Stats and facts for the Pool B World Cup opener between the Springboks and All Blacks in Yokohama on Saturday.
– New Zealand have won 45 out of 51 matches at World Cup tournaments for a winning percentage of 88%, the best at Rugby World Cups.
– South Africa have won 30 out of 36 matches at World Cup tournaments since their first admission in 1995 for a winning percentage of 83%, the second best at Rugby World Cups.
– Springboks have played against the All Blacks four times at a World Cup. In those Tests, they’ve won two and lost two, scored 64 points and conceded 79, scored one try and conceded five.
– Beast Mtawarira and Frans Steyn are the most experienced players in the 23, with 11 Rugby World Cup caps each.
– The total of Test caps in the Springboks’ starting lineup is 542. There are 190 caps in the backline with 352 caps among the forwards. There are a further 377 caps on the bench.
– The average caps per player in the backline is 27, the forwards 44 while the players on the bench average 47. The average age of the starting fifteen is 27.
– Duane Vermeulen will play in his 50th Test and Eben Etzebeth in his 80th.
– Handre Pollard needs seven points to reach 100 World Cup points and 12 points in this Test match to reach 100 points against New Zealand.
– Pollard could surpass Percy Montgomery’s career record of 16 conversions against New Zealand. Currently he is on 15.
– This will be French referee Jerome Garces’ 53rd Test. South Africa have been involved in thirteen of those Test matches, nine times on the losing side of which five were in matches against New Zealand.
Photo: Peter Heeger/Gallo Images
