The Springboks and All Blacks will do battle for the 109th time on. Saturday morning. Here’s everything you need to know.
STATS AND FACTS:
Springbok record against New Zealand:
Played: 108, Won: 42, Lost: 62, Drawn: 4. Points for: 1 790; Points against: 2 235; Tries scored: 173; Tries conceded: 244. Win %: 38.8%.
Miscellaneous:
- The Springboks will go in search of their fifth victory in a row against the All Blacks when the teams meet at Eden Park, after winning their last four matches against their arch-rivals and clinching the Freedom Cup against them last season for the first time since 2009.
- The Springboks’ longest winning streak against the All Blacks was six matches in a row between 1937 and 1949.
- The last time the Springboks defeated the All Blacks at Eden Park was in 1937 – a long-standing record they will be determined to end this weekend – while at the same time ending the hosts’ winning run at the ground since 1994.
- Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth will extend his record as the most capped Bok of all time to 136 Tests.
- Springbok flanker Siya Kolisi will play his 95th Test match, leaving him only five matches short of becoming the ninth Springbok centurion in the history of the game.
- Willie le Roux will earn his 101st Test match after striking the 100th mark against Italy in Gqeberha in the Castle Lager Incoming Series earlier this year.
- The centre pairing of Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende will extend their record of playing the most Tests together in the midfield to 39.
- Jesse Kriel will lead the Springboks for the third time in a Test after taking charge of the team against Italy in the Castle Lager Incoming Series in July and Australia in their last Castle Lager Rugby Championship match in Cape Town.
- The total Test caps in the Springbok starting line-up is 939 – the fourth highest combined total in SA rugby history.
- There are 434 caps in the backline, with 505 caps among the forwards. On the bench, there are a further 206caps.
- The average caps per player in the backline is 62, the forwards 63, while the players on the bench average 26
