11 Springbok stats and facts

For Saturday's international match against Wales at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

– The total Test caps in the starting lineup are 260 – of this 40 are in the backline and 220 among the forwards. The combined Test caps of those on the bench are 110. The average caps per player in the match-day squad are 18.

– With only 40 caps between them, this is the most inexperienced Springbok backline since 1994.

– The youngest player in the starting lineup is Rohan Janse van Rensburg (22 years and two months), while the oldest member of the team is Tendai Mtawarira (31 years and three months).

– The tallest player in the squad is Lood de Jager (2.05m), the shortest Faf de Klerk (1.72m), the heaviest Steven Kitshoff (125kg), and the lightest De Klerk (80kg).

– Adriaan Strauss and Tendai Mtawarira will play in their 12th consecutive Test in the starting XV under Allister Coetzee’s reign.

– The players that will win their first Test caps against Wales are Jamba Ulengo (Springbok No 878), Rohan Janse van Rensburg (Springbok No 879) and Uzair Cassiem (Springbok No 880), with a possible first cap to Jean-Luc du Preez (Springbok No 881).

– Apart from the debutants, six other players in the starting lineup will face Wales for the first time in a Test match: Lourens Adriaanse, Warren Whiteley, Faf de Klerk, Elton Jantjies, Francois Venter and Ruan Combrinck.

– Of the 23 players, Tendai Mtawarira is the most-capped player against Wales with nine Tests.

Adriaan Strauss, who made his Test debut against Australia in 2008, will retire from international rugby after this Test. He will have played in 66 Test matches​, of which 12 were as captain.

– One try by South Africa in this Test match will bring up the 1,300th try in Springbok Test rugby.

– It will be Romain Poite’s seventh appearance as referee in Test matches involving South Africa. The Springboks won three of the previous six with him in charge.

Photo: Springboks

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