100 up for Mtawarira

Tendai Mtawarira will make his 100th Test appearance for South Africa in Bloemfontein on Saturday in the key second Test against England. He becomes only the sixth Springbok to reach this special milestone.

The 32-year-old is the first Springbok prop to reach a century of Test caps and he joins an elite group of only seven props who have made 100 or more Test appearances. Mtawarira will anchor the Springbok scrum in his milestone game alongside hooker Bongi Mbonambi and Frans Malherbe, who makes a return to the front-row after a lengthy absence due to injury. Mtawarira made his Springbok debut exactly 10 years ago against Wales, on June 14. 2008 in Pretoria at the age of 22. Since then, the front-rower has established himself as a mainstay for the Sharks – he has 146 Super Rugby caps to his name – and the Springboks. Apart from his 99 Tests, Mtawarira has also played in three tour matches for the Springboks to date, with two Test tries to his name.

“Much like a typical front-rower, ‘Beast’ is

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