Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel, as a combination, have statistically been South Africa’s most successful midfield pairing that has played five or more Tests in recent years. JUANDRE JOUBERT reports. 

The two first teamed up as Springboks in a 24-20 loss to the Wallabies and have been victorious in six of the nine Tests they have both started as a midfield combination.

In Brisbane on Saturday, it will be the 22nd time that they will take the field together. Twenty of those have been as a centre pairing, while Kriel played wing in a historic first-ever loss to Argentina on South African soil.

The Boks have a 66% win record when De Allende and Kriel have started as a 12 and 13 combo.

That winning percentage drops to 36% when one of them starts and the other comes on via the bench. The Springboks have only won four out of 11 Tests when that has happened, lost six and drawn one. (De Allende was an unused sub in the 23-23 draw in Perth last year.)

The overall record when they have played together for the Springboks: Played 21, won 10, lost 10 and a single draw. 

De Allende has scored three tries in a Bok jersey and Kriel scored nine, a stat that both will definitely want to improve on.

Lukhanyo Am and André Esterhuizen have only started two Tests as a pair, winning one and losing the other meaning they have a 50% win record. Jan Serfontein and Jesse Kriel have a 50% win record (4 wins, 2 losses and 2 draws).

Let’s have a look at how all four candidates fared in this year’s Super Rugby competition:

Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images