Eben Etzebeth will reach another huge Springbok milestone when South Africa take on Australia in Perth today.
The 34-year-old has been named in the second-row for the clash at Optus Stadium, where he will partner Franco Mostert.
When Etzebeth takes to the field, he will win his 147th cap for South Africa.
That will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok of all time and move him within touching distance of another piece of history.
Etzebeth is now just three appearances away from becoming the first Springbok to reach 150 Test caps.
The official Springboks team announcement confirmed the latest landmark ahead of the Wallabies clash.
Etzebeth keeps his place
Rassie Erasmus has made a massive 13 changes to the team that beat New Zealand 43-28 in Baltimore.
Etzebeth and Ethan Hooker are the only players to keep their places in the starting XV.
RUCK previously covered the changes after Erasmus handed Andre Esterhuizen the Springboks captaincy for the first time.
Etzebeth's selection is another sign of just how important he remains to Erasmus.
The lock made his Test debut against England in Durban back in 2012. More than 14 years later, he is still a regular in the Bok pack.
Closing in on 150
Etzebeth became South Africa's most-capped player in 2024 when he moved past Victor Matfield's previous record of 127 appearances.
He has kept adding to that total ever since.
The Springboks' official profile describes the two-time World Cup winner as one of the most respected locks in the game.
Today takes him to 147.
Three more appearances will take him somewhere no Springbok has been before.
There are other landmarks in Perth too.
Jasper Wiese is set to win his 50th Test cap from the bench, while Esterhuizen will become the 68th player to captain South Africa.
Handre Pollard is also back at fly-half after recovering from the injury that kept him out during the recent series against New Zealand.
But for Etzebeth, another appearance means another step towards a remarkable 150 in green and gold.
