Springboks veteran Eben Etzebeth will extend his record as the most capped Springbok player of all time to 145 caps when he takes the field against All Blacks in the third Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry on Saturday at FNB Stadium, just outside Soweto. The series is all square at 1-1 heading into Saturday’s third Test.
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The loose trio of Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, and Jasper Wiese will pass the record they currently share with Francois Louw, Willem Alberts, and Duane Vermeuelen as the loose trio with the most Test starts at 17 – three more than Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus, Andre Venter and Gary Teichmann, who started 14 Tests together.
Springboks and All Blacks players with the highest number of caps:
SPRINGBOKS:
Eben Etzebeth – 144 caps
Siya Kolisi (captain) – 105 caps
Damian de Allende – 101 caps
Pieter-Steph du Toit – 100 caps
Jesse Kriel – 92 caps
Malcolm Marx – 91 caps
ALL BLACKS:
Ardie Savea (Captain) – 111 caps
Anton Lienert-Brown – 92 caps
Jordie Barrett – 83 caps
Damian McKenzie – 79 caps
Tyrel Lomax – 53 caps
Samisoni Taukei’aho – 44 caps
Some interesting statistics and tidbits from Saru:
Should he take the field, Deon Fourie will stretch his record as the oldest Springbok player to play in a Test match at 39 years by a further week.
The teams have only met twice at the FNB Stadium in history in 2010 and 2012, with the All Blacks winning both matches (29-22 and 32-16).
Jasper Wiese requires only two more Test match appearances after this match to join the group of players who have earned 50 Test caps.
The Springboks have won six of the last eight matches between the teams dating back to August 2023.
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The total Test caps in the Springbok starting line-up is 958.
There are 366 caps in the backline, with 592 caps among the forwards. On the bench, there are a further 222 caps.
The average caps per player in the backline is 52, the forwards 74, while the players on the bench average 28.
- Eben Etzebeth will extend his record as the most capped Springbok player to 145 caps in the third Test against the All Blacks at FNB Stadium.
- The Springbok loose trio of Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, and Jasper Wiese will set a new record with 17 Test starts together, surpassing the previous record of 14.
- Deon Fourie will become the oldest Springbok player to play in a Test match at 39 years old if he takes the field.
- The All Blacks have won the only two previous matches held at FNB Stadium in 2010 and 2012.
- The total number of Test caps in the Springbok starting line-up is 958, with 366 caps in the backline and 592 caps among the forwards.
