Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira will play in his 50th Test for the Springboks when they take on New Zealand at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday, in the final round of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship.
The 28-year-old Mtawarira, who made his Test debut on 14 June 2008 against Wales in Pretoria, will become the 27th Springbok to reach 50 Test caps, following hot on the heels of his fellow front rankers, Bismarck and Jannie du Plessis, as well as Morné Steyn.
Mtawarira will also become the fifth prop to achieve this feat behind Os du Randt, CJ van der Linde, Ollie le Roux and Jannie du Plessis.
“What a wonderful achievement for Beast,” said Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer.
“He is someone who doesn’t speak a lot, but you know he always gives everything he has for the Springbok jersey. It’s always good to see hard work and dedication pay off like this.”
There are two changes to the Springbok team that beat Australia by 28-8 in Cape Town last weekend, as well as one possible change.
Upfront, Bismarck du Plessis rotates with Adriaan Strauss at hooker, while Juandré Kruger comes in at lock for Flip van der Merwe. The uncapped Franco van der Merwe has been selected on the bench.
At the back, JJ Engelbrecht is bracketed at outside centre with Jan Serfontein, while Juan de Jongh will come onto the bench if needed.
“We will give JJ all the time he needs to fully recover from his quad muscle injury, but if he can’t make it, Jan will start with Juan on the bench,” explained Meyer.
“Juandré will slot in without any difficulty as he’s been part of the squad since day one and I’m very pleased for Franco, who has been training with us for more than a year already.
“Franco’s attitude since day one has been fantastic, he’s waited patiently and always stayed positive, which is what we as a team stand for. On Saturday, he could make his debut against New Zealand in front of his home crowd at Ellis Park on Saturday.”
Springbok team:
15. Zane Kirchner (27 caps 25 points)
14. Willie le Roux (8 caps 10 points)
13. JJ Engelbrecht (9 caps 20 points) / Jan Serfontein 8 caps 5 points)
12. Jean de Villiers (Captain – 92 caps 115 points)
11. Bryan Habana (91 caps 255 points)
10. Morné Steyn (50 caps 611 points)
9. Fourie du Preez (64 caps 70 points)
8. Duane Vermeulen (12 caps 5 points)
7. Willem Alberts (26 caps 30 points)
6. Francois Louw (24 caps 25 points)
5. Juandré Kruger (16 caps 0 points)
4. Eben Etzebeth (19 caps 0 points)
3. Jannie du Plessis (50 caps 5 points)
2. Bismarck du Plessis (53 caps 40 points)
1. Tendai Mtawarira (49 caps 10 points)
Replacements:
16. Adriaan Strauss (29 caps 25 points)
17. Gurthrö Steenkamp (45 caps 30 points)
18. Coenie Oosthuizen (10 caps 5 points)
19. Franco van der Merwe (0 caps 0 points)
20. Siya Kolisi (7 caps 0 points)
21. Ruan Pienaar (70 caps 130 points)
22. Pat Lambie (28 caps 55 points)
23. Jan Serfontein (8 caps 5 points) / Juan de Jongh (14 caps 20 points)
Stats and facts:
- Should JJ Engelbrecht be cleared to play, the Springbok starting team boasts a total of 590 Test caps (341 in the backline and 249 in the forwards), while there are a further 197 caps worth of experience on the bench.
- South Africa and New Zealand have played each other 86 times since 1921, with the Springboks winning 34 Tests, losing 49 and three was drawn. The Springboks have scored 1,328 points and 129 tries and conceded 1,641 points and 172 tries for an average score of 15-19.
- Jean de Villiers will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok centre, with 77 Tests in this position. He will also be playing in his 21st Test against New Zealand, just three short of Victor Matfield’s record of 24.
- Bryan Habana will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok wing, with 90 Tests in this position and if he scores a try, will extend his record of 51 Test tries for South Africa. He also just needs one try to equal the Rugby Championship record of Christian Cullen (New Zealand) who scored 16 tries in his Rugby Championship career.
- Morné Steyn will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok flyhalf, with 49 Tests in this position. If he scores a try, he will also extend his record of seven Test tries as a flyhalf for South Africa. He will also extend his Springbok career record of 117 points against New Zealand in Tests.
- Bismarck and Jannie du Plessis will extend their SA record of playing together in 30 Tests for South Africa. If he scores a try Bismarck will also extend his own record of eight test tries for South Africa as a hooker.
- If he goes on and scores a try, Gurthrö Steenkamp will extend his own record of six tries as a prop for South Africa.
- If he goes on Franco van der Merwe will become Springbok No. 854.
- The referee is Nigel Owens of Wales. This will be his 10th Test involving South Africa. The Springboks have won six and lost three of these encounters. His last game was the test against England on 24 November 2012 at Twickenham in London on the Boks’ end-of-year tour, where South Africa beat England by 16-15.
Springbok Test match records at Ellis Park in Johannesburg:
- Most points – 28 (3t, 5c, 1p) by Gavin Johnson on 13 April 1995 against Samoa.
- Most tries – four by Chester Williams on 10 June 1995 against Samoa and by Jongi Nokwe against on 30 August 2008 against Australia.
- Most conversions – nine by Butch James on 9 August 2008 against Argentina
- Most penalty goals – six by Percy Montgomery on 16 June 2001 against France and by Louis Koen on 14 June 2003 against Scotland.
- Most drop goals – two by Joel Stransky on 27 June 1995 against New Zealand and by Jannie de Beer on 19 July 1997 against New Zealand.
- The Springboks and New Zealand have played 11 times at Ellis Park since 1928 with the Boks winning eight and losing three (6-7 in 1928; 24-27 in 1992 and 32-35 in 1997).
- The Boks have scored 255 points (26 tries) against 206 points (19 tries) with an average of 23-19.
- The last game between the two countries at Ellis Park was in 2004, with the Boks winning 40-26, a game in which Marius Joubert scored a hat-trick and the Boks outscored the Kiwis by 5 tries to two.
Hi there all. I worked for 3 days on a garden in Ndluvumsi and had almost no contact with the World. What a great garden job, i just love my new career, sadly the back does not. But i struggle through it and sit here very satisfied.
GBS i like the new look , is this final? For now at least.
Net Os du Randt het egter in meer toetse as die Beast begin. Durand het in 75 van sy 80 toetse begin, Beast in 44 van sy 49, Du Plessis in 41 van sy 50, CJ in 39 van sy 56 en Ollie net in elf van sy 54.
Well done Tendai “Beast” on reaching this milestone
1 @ superBul:
Looks relatively final… depending on the feedback I get… which has all been very, very good, I must say.
Little tweaks needed still, like when the TOP & BOTTOM Sidebar Advertisements are on and they go over the right hand Sidebar items on smaller devices like Mobile Phones and Smartphones…. need to specifically employ some more mobile friendly theme adaptions or what we would call a Mobile Switcher for easier access from Mobile phones.
1 @ superBul:
“is this final? For now at least” you got me there 
Hi superBul pity your back still giving you grief but great to read you enjoy the landscaping job so much
Congrats Beast. Well done. Really proud of you.
Now make it a day you will never forget by beating the ABs at Ellis Park…
@ Bullscot:
Bullscot if you know me well i am a real stupid hard worker , a real stupid fighter and a never say die guy. Mentally it hurts Me so much, being hampered to do things i usually did but like i said its still my love and i will fight till i die.
7 @ superBul:
Super hang in there with your back before having a op. My back is in huge pain again as well. I think I told you and gbs years back I have a slipped disc in my lower back. From time to time the pain is unbearable. I so stupidly played golf 3 weeks back and rehurt my back. I may go up to Joburg and see my old neurosurgeon there. He does spinal blocks. He done one on my back a quite a few years back. It does help the pain a lot. It can take the pain away for from 6 months to 2 years. Try that before you do a op. It is painless. You go into hospital for the morning they put you out for 20min that is all it takes. He injects hydrocortisone into the facet joints. You will be back home by the afternoon. Just need to rest the back for a week or two after. Find out who can do it in Pretoria otherwise I will give you his practice number. You could be pain free after it is done. Also you don’t need to take any painkillers after either or any medication. It is going the conservative route first before you ever think of a op.
@ Puma:
I am going to do my best to avoid a OP, thanks for the advice. What worries me is the fractures they picked up in the MRI scans. I knew i fell about a year back(so by the way a chair broke yesterday and guess what, i fell again) Anyway i am a dead person now, i walk in pain for 20 meters sit down for a minute or 2 and walk further, it is killing me. remember i was a wing and i like to do things fast, if you cant do it faster , i do it myself. Now asking someone to make me a cup of coffee is killing me.
9 @ superBul:
Super, I am in that pain right now. I have had a serious back problem for years now. Always kept it under control. I also do daft things that make it worse. I played golf a few weeks back and the back is really hurting. Do you get pain running down you legs and into your feet from the back? I do and sometimes the pain in the leg is as painful as the back.
Find out about the spinal block. I know that quite a few anaesthetists do the spinal blocks as well. I don’t trust them too much to do it. I have done it with a top neurosurgeon in Bryanston. He is excellent. It helps the pain a lot. Try that first before you do any sort of op. There might be a neurosurgeon in Pretoria that does it. I am sure there must be.
Don’t lift anything heavy boet. Also don’t twist the back that makes it worse. Remember I have the kak knees as well. We both in a bit of a mess…hahaha. Ag, you know Super life is what you make it. I just live with the pain and sometimes it is okay. But the back pain I will go up to Joburg for a spinal block if it continues. Get into the pool boet, it helps to move about there. Don’t do anything too strenuous as it makes it worse. With your chair giving away it and you falling again it might have made the back worse. Then don’t stress super it might not have. Go see a neurosurgeon about a spinal block. It normally works and it can allow you to be pain free anything from 6 month to 2 years.
Fukkit.
Still the old and decrepit here?
@ Pam Anderson:
Hahaha
11 @ Pam Anderson:
Hello Tieties, how are you?
I have no back pain… fit as a fiddle
Interesting
Richard Hugh McCaw speel Saterdag in sy 120e toets wanneer hy die All Blacks teen die Springbokke op die veld lei, en hoewel hy reeds twee toetse in Johannesburg gewen het, het hy nog nooit in ‘n toets op Ellispark gespeel nie.
A bit of trivia for all you Rugby Gurus:
Try and not yse Google ( but if you must then admit it!
)1. who scored the The first Springbok try – and points – in a test match
2. Where did the player come from ( home union)
3. Against which team were the “Boks” playing?
4. The first South African to score with the boot
5. who was the first Springbok to receive a yellow card?
6. Who was the 1st Bok to receive a RED card ( an NO it was not BISMARCK!)
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