Willie le Roux earns his 100th Springbok cap on Saturday, a feat worth celebrating for a player who has redefined what it means to be a South African back, writes MARK KEOHANE.

Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane says the milestone is more than symbolic. It’s a reminder of Le Roux’s endurance, evolution and excellence in a Test career that began, fittingly, against Italy in 2013 and now reaches its century against the Azzurri.

Le Roux, who received his first cap from Bryan Habana, has often divided opinion, much like fellow Bok centurion Percy Montgomery. But between them, Keohane points out, they hold three World Cup winner’s medals. “Damn. How bloody big is that!” he writes.

READ: 100 up for Willie, still living the dream

Quoting Montgomery, Keohane adds: ‘Willie as the fullback to beat my record and Handre Pollard as a points scorer, to beat my record. If that happens we are No 1 in the world.’

Erasmus, who announced his second-Test squad before the first had even kicked off, made 17 changes after the Boks’ 42-24 win over Italy in Pretoria, a match that, despite the scoreboard, left the Bok coach visibly irritated. “Rassie probably scored it a D-plus,” Keohane writes.

The one sentimental touch, Keohane argues, is Le Roux’s inclusion. “All I want for Willie on his 100th is a win, and the most celebrated pizza and pasta,” he writes. “Italy loves him, but we love him more.”

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Photo: Ross Parker/SNS Group