Willie le Roux will become just the eighth player to reach the 100-Test mark for the Springboks on Saturday in Gqeberha.
The 35-year-old veteran fullback has made 99 appearances in the green and gold jersey to date.
Le Roux, is bidding to become just the fourth backline player to achieve the milestone.
It’s worth remembering that 946 players have pulled the famed green and gold jersey over their heads since 1891.
Le Roux was this week named to start at fullback in Rassie Erasmus’s team to face Italy at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
TEAMS
South Africa
15 Willie le Roux, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain), 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Thomas du Toit
Substitutes: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Evan Roos, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23 Ethan Hooker
Italy
15 Mirko Belloni, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Tommaso Menoncello, 12 Marco Zanon, 11 Jacopo Trulla, 10 Giacomo De Re, 9 Alessandro Garbisi, 8 Ross Vintcent, 7 Manual Zuliani, 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Andrea Zambonin, 4 Niccolo Cannone (captain), 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 1 Danilo Fischetti
Substitutes: 16 Pablo Dimcheff, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Muhamed Hasa, 19 Matteo Canali, 20 Alessandro Izekor, 21 David Odiase, 22 Stephen Varney, 23 Giulio Bertaccini
Match officials
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
Assistant Referees: Matthew Carley (RFU), Hollie Davidson (SRU)
Television Match Official: Tual Trainini (FFR)
SOUTH AFRICA’S TEST CENTURIONS
| Player | Tests | School |
| Eben Etzebeth * | 132 | Tygerberg |
| Victor Matfield | 127 | Pietersburg |
| Bryan Habana | 124 | KES |
| Tendai Mtawarira | 117 | Peterhouse (Zim) |
| John Smit | 111 | Pretoria Boys High |
| Jean de Villiers | 109 | Paarl Gimnasium |
| Percy Montgomery | 102 | SACS |
| Willie le Roux * | 99 | Paul Roos |
Two-time Rugby World Cup winner
Le Roux, who was born in Stellenbosch and attended famed Paul Roos Gymnasium, turned 35 on 18 August 2024.
He made his Test debut on 8 June 2013 against Italy at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban and has scored 15 tries to date.
Le Roux has won 68 of his Tests, lost 30 with one other ending in a draw for a win percentage of 69%.
He made his provincial debut for Boland Cavaliers and has also represented Griquas, Free State Cheetahs, Sharks and Blue Bulls in South Africa, as well as Wasps (England) and Canon Eagles and Toyota Verblitz (both Japan).
Le Roux is a two-time Rugby World Cup winner having been part of both the 2019 and 2023 Webb Ellis Cup-winning Springbok squads.
BIO: WILLIE LE ROUX
| Full name: Willem Jacobus le Roux | |
| Date of birth: 18 August 1989 | |
| Place of birth: Stellenbosch | |
| Schools: Strand, Paul Roos Gymnasium | |
| Springbok No: #848 | |
| Physical: 1.86m, 90kg | |
| Current age: 35 | |
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