Siya Kolisi will become the ninth Springbok centurion when he leads South Africa out against France at the Stade de France in Paris on Saturday.
The other eight Springbok centurions are Percy Montgomery, Smit, Victor Matfield, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana, Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira, Eben Etzebeth, and Willie le Roux.
This massive feat for Kolisi adds to a string of remarkable achievements, which include winning back-to-back Rugby World Cups and Castle Lager Rugby Championship titles, as well as the British & Irish Lions Series.
Commenting on Kolisi playing in his 100th Test, Erasmus said: “This is a huge milestone for Siya and we are all delighted for him. He is a level-headed player, and although this will be a big occasion for him and a match that we would like to make special for him, he is fully focused on the task at hand, so he won’t allow that to overshadow what he must do on the field."
“This is a huge game, and the entire team knows how determined France will be to make up for the World Cup result, so we’ll celebrate Siya’s achievement after the match. That said, hopefully we can make it a memorable game for him.”
Robbie Fleck said, “He came to us as a blindside and an eight. At that stage, he was still learning to get to grips with being an openside because we were so well-stocked there at the time. But he came in as a blindside because he could carry so well; he was effective in that because the biggest part of his game was his carrying ability.”
John Dobson said, “Where people miss the point is he is so good on his own ball. He gets low, through, aggressive … so he helps you generate fast ball and his counter-rucking is amongst the best. “His second effort in the tackle and at the breakdown is phenomenal. He’s the best there is. People miss that part because they don’t see him do that Heinrich Brussow manoeuvre, but he’s doing the same thing in a different way.”
John Smit said, “It’s fairly simple, several Rugby Championship trophies, a British & Irish Lions series win, a top-10 winning percentage as captain, consecutive World Cups, and almost 100 Tests. Anyone who still argues is silly.”
Gary Teichmann said, “Siya’s off-the-field contributions have solidified his legacy. He’s shown that there’s always a way. He’s a humble but strong leader who ensures he makes a difference in the lives of many. What a captain!”