Two-time World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi is on the verge of reaching the 100 cap milestone, but where he will make that appearance remains a mystery.
Springbok legend and double World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi is just four games away from the magical century cap milestone, which begs the question, how will he be managed to the mark?
Reaching 100 caps for the Boks is an incredible milestone that only eight players in history have achieved, and Kolisi is on target to become the ninth to reach the amazing landmark, after making his 96th appearance in their record 43-10 win over the All Blacks in Wellington.
But where he will make his 100th appearance is a question that many will be asking, especially considering how much of a phenomenon and local hero he is to so many in South Africa, having helped guide the Boks to two World Cups and considerable success alongside coach Rassie Erasmus.
Century at home
It would obviously be magical if Kolisi could achieve the feat on home soil, but to do that he would have to miss the majority of the Boks’ games over the rest of this year.
They have seven more Tests, of which only one is at home, their next game against Argentina at Kings Park in Durban next weekend. After that the Boks are on the road for their next six matches.
They take on Argentina in the away leg of their back-to-back games in London the week after playing in Durban and then they then return to Twickenham in early November to start their end of year tour with a match against Japan, before taking on France, Italy, Ireland and Wales.
Of the eight Bok centurions, three of them reached the 100-mark away from home, namely Victor Matfield (2010 in Perth), Bryan Habana (2014 in Perth), and Jean de Villiers (2014 in Wellington).
John Smit in 2010 at Soccer City in Soweto, Tendai Mtawarira in 2018 at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein and Willie le Roux earlier this year at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha were fortunate to reach their landmarks in South Africa.
The country’s first centurion, Percy Montgomery at Newlands in 2008, and record cap holder, Eben Etzebeth at the Cape Town Stadium in 2022, were both lucky enough to reach the mark in their hometown.
Le Roux managed
The Boks’ latest centurion, Le Roux was managed to allow him to get to 100 Tests in South Africa, after he played his 98th game against Scotland in Edinburgh last year, before sitting out the next two official Tests, against England at Twickenham and Wales in Cardiff.
He played off the bench against Italy in Pretoria in his 99th match, before starting against the same opponents in Gqeberha a week later.
Kolisi playing his 100th Springbok Test in SA would be incredibly special, but for that to happen he can only play three of their next seven games.
If the Boks were to do that, they might choose to play him in only their biggest matches, which could be a Rugby Championship decider against Argentina at Twickenham, as well as against France in Paris and Ireland in Dublin.
That would free up Kolisi to make his 100th appearance on home soil next year, and it could even come against the All Blacks who are set to have a three game tour in South Africa, although it is unlikely that he would be able to reach the landmark in his hometown of Gqeberha.
