Willie le Roux on the brink of 100 caps as Springboks kick off Test season

Veteran Willie le Roux is set to earn his 99th cap for the Springboks off the bench on Saturday against Italy, with his century to follow shortly thereafter according to Bok mentor Rassie Erasmus.

If all goes to plan in the first Test against the Italians and he is fit, Le Roux could run out in Gqeberha for his hundredth game for the national team. However, there is also a Georgia Test in Nelspruit where he could feature to get him to the milestone.

Erasmus has set certain targets for the Boks over the next three games. Should they reach their first on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld (5pm kick-off), the home ground of Le Roux, the fullback will be on the verge of joining a select group of Springboks who have played in 100 Test matches.

Lock Eben Etzebeth (131 caps) is the only active centurion. Le Roux will join the company of decorated retired Bok rugby players like lock Victor Matfield (127), winger Bryan Habana (124), prop Tendai Mtawarira (117), front rower John Smith (111), centre Jean de Villiers (109) and fullback Percy Montgomery (102).

“We have three matches to get Willie to 100,” Erasmus said.

“He is in the mix this week, and hopefully, he goes on (as a replacement off the bench) and gets to 99. Then, in one of the other two matches, we will bring him in again. That said, we must make sure we get momentum and the things we want to do, we do it on our terms.”

By that, Erasmus means selecting the match-day squad according to what they want to achieve from a specific game and not on sentiment. Fullback Aphelele Fassi was the first player to wear the No 15 jumper against the Barbarians, while Damian Willemse is back from suspension and taking over in the first Test of the year.

The duo is the in-form Bok fullbacks and set to play a more prominent role towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. Willemse is, of course, a double World Cup winner alongside Le Roux but missed last season with injuries. The Lions’ Quan Horn (24) is the young fullback in the Bok setup but has only played one Test so far.

So, should the Boks tick all the right boxes at Loftus Versfeld, as they did against the Barbarians in Cape Town, the door will be open for Erasmus to give Le Roux his 100th as he approaches the end of his international career.

“Last weekend, things went pretty well in that department. However, we only play as well as the opposition allows us to. We control what we want to do on the day. Should we get what we want from this game and Willie gets a run, then one of the next two games, he should get his 100th.

“We can’t plan those things if we don’t keep the momentum going upwards.”