13 Springbok stats and facts

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For the Test against England at Twickenham on Saturday.

  • The Springbok starting team boasts a total of 778 Test caps (343 in the backline and 435 in the forwards), while there are a further 233 caps' worth of experience on the bench.
  • South Africa and England have played each other 36 times since 1906, with the Springboks winning 22 Tests, losing 12 and two being drawn. The Boks have scored 749 points and 69 tries and conceded 564 points and 39 tries for an average score of 21-16.
  • South Africa and England last met on 24 November 2012 at Twickenham in London. The Springboks won 16-15 thanks to a try by Willem Alberts and 11 points from the boot of Pat Lambie (one conversion and three penalty goals). England kicked five penalties, three by Owen Farrell and two by Toby Flood.
  • Jean de Villiers will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok centre, with 88 Tests in this position and will captain South Africa for the 32nd time, placing him third behind John Smit (83) and Gary Teichmann (36).
  • Victor Matfield will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok in history (118 Tests). He will also extend his record of 118 Tests as a lock and his record as the oldest Springbok ever at 37 years 181 days.
  • Bryan Habana will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok wing (104 Tests). If he scores a try, he will extend his record of 56 Test tries for South Africa.
  • If he goes on and scores a try Bismarck du Plessis will extend his record of nine Test tries for South Africa as a hooker.
  • Schalk Burger will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok flanker in history (72 caps). If he scores a try, he will become the sole record-holder for most Test tries as a flanker (11), a record he currently shares with Juan Smith.
  • Willie le Roux, Cornal Hendricks, Duane Vermeulen, Jannie du Plessis and Bismarck du Plessis have played in all 10 Tests for the Springboks in 2014. Bryan Habana and Beast Mtawarira have both missed only one Test in 2014.
  • Schalk Burger and Cobus Reinach are sons of Springboks. Schalk Burger Snr played six Tests for South Africa (1984-1986) and Jaco Reinach four Tests for South Africa in 1986. They played together in all four Tests against the New Zealand Cavaliers in 1986.
  • It will be the fourth time in history that a Springbok team will have three centurions in the starting lineup – Victor Matfield (118), Bryan Habana (104) and Jean de Villiers (103). The three previous times were against Australia and New Zealand in the Rugby Championship and against Ireland last week.
  • It will be Heyneke Meyer’s 35th Test in charge of the Springboks since he took over in 2012. Of the previous 34 Tests, South Africa have won 24, lost eight and drawn twice.
  • The referee is Steve Walsh of Australia. It will be his 18th Test involving South Africa. This is a new record for a referee in Tests involving SA, breaking the record of himself and Alain Rolland. Of the previous 17 Tests the Springboks have won 13, lost one and drawn three. His last Test involving South Africa was in August this year against Argentina in Salta in the Rugby Championship – a game the Springboks won 33-31.

Preview: England vs Springboks

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