At a time of high pressure, the Springboks have turned back to the experience and leadership of Handre Pollard to guide the team from flyhalf against the Wallabies on Saturday.
With 82 Test caps to his name, Pollard remains well on track to become a Springbok centurion, but this weekend will also see him reach a more immediate record.
The veteran flyhalf now needs just three points to reach 800 points in Tests for South Africa, becoming just the second Springbok player – after Percy Montgomery – to achieve this feat.
Montgomery finished his career with 893 points to his name, and while that once seemed unsurpassable, don’t bet against Pollard eventually reaching that figure.
Over the course of 82 Tests, Pollard has averaged nearly 10 points per game, and his selection this weekend is yet another reminder of his enduring value to the Springboks.
Still only 31-years-old, there is every reason to believe the Springboks will want to manage him through to the next World Cup, and to his 100-cap milestone.
Considering his incredible goal-kicking accuracy, there is every chance that Pollard could maintain around a 10-point average over his next 18 Tests (to get to 100 caps), and that would take him well past Montgomery.
If he maintains fitness and form, Pollard could go down as the Springboks’ all-time leading points scorer, but more immediately, a special record of 800 points awaits this Saturday.
Springboks’ Head-to-head record v Australia:
Played 96; Won 52; Lost 41; Drawn 3; Points for: 1 945, Points against: 1 710; Tries scored 230, Tries conceded 177; Highest score 61-22 (Pretoria, 1997); Biggest win 45 points (53-8, Johannesburg 2008). Win % 54.2%.
Miscellaneous
- Jesse Kriel will lead the Springboks for the second time in a Test after taking charge of the team against Italy in the Castle Lager Incoming Series in July.
- Ox Nche will serve as the Springbok vice-captain for the first time in his career, which began back in 2018.
- Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende will extend their record as the most-capped Springbok centre pairing in history, taking the field together for the 38th time this weekend.
- Eben Etzebeth will extend his record as the most capped Springbok of all time to 135 Test matches.
- Handre Pollard needs three points to reach 800 points in Tests for South Africa.
- Damian De Allende will move into 10th place on the list of most-capped Springboks, with 90 Tests. He is currently tied on 89 with Pieter-Steph du Toit and the late Joost van der Westhuizen.
- The match will mark the first time the teams meet in Cape Town since 2014 – the Boks won the match 28-10.
- The Boks have won seven of their last eight matches against the Wallabies in Cape Town since 1992 – a track record they will be determined to build on this weekend. Their only defeat against the Wallabies in Cape Town was in 1992, when the visitors won 26-3.
- The total Test caps for the Springbok starting line-up are
- There are 428 caps in the backline, with 318 caps amongst the forwards. On the bench, there are a further 329
- The average caps per player in the backline are 61, the forwards 40, while the players on the bench average 41.
WHERE WOULD YOU RATE POLLARD AMONG THE ALLL-TIME GREATS?
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