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'Humble' Beast's recipe for success

Cape Town - Tendai 'Beast' Mtawarira will make history on Saturday when he becomes the first South African prop to reach 100 Test caps. 

The Boks play England in Johannesburg in the second Test and coach Rassie Erasmus has already confirmed that Mtawarira will be picked for that match. 

The 32-year-old will also become the first black African centurion, and Bok forwards coach Matt Proudfoot gave some insight into what it is that has made Mtawarira so successful over the years.

"It'll be a fantastic achievement for a very good man," said Proudfoot.

"A big percentage of his caps are starts, so it's an incredible achievement for a guy to have that amount of longevity in a tough position like loosehead where there is a lot of competition.

"It'll be something to savour and I would like to see the pack respond to that where they make it a special occasion for him. That will be my focus ... that we respond and cherish that moment for him and honour that achievement."

The secret, Proudfoot says, is in Mtawarira's work ethic. 

"He's a professional. He takes care of his body, he does his work, he does extras ... he's a professional prop," Proudfoot explained.

"He's got a very good physique, he takes care of his physique and he is humble.

"He is prepared to learn and ride out the ups and downs of a career. He is prepared to take it on the chin when he gets beaten.

"It is a position where one you win and one you lose, and he understands that process.

"That's what you want from sportsmen ... to be confident enough in their abilities but humble enough to know that you're going to get beaten."

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