Boks team to face Portugal: All the stats, facts and figures

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has picked a vastly different team to the one that featured in both Tests against Ireland recently for the one-off match against tier two nation, Portugal, in Bloemfontein on Saturday (5pm).

The side will be led by the Stormers’ Salmaan Moerat. It will be the first meeting between the Boks and Portugal.

Here are all the stats, facts and figures you need to know about the Bok team and the match.

Caps in team

In stark contrast to last week’s most capped Springbok starting XV ever (990), this week’s starting team only has 228 caps in it.

There are 161 caps in the backs, 67 in the forwards, while there are 75 caps on the bench.

Most experienced players

Not one player in the starting team this weekend has gone beyond the 50-Test mark.

Makazole Mapimpi, with 42 Tests, is the most experienced starter. RG Snyman (36), Lukhanyo Am (35) and Cobus Reinach (32) are the next most experienced. Trevor Nyakane is by far the most experienced man on the bench, with 67 caps.

Newcomers

Flanker Phepsi Buthelezi, hooker Johan Grobbelaar and prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels are the newcomers in the starting team, while on the bench, hooker Andre-Hugo Venter, flank Ruan Venter, scrumhalf Morne van den Berg and fullback Quan Horn are uncapped.

Seven other players in the matchday-23 have less than 10 caps – Aphelele Fassi (4), Evan Roos (6), Ben-Jason Dixon (1), Salmaan Moerat (6), Ntuthuko Mchunu (2), Elrigh Louw (3) and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (3).

Moerat captaincy

The 26-year-old Stormers man becomes the 66th national rugby captain and third team leader in four matches this year after Pieter-Steph du Toit led the side against Wales at Twickenham and Siya Kolisi captained the team in the two Tests against Ireland.

Moerat, who has led the SA Schools team, Junior Boks and Stormers, will pack down in the second row alongside RG Snyman.

Venter keeping it in the family

Should Andre-Hugo Venter get game time from off the bench, he will follow in the footsteps of his father, Andre Venter (flanker), who played 66 Tests for South Africa between 1996 and 2001. They will become the 16th father/son combination to play for the Boks.

Another interesting fact is that Venter, just 22, is currently seeing Bok boss Rassie Erasmus’ daughter, Nikki.

Springbok team to face Portugal in Bloemfontein:

15 – Aphelele Fassi (Sharks) – 4 caps, 10 points (2t)
14 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls) – 17 caps, 70 points (14t)
13 – Lukhanyo Am (Sharks) – 35 caps, 30 pts (6t)
12 – Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks) – 17 caps, 0 pts
11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks) – 42 caps, 135 points (27t)
10 – Manie Libbok (Stormers) – 14 caps, 87 pts (1t, 26c, 10p)
9 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 32 caps, 65 pts (13t)
8 – Evan Roos (Stormers) – 6 caps, 0 points
7 – Ben-Jason Dixon (Stormers) – 1 cap, 0 points
6 – Phepsi Buthelezi (Sharks) – uncapped
5 – RG Snyman (Leinster) – 36 caps, 10 points (2t)
4 – Salmaan Moerat (capt, Stormers) – 6 caps, 0 points
3 – Thomas du Toit (Bath) – 18 caps, 0 pts
2 – Johan Grobbelaar (Bulls) – uncapped
1 – Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls) – uncapped
Bench:
16 – Andre-Hugo Venter (Stormers) – uncapped
17 – Ntuthuko Mchunu (Sharks) – 2 caps, 0 points
18 – Trevor Nyakane (Sharks) – 67 caps, 5 pts (1t)
19 – Ruan Venter (Lions) – uncapped
20 – Elrigh Louw (Bulls) – 3 caps, 0 points
21 – Morne van den Berg (Lions) – uncapped
22 – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers) – 3 caps, 7 points (2c, 1p)
23 – Quan Horn (Lions) – uncapped