 20-14.

– South Africa and Ireland last met on 18 June 2016 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. The Springboks beat Ireland 32-26 after trailing 19-3 at half-time.

– There are three uncapped players on the bench, Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff and Jaco Kriel. The first one to go on will become Springbok No 873. Kriel went on the 2014 end-of-year tour but did not play in any matches, while Kitshoff was part of the training squad in 2015.

– Beast Mtawarira is the most experienced player in the side with 77 Test caps. He is just three short of Os du Randt’s record of 80 Tests at prop for South Africa. Three other players in the side – captain Adriaan Strauss (56), Morné Steyn (61) and JP Pietersen (68) – have also played more than 50 Tests for South Africa.

– If he goes on at flyhalf Morné Steyn will extend his own record of 59 appearances in this position for the Springboks. He is currently on 694 points and can become only the second player in history to score more than 700 Test points for South Africa.

– The referee is Glen Jackson from New Zealand. It will be his third Test involving South Africa. The Springboks have won both previous Tests he refereed – 55-6 against Scotland in Port Elizabeth in 2014 and 26-12 against Argentina in Buenos Aires in 2015.

– It will be the fourth Test at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth. The Boks have won two, against New Zealand in 2011 and Scotland in 2014, and drawn one, against England in 2012. The average score is 29-8.

Photo: Gallo Images