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Ellis Park on track to break crowd record

Johannesburg - Organisers are hoping that Ellis Park will be filled to capacity when the Springboks host France in the third and final Test on Saturday.

By Thursday afternoon, 52 000 tickets had been sold for the Test and the aim is to draw the largest crowd since 1993 when over 60 000 supporters packed into Ellis Park.

That remains the biggest crowd for Test matches between the Springboks and France in South Africa.

The overall South African record for a Test match is also held by the stadium when in 1955 over 100 000 supporters watched the Springboks and the British and Irish Lions - standing, sharing seats and some of them with friends and family on their shoulders!

Kick-off for Saturday's Test is scheduled for 17:05.

The top crowd figures against France in SA Rugby history:

1993: 60 000 (Ellis Park)
2001: 52 330 (Ellis Park)

Teams:

South Africa

15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Raymond Rhule, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Warren Whiteley (captain), 7 Jean-Luc du Preez, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Tendai Mtawarira

Substitutes: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Coenie Oosthuizen, 19 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 20 Jaco Kriel, 21 Rudy Paige, 22 Frans Steyn, 23 Dillyn Leyds

France

15 Brice Dulin, 14 Nans Ducuing, 13 Damian Penaud, 12 Gael Fickou, 11 Virimi Vakatawa, 10 Jules Plisson, 9 Baptiste Serin, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Kevin Gourdon, 6 Yacouba Camara, 5 Romain Taofifenua, 4 Yoann Maestri, 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Guilhem Guirado (captain), 1 Jefferson Poirot

Substitutes: 16 Clement Maynadier, 17 Xavier Chiocci, 18 Uini Atonio, 19 Paul Jedrasiak, 20 Loann Goujon, 21 Maxime Machenaud, 22 Francois Trinh-Duc, 23 Vincent Rattez

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