Springbok flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit will look to put in another big shift against the All Blacks as he reaches 100 Tests in the second Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry match in Cape Town.
Image: BackpagePix
The Springboks will have to break an unwanted pattern on Saturday when Pieter-Steph du Toit runs out for his 100th Test, with their backs firmly against the wall as they fight to draw level with New Zealand in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.
After the All Blacks** took a 1-0 series lead with a 33-16 victory in Johannesburg**, DHL Stadium in the Mother City becomes the scene for the second match — and what should be a memorable milestone for one of Cape Town’s own.
Born and bred in the Swartland just outside the Mother City, Du Toit will become the 11th Springbok to reach 100 Test caps and it will be a massive achievement for the decorated star.
But there is an unwanted statistic hanging over the occasion.
Of the four Springboks who have faced the All Blacks in their 100th Test, none have ended up on the winning side.
Percy Montgomery in 2008, John Smit in 2010, Jean de Villiers in 2014 and Damian de Allende last weekend all suffered heartbreak in what should have been landmark celebrations of their international rugby careers.
Now, the Springboks and Du Toit have the chance to rewrite that history. And perhaps there could not be a better player to try to finally break the pattern.
With the series on the line in this must-win Test, the Boks need something special from Du Toit and the rest of their side. Being unburdened by the Springbok captaincy should allow the utility forward to express himself and produce the kind of performance he is capable of. After all, he loves a challenge against the All Blacks.
He also has the added motivation of playing in front of his family, friends and home crowd, and that could elevate his game even further. Du Toit certainly will not need much more motivation to put in a thumping performance that reminds South Africa of his exploits in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final against the New Zealanders.
That is the kind of performance the world champions need from Du Toit; the aggression, physicality and relentless work-rate that have made him one of the most important players of the modern Springbok era. More importantly, they need him to help lead a response after what was a sobering second-half collapse at Ellis Park.
The All Blacks will arrive in Cape Town knowing they are one victory away from putting the Boks under enormous pressure in the series. South Africa, meanwhile, cannot afford another defeat if they are to keep their hopes of winning Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry alive.
So perhaps this is the perfect motivation to finally get rid of the ‘curse’.
Montgomery, Smit, De Villiers and De Allende could not do it. Now it is Du Toit’s turn.
If he can inspire the Boks to victory on Saturday, his 100th Test will become more than another remarkable milestone in an extraordinary career. It will also be the day South Africa finally broke an unwanted piece of history against their arch-rivals.
Otherwise, in the near future, the Boks may have to start wondering whether they really want their next centurions reaching the milestone against New Zealand at all.
Jesse Kriel is already on 91 Tests, Malcolm Marx is on 90 and Handré Pollard on 87. All three are closing in on the elusive 100-cap club and if the Boks cannot win on Saturday, perhaps the management will have to think very carefully about when they want to join the centurions.
Because at this rate, 100 against the All Blacks is starting to look less like a celebration and more like a curse.
** The views expressed are not necessarily the views of IOL or Independent Media.*
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