South Africa.
The numbers behind the national jersey.
Men’s capped Tests · 2026
Descriptive comparisons. Different opponents and schedules.
The kicking picture.
Through 20 October · 9 Tests26.3kicks per Test
22.4%own kicks retained
23.6mrecorded metres per kick
237total kicks in play
Possession retained includes regathers and recovered tap backs. Recorded metres are not net territory. Latest included Test: 2026-09-27.
The wider style.
Through 16 October · 9 Tests112.4carries per Test
4.1metres per carry
6.6breaks per 100 carries
83.9%tackle success
This earlier style snapshot excludes matches after 16 October. A rate describes recorded events, not an opponent-adjusted rating.
The match ledger.
| Date | Opponent | Score | Kicks | Metres | Retained | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-04 | England | 45–21 | 30 | 595 | 5 | Match ↗ |
| 2026-07-11 | Scotland | 42–28 | 21 | 539 | 4 | Match ↗ |
| 2026-07-18 | Wales | 43–0 | 32 | 823 | 10 | Match ↗ |
| 2026-08-08 | Argentina | 17–10 | 43 | 1136 | 9 | Match ↗ |
| 2026-08-22 | New Zealand | 16–33 | 17 | 371 | 5 | Match ↗ |
| 2026-08-29 | New Zealand | 33–26 | 35 | 731 | 8 | Match ↗ |
| 2026-09-05 | New Zealand | 29–24 | 19 | 609 | 3 | Match ↗ |
| 2026-09-12 | New Zealand | 43–28 | 23 | 476 | 6 | Match ↗ |
| 2026-09-27 | Australia | 38–42 | 17 | 320 | 3 | Match ↗ |
Metric definitions & coverage
All averages use summed events divided by the relevant denominator. Kicking and broader style editions have separate cutoffs. Click “Match” in each row for the source record.
Our methods