The Springboks were always expected to mix and match with their selections for this Saturday’s clash against Japan in London, but the decision to start Siya Kolisi has great significance.
By featuring in his seventh Test of the year, Kolisi will be playing his 99th Test match of his career, leaving him only one game short of becoming the ninth Springbok centurion in the history of the game.
It sets the scene for his iconic 100th Test cap to be reached against France in Paris next Saturday, in what will be a repeat of the unforgettable 2023 World Cup quarter-final.
As Kolisi approaches this special milestone, another teammate is just starting out his Springbok journey, with 21-year-old former Junior Springbok captain Zachary Porthen having been given the backing to earn his first Test cap against Japan.
In doing so, he will also become the youngest prop to make his Test debut for the Springboks in the professional era.
“Obviously, he has a lot to learn this week, but we have experienced players in the squad who have been helping and guiding him, and we believe this is the right match to give him an opportunity to prove what he can do,” Rassie Erasmus commented.
“At this level, you have to sink or swim, so although it will be a challenging week for him to learn our structures, it will also be a very exciting week for him.”
Stats and facts as Siya Kolisi approaches major milestone:
Springbok record against Japan:
Played 3; Won 2; Lost 1; Drawn 0; Points for: 99, Points against: 44; Tries scored 12, Tries conceded 4; Highest score 41-7; Biggest winning margin 34 points. Win % 66.7%.
Miscellaneous:
- The Springboks’ only defeat against Japan was in 2015, when they went down 34-32 in Brighton in their Rugby World Cup pool opener.
- The last time the teams crossed paths was in the 2019 RWC quarter-final in Tokyo, where the Boks registered a 26-3 victory, and went on to be crowned the world champions for the third time in history.
- Siya Kolisi will play his 99th Test match, leaving him only one game short of becoming the ninth Springbok centurion in the history of the game.
- Zachary Porthen captained the Junior Springboks last year and will become Springbok #953 on Saturday.
- Jesse Kriel has scored 95 Test points in his 84 Tests and requires only five to make it to 100 in the green and gold.
- The total Test caps in the Springbok starting line-up are 781. There are 316 caps in the backline, with 465 caps among the forwards. On the bench, there are a further 182 caps.
- The average caps per player in the backline is 45, the forwards 58, while the players on the bench average 23.
