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Seven hundred caps. SEVEN HUNDRED CAPS.
Yes, 700 caps running out onto the field for the steroid brutes from the
Republic this weekend. Have I said that there are 700 caps trotting onto
the field this weekend for the Boers yet...?
Anyway, holy shit aside, South Africa have a
pack that is ooooozing experience this weekend, and that is where the test will
be won and lost - if our boys in the pack can handle the men in the Boer pack,
then the backlines, where experience slightly favours the All Blacks.
Anyway, let the figures tell the story.
Boer team Stats:
15 Conrad Jantjes (Western Province)
: 28 years : 14 tests : 1.83m : 89kg
14 Odwa Ndungane (Sharks) : 27 years : 1 test
: 1.84m : 95kg
13 Adrian Jacobs (Sharks) : 27 years : 12 tests
: 1.79m : 88kg
12 Jean de Villiers (Western Prrovince) : 27 years :
36 tests : 1.90m : 98kg
11 Bryan Habana (Blue Bulls) : 25 years : 39 tests
: 1.79m : 90kg
10 Butch James (Bath, England) : 28 years : 28
tests : 1.86m : 100kg
9 Ricky Januarie (Western Province) : 26 years :
24 tests : 1.68m : 75kg
Backline tests: 154,
average 22.
8 Joe van Niekerk (Lions) :
28 years : 47 tests : 1.93m : 105kg
7 Juan Smith (Western Province) : 26 years : 45
tests : 1.96m : 104kg
6 Schalk Burger (Western Province) : 25 years : 40
tests : 1.93m : 106kg
5 Victor Matfield (Toulon, France) : 31 years : 70
tests : 2.00m : 115kg
4 Bakkies Botha (Blue Bulls) : 28 years : 48 tests
: 2.01m : 120kg
3 CJ van der Linde (Cheetahs) : 27 years : 50
tests : 1.89m : 125kg
2 John Smit (Clermont, France, captain) : 30 years :
77 tests : 1.88m : 116kg
1 Gurthro Steenkamp (Blue Bulls) : 27 years : 15
tests : 1.89m : 120kg
Forward pack tests: 392
tests, average 49.
16 Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks) :
24 years : 13 tests : 1.89m : 112kg
17 Brian Mujati (Western Province) : 23 years : 2
tests : 1.81m : 116kg
18 Andries Bekker (Western Province) : 24 years :
3 tests : 2.08m : 120kg
19 Luke Watson (Western Province) : 24 years : 4
tests : 1.84m : 100kg
20 Bolla Conradie (Western Province) : 30 years :
17 tests : 1.70m : 78kg
21 Francois Steyn (Sharks) : 21 years : 19 tests
: 1.91m : 100kg
22 Percy Montgomery (Perpignan, France) : 34 years :
96 tests : 1.84m : 84kg
Reserve tests: 154 tests,
average 22.
Total tests: 700, average 32.
All Black
team stats:
1 Tony Woodcock (North
Harbour, Blues) : 27 years : 39 tests : 1.84m : 118kg
2 Andrew Hore (Taranaki, Hurricanes) : 29 years : 28 tests : 1.83m
: 111kg
3 Greg Somerville (Canterbury, Crusaders) : 30 years : 59 tests : 1.87m : 115kg
4 Ali Williams (Tasman, Crusaders) : 27 years : 49 tests ; 2:02m : 112kg
5 Brad Thorn (Tasman, Crusaders) : 33 years : 15 tests : 1:95m : 113kg
6 Adam Thomson (Otago, Highlanders) : 26 years : 2 tests : 1.96m : 112kg
7 Rodney So’oialo (Wellington, Hurricanes) : 28 years : 44 tests : 1.90m :
107kg
8 Jerome
Kaino (Auckland, Blues) : 25 years : 4 tests : 1.96m : 109kg
Forward pack tests: 240
tests, average 30.
9 Andy Ellis (Canterbury,
Crusaders) : 24 years : 7 tests ; 1.81m : 92kg
10 Dan Carter (Canterbury, Crusaders) : 26 years : 47 tests : 1:78m : 91kg
12 Ma’a Nonu (Wellington, Hurricanes) : 26 years : 21 tests : 1.82m : 102kg
11 Rudi Wulf (North Harbour, Blues) : 26 years : 1 test : 1.85m : 100kg
13 Conrad Smith (Wellington, Hurricanes) : 26 years ; 14 tests : 1.86m : 95kg
14 Sitiveni Sivivatu (Waikato, Chiefs) : 26 years : 24 tests : 1.85m : 100kg
15 Mils Muliaina (Waikato, Chiefs) : 27 years : 58 tests : 1.83m : 93kg
Backline tests: 172,
average 24.
16 Keven Mealamu (Auckland,
Blues) : 29 years : 53 tests : 1.81m : 106kg
17 Neemia Tialata (Wellington, Hurricanes) : 25 years : 24 tests : 1.87m :
129kg
18 Anthony Boric (North Harbour, Blues) : 24 years : 2 tests : 2.00m : 110kg
19 Sione Lauaki (Waikato, Chiefs) : 26 years : 13 tests : 1.94m : 115kg
20 Jimmy Cowan (Southland, Highlanders) : 26 years : 11 tests : 1.82m : 91kg
21 Stephen Donald (Waikato, Chiefs) : 24 years : 2 tests : 1.90m : 98kg
22 Leon MacDonald (Canterbury, Crusaders) : 30 years : 55 tests : 1.81m :
96kg
Reserve tests: 160 tests,
average 23.
Total tests: 572, average 26.
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