Willie Le Roux to surpass Joost van der Westhuizen this weekend
Willie Le Roux is set to earn his 90th Springbok cap when the Springboks face Tonga at the Rugby World Cup on Sunday.
Fullback Willie Le Roux has been an underrated presence in the Springbok fold this season with his experience providing great value for the team.
WILLIE LE ROUX MARKS MILESTONE TEST
Le Roux is set to earn his 90th Springbok cap when the Springboks face Tonga at the Rugby World Cup on Sunday.
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His 90th Test appearance will make Le Roux the eighth most-capped Springbok of all time, surpassing the late great Joost van der Westhuizen who played 89 international for South Africa.
Le Roux is still some way behind the man who is in seventh on the Springboks all-time caps list. Percy Montgomery has 102 Test caps to his name and is also the all-time Springboks points record holder.
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| # | Name | Period | Caps | Starts | Subs | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victor Matfield | 2001–2015 | 127 | 121 | 6 | Lock |
| 2 | Bryan Habana | 2004–2016 | 124 | 122 | 2 | Wing |
| 3 | Tendai Mtawarira | 2008–2019 | 117 | 102 | 15 | Prop |
| 4 | Eben Etzebeth | 2012– | 115 | 109 | 6 | Lock |
| 5 | John Smit | 2000–2011 | 111 | 94 | 17 | Hooker |
| 6 | Jean de Villiers | 2002–2015 | 109 | 105 | 4 | Centre |
| 7 | Percy Montgomery | 1997–2008 | 102 | 90 | 12 | Fullback |
| 8 | Willie le Roux | 2013– | 89 | 78 | 11 | Fullback |
| Joost van der Westhuizen | 1993–2003 | 89 | 78 | 11 | Scrum-half | |
| 10 | Ruan Pienaar | 2006–2015 | 88 | 45 | 43 | Scrum-half |
Most-capped Springboks
OTHER MILESTONES AS SPRINGBOKS FACE TONGA
Siya Kolisi will also captain the Springboks for the 50th time in a Test match in a milestone that underlines his contribution to the game.
The total Test caps tallied by the Springboks’ starting line-up against Tonga is 638.
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There are 254 caps among the backs, with 384 caps sported by the forwards. On the bench there are a further 354 caps in an incredible display of experience.
The average caps per player in the backline is 36, the forwards 48, while the players on the bench average 44.
SPRINGBOK TEAM VS TONGA IN MARSEILLE
15 – Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls) – 89 caps, 70 pts (14t)
14 – Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 7 caps, 10 (2t)
13 – Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 9 caps, 20 pts (4t)
12 – Andre Esterhuizen (Harlequins) – 15 caps, 0pts
11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 40 caps, 130 pts (26t)
10 – Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 67 caps, 665 pts (7t, 91c, 145pg, 5d)
9 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 29 caps, 60 pts (12t)
8 – Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers) – 25 caps, 5 pts (1t)
7 – Duane Vermeulen (SA Rugby) – 72 caps, 15 pts (3t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Racing 92) – 78 caps, 50 pts (10t)
5 – Marvin Orie (DHL Stormers) – 15 caps, 0 pts
4 – Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 115 caps, 25 pts (5t)
3 – Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 46 caps, 0pts
2 – Deon Fourie (DHL Stormers) – 9 caps, 5 pts (1t)
1 – Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 24 caps, 0 pts
Replacements:
16 – Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 17 caps, 0 pts
17 – Steven Kitshoff (Ulster) – 78 caps, 10 pts (2t)
18 – Trevor Nyakane (Racing 92) – 65 caps, 5 pts (1t)
19 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 69 caps, 15 pts (3t)
20 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 36 caps, 30 pts (6t)
21 – Jaden Hendrikse (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 14 caps, 12 pts (2t, 1c)
22 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 64 caps, 70 pts (14t)
23 – Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers) – 11 caps, 74 pts (1t, 21c, 9pg)
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