For the first time in a test this season, the All Blacks outpoint the opposition forward pack too, 327 to 260.  And a lot of that caps superiority is in the front row, where the Boers are starting with a couple of international pups in Mtawarira and du Plessis, with 20 caps between them.  In the second row, replacing Bakkes "I am not a thug" Botha is 7 cap verteran Andries Bekker.  So a little light in experience in the tight five for the Boers - where it could bite them.

The backline though is at full strength, despite what some daft bastard Boer minister of sport thinks.  Here the Boers may have superiority over the All Blacks, so the all important battle of the fatties becomes more important for the men in black - especially the seeming miss match between Kahui and Habana.

Montgomery, 99 caps, hats off to you.  A far cry from the skinny bloke wearing 13 in the Boers 30 to 50 0dd loss at Eden Park in 1997!!  Good luck to you, but not too much!

Anyway, onto the stats.

Boer team Stats:

15  Percy Montgomery (Perpignan, France)  :  34 years  :  99 tests  :  1.84m  :  84kg
14  JP Pietersen (Sharks)  :  21 years  :  19 tests  :  1.93m  :  91kg
13  Adrian Jacobs (Sharks)  :  27 years  :  15 tests  :  1.79m  :  88kg
12  Jean de Villiers (Western Province)  :  27 years  :  40 tests  :  1.90m  :  98kg
11  Bryan Habana (Blue Bulls)  :  25 years  :  42 tests  :  1.79m  :  90kg
10  Butch James (Bath, England)  :  28 years  :  32 tests  :  1.86m  :  100kg
9  Fourie du Preez (Northern Transvaal)  :  26 years  :  25 tests  :  1.88m  :  75kg

Backline tests:  272, average 39.

8  Pierre Spies (Northern Transvaal)  :  23 years  :  13 tests  :  1.94m  :  103kg
7  Juan Smith (Western Province)  :  26 years  :  49 tests  :  1.96m  :  104kg
6  Schalk Burger (Western Province)  :  25 years  :  43 tests  :  1.93m  :  106kg
5  Victor Matfield (Toulon, France)  :  31 years  :  74 tests  :  2.00m  :  115kg
4  Andries Bekker (Western Province)  :  24 years  :  7 tests  :  2.08m  :  120kg
3  CJ van der Linde (Cheetahs)  :  27 years  :  54 tests  :  1.89m  :  125kg
2  Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks)  :  24 years  :  16 tests  :  1.89m  :  112kg
1  Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks)  :  23 years  :  4 tests  :  1.88m  :  115kg

Forward pack tests:  260 tests, average 32.

16  Adriaan Strauss (Cheetahs)  :  22 years  :  2 tests  :  1.87m  :  103kg
17  Brian Mujati (Western Province)  :  23 years  :  6 tests  :  1.81m  :  116kg
18  Danie Rossouw (Northern Transvaal)  :  30 years  :  32 tests  :  1.98m  :  118kg
19  Luke Watson (Western Province)  :  24 years  :  7 tests  :  1.84m  :  100kg
20  Ricky Januarie (Western Province)  :  26 years  :  28 tests  :  1.68m  :  75kg
21  Francois Steyn (Sharks)  :  21 years  :  22 tests  :  1.91m  :  100kg
22  Conrad Jantjes (Western Province)  :  28 years  :  18 tests  :  1.83m  :  89kg

Reserve tests:  115 tests, average 16.
Total tests:  647, average 29.

All Black team stats:

1  Tony Woodcock (North Harbour, Blues) : 27 years : 44 tests : 1.84m : 118kg
2  Andrew Hore (Taranaki, Hurricanes) : 29 years : 33 tests : 1.83m : 111kg
3  Greg Somerville (Canterbury, Crusaders) : 24 years : 62 tests : 1.83m : 126kg
4  Ali Williams (Tasman, Crusaders) : 27 years : 53 tests ; 2.02m : 112kg
5  Brad Thorn (Tasman, Crusaders) : 33 years : 18 tests : 1.95m : 113kg
7  Rodney So’oialo (Wellington, Hurricanes) : 28 years : 48 tests : 1.90m : 107kg
7  Richie McCaw (Canterbury, Crusaders, captain) : 27 years : 63 tests : 1.87m : 106kg
8  Jerome Kaino (Auckland, Blues) : 25 years : 8 tests : 1.96m : 109kg

Forward pack tests:  327 tests, average 41.

9  Jimmy Cowan (Southland, Highlanders) : 26 years : 14 tests : 1.82m : 91kg
10  Dan Carter (Canterbury, Crusaders) : 26 years : 51 tests : 1:78m : 91kg
12  Ma’a Nonu (Wellington, Hurricanes) : 26 years : 25 tests : 1.82m : 102kg
11  Sitiveni Sivivatu (Waikato, Chiefs) : 26 years : 28 tests : 1.85m : 100kg
13  Conrad Smith (Wellington, Hurricanes) : 26 years : 18 tests : 1.86m : 95kg
14  Richard Kahui (Waikato, Chiefs) : 23 years ; 3 tests : 1.86m : 95kg
15  Mils Muliaina  (Waikato, Chiefs) : 27 years : 62 tests : 1.83m : 93kg

Backline tests:  201, average 29.

16  Keven Mealamu (Auckland, Blues) : 29 years : 57 tests : 1.81m : 106kg
17  John Afoa (Auckland, Blues) : 24 years : 7 tests : 1.83m : 126kg
18  Anthony Boric (North Harbour, Blues) : 24 years : 4 tests : 2.00m : 110kg
19  Adam Thomson (Otago, Hurricanes) : 26 years : 5 tests : 1.96m : 112kg
20  Piri Weepu (Wellington, Hurricanes) : 24 years : 21 tests : 1.78m : 95kg
21  Stephen Donald (Waikato, Chiefs) : 24 years : 3 tests : 1.90m : 98kg
22  Isaia Toeava (Auckland, Blues) : 22 years : 15 tests : 1.82m : 92kg

Reserve tests:  112 tests, average 16.
Total tests:  640, average 29.