Pieter-Steph du Toit will earn his 100th Test cap on Saturday when the Springboks face New Zealand at DHL Stadium, completing a 13-year journey from his debut against Wales to the upper echelon of South African rugby. The two-time World Cup winner becomes only the 11th Springbok to reach the milestone, but the occasion carries an unwelcome statistical shadow: no Bok has ever celebrated a century against the All Blacks with victory.
Four of South Africa's 10 previous centurions faced New Zealand on their landmark day, and each walked away on the losing side. Percy Montgomery was first, blanked 19-0 at Newlands in August 2008. John Smit followed two years later at FNB Stadium, falling 29-22. Jean de Villiers reached the mark in Wellington in September 2014, losing 14-10 despite a half-time lead. Last week at Ellis Park, Damian de Allende became the latest victim of the pattern, his century overshadowed by a 16-33 defeat that has left the Boks needing victory in Cape Town to salvage the inaugural Greatest Rivalry series.
Du Toit's credentials suggest he is well-placed to break the sequence. The Malmesbury flanker claimed World Rugby's Player of the Year award in 2019 and again in 2024, and his performance in the 2023 World Cup final against New Zealand — more than 20 tackles in an epic forward battle — stands as one of the defining individual displays in modern Test rugby. He also started in the number seven jersey when South Africa handed the All Blacks a record home defeat in Wellington last year, evidence that he has already tasted success against the old enemy in their own backyard.
Erasmus hails pillar of strength
Rassie Erasmus has described du Toit as a "pillar of strength" for South Africa both on and off the field, recognition of a work ethic forged through adversity. The flanker's career was nearly derailed by an anterior cruciate ligament tear in 2015, but a rapid recovery allowed him to make that year's World Cup squad, a feat considered almost unheard of at the time. His ability to return from setback has become a hallmark, and Saturday's assignment demands the same resilience on a larger stage.
Victory would not only lift the curse but also level the series and keep South Africa's hopes alive heading into the decider. Defeat would hand New Zealand the silverware and consign du Toit's century to the same fate as those who came before him. The stakes are clear, the history is written, and the challenge is laid out. Whether the Springboks can rewrite the script will be answered at DHL Stadium on Saturday afternoon.