Springboks v France: NINE interesting stats you need to know

The Springboks will play their most important Test of the 2023 Rugby World Cup when they face France in Paris because the result will either see them stat alive in the competition or end their reign as world champions.

ALSO READ: No Lukhanyo Am for Springboks

This weekend’s match kicks off 21h00 SA time and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

Prior to the encounter, you can check out some key facts and figures below.

SPRINGBOKS’ RECORD AGAINST FRANCE:

Played 45; Won 27; Lost 12; Drawn 6. Points for: 965, Points against: 692. Tries scored 107, Tries conceded 61. Highest score 52-10; Biggest win 42 points. Average score: 21-15. Win % 60%.

ALSO READ: Big men don’t cry, you say? Well Eben Etzebeth does!

NINE INTERESTING STATS AND FACTS:

• Eben Etzebeth will equal Tendai Mtawarira’s 117 Test caps, meaning they will share third place on the list of most-capped Springboks.
• The 880 caps in the starting team is the second-most ever for the Springboks – the most experienced team, with 891 combined caps – ran out against Samoa at Rugby World Cup in 2015.
• The starting pack is the most experienced ever fielded by the Springboks sharing 623 caps. All eight have made a half century of test appearances and average 78 caps per man.
• Eight players who will feature on Sunday, played against Samoa in 2015: Willie le Roux, Damian De Allende, Handre Pollard, Duane Vermeulen and Eben Etzebeth started, with Frans Malherbe, Siya Kolisi and Jesse Kriel on the bench.
• The two replacement props, Ox Nche and Vincent Koch, are the only players in the match-23 who have not yet scored any Test points.
• Kurt-Lee Arendse enters the match with an impressive try-scoring record of 12 tries in his 12 Test matches.
• Pollard, with 665 Test points in the Springbok jersey, in in third place behind Morne Steyn (742) and Percy Montgomery (893).
• This is just the second time France and South Africa have met at the Rugby World Cup. The previous meeting was in 1995 when the Springboks edged the semifinal 19-15 in a Durban downpour.
• France (10 times) and South Africa (eight times) are two of just three teams to have reached the quarter-finals in each edition of the Rugby World Cup that they have participated in (also New Zealand, 10).

ALSO READ: Kiwi ref on the whistle in Springboks v France quarter-final

MISCELLANEOUS:

• The total Test caps for the Springbok starting line-up is 880.
• There are 257 caps in the backline, with 623 caps among the forwards. On the bench there are a further 359 caps.
• The average caps per player in the backline is 37, the forwards 78, while the players on the bench average 45.

ALSO READ: Despite BOLD selections, this is one of Springboks’ most experienced teams EVER

HOW THE SPRINGBOKS WILL LINEUP AGAINST FRANCE:

Springboks – 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Subs: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Faf de Klerk, 22 Handre Pollard, 23 Willie le Roux.