Willie le Roux made to wait to join Springbok Test centurion club
Willie le Roux will have to wait at least one more week to move closer to becoming just the eighth Springbok to play 100 Tests.
Willie le Roux will have to wait at least one more week to move closer to becoming just the eighth player to reach the 100-Test mark for the Springboks.
While Le Roux was named in coach Rassie Erasmus’s squad for this year’s Rugby Championship he was not included in the 23-man squad for Saturday’s clash against the All Blacks at Ellis Park.
Kick-off is at 17:00.
The veteran fullback has made 96th appearances in the green and gold.
Le Roux, is bidding to become only the eighth player to reach the magical three-figure mark for South Africa and the fourth backline player to do so.
His place in the starting XV has been taken by exciting 26-year-old Aphelele Fassi who will be making just his seventh appearance.
Willie le Roux is a 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 65 of his Tests, lost 30 with one other ending in a draw for a win percentage of 67.7%.
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.
TEAMS
South Africa
15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche
Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Marco van Staden, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handre Pollard
New Zealand
TBA
RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP 2024 FIXTURES AND RESULTS
The 2024 tournament will be contested over six rounds, with each country playing six matches – three at home and three away.
All times SA
Round 1 – August 10
Australia 7-33 South Africa, Brisbane
New Zealand 30-38 Argentina, Wellington
Round 2 – August 17
New Zealand 42-10 Argentina, Auckland
Australia 30-12 South Africa, Perth
Round 3 – August 31
South Africa vs New Zealand, Johannesburg – 17:00
Argentina vs Australia, La Plata – 21:00
Round 4 – September 7
South Africa vs New Zealand, Cape Town – 17:00
Argentina vs Australia, Santa Fe – 21:00
Round 5 – September 21
Australia vs New Zealand, Sydney – 07:45
Argentina vs South Africa, Santiago del Estero – 23:00
Round 6 – September 28
New Zealand vs Australia, Wellington – 09:05
South Africa vs Argentina, Mbombela – 17:00
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: 34 | |
Below, Springboks to have played 80 or more Tests:
| Player | Tests | Tries |
| Victor Matfield | 127 | 7 |
| Bryan Habana | 124 | 67 |
| Eben Etzebeth * | 124 | 6 |
| Tendai Mtawarira | 117 | 2 |
| John Smit | 111 | 8 |
| Jean de Villiers | 109 | 27 |
| Percy Montgomery | 102 | 25 |
| Willie le Roux * | 96 | 15 |
| Joost van der Westhuizen | 89 | 38 |
| Ruan Pienaar | 88 | 8 |
| Schalk Burger | 86 | 16 |
| Siya Kolisi * | 86 | 11 |
| Bakkies Botha | 85 | 7 |
| Steven Kitshoff * | 83 | 2 |
| Damian De Allende * | 82 | 11 |
| Pieter-Steph du Toit * | 81 | 9 |
| Os du Randt | 80 | 5 |