Andrews’ mark eclipsed

Andrews’ mark eclipsed

Legendary lock Mark Andrews will see his place as the second most capped Springbok of all time eclipsed by Percy Montgomery on Saturday.

Andrews who jets out to Wellington today to watch the Vodacom Tri-Nations game said it was an incredible feat as he knows the sacrifices it took to reach the milestone of 77 Tests.

Andrews was the first man to reach the 50 Test mark for the Springboks and went on to play another 27 times for his country, 12 behind No 1 Joost van der Westhuyzen who has 89 Test caps.

On Saturday, fullback Percy Montgomery will earn his 78th Test cap. It will be his 81st appearance in a Springbok jersey – which is fourth on the all-time list.

“I’m proud to have played 77 times for my country, but it would be unfair of me to say that I’m prouder than a guy that played ten tests or even one Test,” Andrews told keo.co.za shortly before boarding the plane.

“In South Africa it is more difficult to reach the 50 Test mark as we have had so many coaches who change personnel regularly. I had six different coaches in seven years.”

“I never played for the records. I just played to play my best and I managed to stay there for 77 matches. It’s not really an issue for me,” he said.

Also on Saturday, Victor Matfield will become the ninth player to reach the half century mark in Tests for the Boks, while Os du Randt equals Andre Venter as the fourth most capped Test Bok on 66 Tests.

Most capped Test Boks of all-time (ahead of Wellington Test):

Joost van der Westhuizen 89
Mark Andrews 77
Percy Montgomery 77
Andre Venter 66
Os du Randt 65
Breyton Paulse 58
John Smit 55
Ollie le Roux 54
Victor Matfield 49

By Andrew Hollely


43 Comments

  • 1.RedCard: Reply to this comment

    Brilliant headline. Andrew you guys got a machine with a ‘punny; button on it? :lol:

  • 2.suparugby: Reply to this comment

    Andrews was a legend…

  • 3.Spook: Reply to this comment

    Wonder which player out of the current squad will get close to Joost’s record??

  • 4.cab: Reply to this comment

    for all the ribbing we give monty, he has been a revelation and the one consistent performer for the boks.

  • 5.Staal: Reply to this comment

    Percy 77 & tests no high ball. What a bouytjie.

  • 6.Staal: Reply to this comment

    Spook 3,

    Steaddie Eddie

  • 7.suparugby: Reply to this comment

    See Bill Young retired officially…

  • 8.Spook: Reply to this comment

    Staal

    I thought Shimange or Jaco!!

  • 9.Andrew: Reply to this comment

    No Red, that was all me!! They come out about once every 37 days…

  • 10.Ig: Reply to this comment

    Wish someone would get passed Joost his last 15 test were thourghly undeserved !

  • 11.Operator: Reply to this comment

    Regarding post no. 3

    It is an easy question to answer!!!

    The guy is Jaco van der Westhuizen !!!

    According to Jake the guy just had a bad day at the office and he will be back. Apperently he is a world class flyhalf….
    We just dont look at him the same way Jake looks at him. Apperently he’s got a lot of good qualities (skills) that has not surfaced yet…

  • 12.Andrew: Reply to this comment

    Monty will do it, Ig!

  • 13.eloise: Reply to this comment

    Ig ..Os will do it…it might take another 12yrs but I’m sure he can last

  • 14.Staal: Reply to this comment

    Mayne not the point… but hell Olies now gone BIG!

  • 15.Sampioenman: Reply to this comment

    Spook, If Monty plays the ful 3N, end of year tour and world cup, he will reach a minimum of 91.

  • 16.RedCard: Reply to this comment

    Ig almost like Jaco’s last 15 tests then?

  • 17.Staal: Reply to this comment

    15 Sampioenman, eggenee asb tog nie.

  • 18.Spook: Reply to this comment

    Sampioenman

    But will he play in all those games, sure Jake will rest during the World Cup.

  • 19.eloise: Reply to this comment

    Ig never mind the last 15 matches, but the comments he makes as a commentator is even k@kker!

  • 20.Ig: Reply to this comment

    eloise….very true. Joost must be the most eloquent commentator behind Naas. The na agin Naas occasionally thinks of somfink new to say.

    Red…….pretty much !

  • 21.saffa_guy: Reply to this comment

    Andrews was a good player. Bad, bad attitude in the latter stages of his career … endless niggling, dirty and off the ball tactics.

  • 22.budacat: Reply to this comment

    Not that its Montegomerys problem but there really hasnt been any real classy competition for
    the 15 position over the last few years.
    we are somewhat lacking class players at both 10 and 15
    oh may as well add at 11 12 13 14 as well,
    we havn’t been able to compete against the AB and Wallabies backs for a while now.

  • 23.wls: Reply to this comment

    so its Matfileds 50th this weekend?
    lets hope he puts up and does what he does best.
    cause recently he has been pretty ordinery

  • 24.Karibu: Reply to this comment

    Ig
    And Monty’s caps are all deserved?????

  • 25.skunk: Reply to this comment

    If monty can last this long in a bok jersey don’t write off Jaco yet.

  • 26.Quinnyshark: Reply to this comment

    Jaco will make 100 caps – in a Japanese jersey – once the JRU find a loophole in IRB rules to make him eligble. Maybe the Boks will make it easier for them by denying that he ever played for them?

  • 27.wls: Reply to this comment

    Monty desearves to be there, he does far more good than bad, just wish he would run at the opposition a bit more. he always makes up ground.
    thaught JACO was good, in 2004 since then he really should go back to Japan (if they would take him.

  • 28.Quinnyshark: Reply to this comment

    man Jaco must be seen as a beast back in Japan.

  • 29.man_with_the_plan: Reply to this comment

    Go Pissy Montgomery!!!

  • 30.Skim: Reply to this comment

    Percy ‘esmy’ Montgommery.

    ‘esmy’
    ‘esmy’ hare nog reg?

  • 31.BobZimmerman: Reply to this comment

    Andrew
    While your busy with the great headlines dont you want to tell us about Mark Andrews’ incredible feet – are they very big, long and narrow, broad, etc…?

  • 32.Grrrr....I'm a Lion!: Reply to this comment

    Joost on 89??? That’s 88 to much… Ok, bit unfair. He was a good player but he milked the last few seasons. Still he was better at playing the game than talking about it. Joost you Huisgennot pin-up you…

  • 33.Pussycat: Reply to this comment

    = huuuuge willy

  • 34.big dawg: Reply to this comment

    Andrew – is it an incredible ‘feet’ or an incredible feat?

  • 35.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment

    joos and andrews were legends and always will br lets leave the but after
    se the good they did , it far succumed the bad

  • 36.Jinx: Reply to this comment

    Mark Andrews, was a great lock until he lost his marbles and started blikseming everyone in his later years. I think Robin Brooke for NZ was very underrated and John Eales was the Andre Jubba of all the locks in that era. Like Frik Du Preez, hy het geplace, gedrop and gescore. Effortless grace for a 2nd rower.

  • 37.r0d: Reply to this comment

    >>>Hey ADNREW.. quick heads up :

    “incredible FEAT, not feet…

  • 38.Original Hobbo: Reply to this comment

    Hats off to Percy, he racked up 78 tests without having to make a tackle and he has yet to learn how to field an up and under.
    Mark Andrews never gave an inch and gave a hard edge to any team he played for. Respect.

  • 39.Stan: Reply to this comment

    This is really sad.
    Mark deserves to be be beaten by a real legend and not a mofgat like this.

  • 40.the dood: Reply to this comment

    r0d – that comment was made at 1:21pm……try be a bit more original pal!

  • 41.Original Hobbo: Reply to this comment

    Dood
    Is that the best you can do.
    Add value to the site please boet.

  • 42.the dood: Reply to this comment

    hobbo

    It does add value to the site big guy.If people do not repeat what has already been said then surely that is more valuable than 10 people crapping on about the same thing.
    This isn’t a grade one class jim,I thought you would have picked up on that!

  • 43.zaphod: Reply to this comment

    and what a crying shame to have your mark eclipsed by someone as sad and useless as percy.

    percy isn’t the best fullback in the sharks backline keo you psycophant twat, let alone the country and let alone best ever.

    after last saturdays game there was not a lot to be happy about and all i could feel was an enormous amount of anger at everyone from the aussies who i would have to face at work on monday to jake to the players to the administrators and so on and so on. deep brute mute anger, ie there was nowhere specific to focus this anger and nothing to do about it.

    aaaah, until i remembered you keo, saying that percy was the best fullback in the world. ah, a ray of light. someone legitimate to get really really cross at.

    of course it was completely off target and we didn’t lose the game because of such a stupid remark, and we didn’t even lose the game entirely because of percy. but hey, he did his usual girls-blouse stuff and it reminded me of you keo. worlds best fullback. do you have any, any idea of what a moron this says you are? do you have the vaguest notion of how monumentally stupid a statement this is?? i know you look like a hobbit, but do you actually live in a hole in the ground? the worlds best fullback???? do you get a migrane everytime you remember your collosal stupidity making this statement? what do you think EVERY ******* WEEK as you see percy spill the pill, have it bounce off his HEAD, throw himself energetically to the ground one metre BEHIND the opposition ball carrier, and then stand there with that vintage percy long faced look like he’s so surprised he’s such a twat.

    now in fairness, he’s not to blame if he keeps being chosen. but YOU keo, what the hell is your excuse? the worlds best fullback!!!??? are you able to clothe ad feed yourself and cross the road and all? because if you are capapble of these very basic functions you surely must be the biggest piss taker on the face of the planet with a comment like that. it was all a joke yeah??

Keo.co.za has always promoted uncensored views, but has never tolerated racist or crass outbursts. Come on guys and girls. If you can't moderate yourselves or each other then I am going to be forced to regulate the posts and enforce a registration process for comments. The choice is yours.

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