100th Test puts Beast in league of great players
The lock will play at No 7 against England, Malherbe comes in at tighthead for exhausted Louw
THE CRIES of “Beeeeeast” will ring out even louder than usual when, against England tomorrow, Springbok giant Tendai Mtawarira becomes only the eighth prop in rugby history to reach the magical 100 Test mark.
The Zimbabwe-born loosehead will also become this country’s first prop to hit the 100 mark and the sixth Bok to reach the milestone. The others are Victor Matfield (127 caps), Bryan Habana (124), John Smit (111), Jean de Villiers (109) and Percy Montgomery (102).
The elite group of international prop forwards who have played 100 Tests include Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones (both Wales and British and Irish Lions); Jason Leonard (England and British and Irish Lions); John Hayes (Ireland and British and Irish Lions); Martin Castrogiovanni and Andrea Lo Cicero (both Italy); and Tony Woodcock (New Zealand).
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus this week paid tribute to the 32-yearold, who made his Test debut in 2008, saying: “How many people can say they played 100 Tests for their country? I played 39… 100 is phenomenal. He should be proud of himself, and we should all be too.”
Forwards coach Matt Proudfoot added that Mtawarira was a true professional. “He takes care of his body, he works hard, he’s prepared to learn, and he’s able to ride out the ups and downs of being a professional sportsman.”
Mtawarira has been credited with helping several youngsters who’ve come through the Bok front-row ranks reach their full potential, such as hooker Malcolm Marx and props Steven Kitshoff, Wilco Louw, Trevor Nyakane, Thomas du Toit and Frans Malherbe.
“It’s an amazing achievement getting to 100,” Malherbe said yesterday. “I’m so proud and honoured to be his tighthead prop this weekend (against England). He was there when I made my debut and he’s there now.”
Erasmus said he hoped the emotion of getting to 100 caps would help motivate Mtawarira and his team.
The Boks lead the three-Test series 1-0 after winning 42-39 in Joburg.
SPRINGBOK boss Rassie Erasmus has backed Pieter-Steph du Toit to shine at blindside flank when his team take on England in the second of three Tests tomorrow.
Du Toit, who played off the bench last weekend in Joburg and who started at lock when he captained the Boks in Washington two weeks ago, takes the place of Jean-Luc du Preez in one of two changes to the team that won 42-39 last Saturday.
The other change comes at tighthead prop where Frans Malherbe replaces the “punchdrunk” Wilco Louw.
Erasmus said the 25-yearold Du Toit, who is most comfortable at lock, could fulfil a similar role to that of his former Bok teammate of the late 90s and early 2000s, Andre Venter.
Venter tipped the scales at 109kg and stood 1.95m tall in his playing days, while Du Toit is a little bigger overall at 2m tall and 120kg. And while Venter was more a blindside flank that occasionally played lock, Du Toit is a lock that is now being used as a flank.
“Pieter-Steph is always going to be close to the starting team,” said Erasmus. “We’re lucky to have a guy like him ... people want to categorise somebody as something specific, but it’s wonderful that he is in the Andre Venter mould.
“Going forward we’ll use him in both positions. I don’t think he’ll settle at blindside, but for this game we’re using him there and later he might move back to lock, because we have two loosies on the bench (Du Preez and Sikhumbuzo Notshe). Where he ends up at the World Cup I’m not sure. At this stage he covers both positions for us.”
Du Toit has performed well in the No 7 jersey in recent times, including for the Stormers in Super Rugby, but a few seasons ago he was found out, first by Japan at the 2015 World Cup, and then by England’s scrumhalf, Ben Youngs, who exploited Du Toit’s lack of pace and expertise of the position in a Test at the end of 2016. The Bok coaches then were Heyneke Meyer and Allister Coetzee respectively, and tomorrow Youngs will know he has had Du Toit’s number before.
Erasmus though doesn’t seem too concerned. “Youngs is a tough guy to contain and stop anyway,” said the Bok coach about the challenge awaiting Du Toit on defence. “Pieter-Steph has grown as a player since that game in 2016, and Youngs will be a threat whoever is at seven. Overall, we have to be better defensively, we need to step it up ... also on Siya’s (Kolisi) side.”
Malherbe returns to the side after being sidelined for months with injuries, but Erasmus conceded the Stormers man won’t last the full 80 minutes. “We’ll probably get 40 minutes out of him,” said Erasmus.
Recently converted Thomas du Toit is then set to take over in the No 3 jersey, a player Erasmus feels has a bright future ahead of him. The Sharks youngster was impressive off the bench in Joburg last week after only recently swapping from being a loosehead to a tighthead prop.
“We’re trying to build Thomas into a world class tighthead prop. We want to build him up slowly ... he did well last week and we hope he does well again,” said Erasmus. The big change on the bench sees Jesse Kriel come into the matchday squad for Elton Jantjies, leaving the Boks without a recognised flyhalf among the replacements.
“We felt we needed some more speed last week when the game opened up so we’ve gone for Jesse, who can play 13 and anywhere in the outside backs,” said Erasmus. “Willie (le Roux) will cover flyhalf and at a push even Faf (de Klerk) can do the job.”