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Cape Town - Fifteen stats and facts ahead of Saturday's Argentina v Springboks Rugby Championship clash in Mendoza.
Kick-off is at 21:10 SA time.
Stats and facts
• The total Test caps for the Springbok starting line-up is 437. There are 103 caps in the backline with 334 caps among the forwards. On the bench there are a further 109 caps.
• The average caps per player in the backline is 15, the forwards 42 while the players on the bench average 14. The average age of the starting XV is 26.
• Handré Pollard needs 21 points during this tournament for 100 points in the Rugby Championship. He also needs six points in this Test to reach 50 career points against Argentina.
• Mendoza is situated on the eastern side of the Andes Mountains, approximately 750m above sea level. The driving distance between Mendoza and Buenos Aires is 1 050km.
• It will be the third time that the Springboks will face Argentina in a Test match at this stadium, which was opened in 1978. The stadium’s seating capacity is 42 500.
• The first Rugby Championship match against Argentina in Mendoza was played on August 25, 2012, the year when Argentina were introduced to competition. On that occasion the Test match ended in a draw 16-16. The second Rugby Championship match against Argentina in Mendoza took place almost exactly one year later on August 24, 2013 when South Africa won 22-17.
• On Saturday, there will be five players who played in that Test match five years ago. They are Willie le Roux, Francois Louw, Eben Etzebeth, Tendai Mtawarira and Siya Kolisi.
• The Springbok record at this stadium - P: 2; W: 1; D: 1; PF: 38; PA: 33; TF: 2; TA: 3; Average score: 19-17; Win%: 50%.
• South Africa’s overall record against Argentina: P: 27; W: 24; L: 2; D: 1; PF: 969; PA: 531; TF: 115; TA: 49; Average score: 36-20. Win%: 89%.
• South Africa’s record in the Rugby Championship against Argentina: P: 12; W: 9; L: 2; D: 1; PF: 375; PA: 234; TF: 41; TA: 22; Average score: 31-20. Win%: 75%.
• The Springboks’ best performance in Argentina was in 2004 when they won with a margin of 32 (39-7) in Buenos Aires. Their highest score is 52 (52-23) in 1993, also in Buenos Aires. On two occasions they have scored seven tries against the Pumas, both occasions in Buenos Aires.
Records
• Tendai Mtawarira is now the most capped Springbok against Argentina (15 Tests). He surpassed Bryan Habana’s 14 Test caps against the Pumas in last Saturday’s Test in Durban.
• Mtawarira will play in his 103rd Test, thereby surpassing Percy Montgomery (102) for most Tests in the Green and Gold and this will move him into fifth place of Springbok centurions. Victor Matfield (127), Habana (124), John Smit (111) and Jean de Villiers (109) being the four Springboks with more Tests.
Match officials
• The referee is Angus Gardner of Australia. He was born on August 24, 1984 in Sydney, Australia. His first Test was in November, 2011 in a match between Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu and to date, Gardiner has refereed in 15 Tests - three Tests involving South Africa.
• The assistant referees are Ben O’Keeffe of New Zealand and Andrew Brace of Ireland while Simon McDowell of Ireland is set to perform TMO duties.
