At the age of 32, Percy Montgomery is taking nothing for granted. The third most capped Springbok of all-time and the highest points scorer in South African Test history says these days he plays every game as if it were his last.
Last Saturday Montgomery kicked 21 points to win the second Test against Scotland in Port Elizabeth and although Danie Rossouw was named most valuable player by the Springbok coaches, Scotland coach Frank Hadden said the boot of the blond No 15 was the biggest factor in his team's series defeat.
Another milestone for Montgomery in that match was that he surpassed the 600-point barrier, becoming only the 11th player in rugby history to achieve this feat, in his 75th Test.
If Montgomery stays injury free and remains the first choice No 15 for South Africa, then during next year's Tri-Nations he will overtake Joost van der Westhuizen (89 caps) as the most capped Bok of all time.
He is also on course in South Africa's third Tri-Nations match this year to match Mark Andrews 79 caps as the second most experienced Springbok ever.
In the process he has survived five Springbok coaches, Carel du Plessis, Nick Mallett, Harry Viljoen, Rudolf Straeuli and Jake White and played in four positions, wing, fullback, centre and flyhalf, for South Africa - something that only the great Danie Craven was previously able to accomplish.
It's an astonishing accomplishment considering that during a career that started at Western Province in 1996, Montgomery has survived calls for his head during Mallett's rein, was booed by the Loftus faithful during one Test match and caused a stir when he starred in a television commercial doing a mock strip tease dubbed "the Full Monty".
He was blamed for losing a home Test series to the British Lions shortly after his debut in 1997 when his boot was off range in the third, decisive game at King's Park.
In more recent times Monty's critics say he has lost pace and that at age 32 he will be too old to be a threat next year at the World Cup in France.
Through all of these trials and tribulations, Montgomery has always had the last say. In this year's Super 14 he scored seven tries for the Sharks and ended the competition as South Africa's top try scorer.
The former SACS boy and Cape Tech graphic design student has come a long way from the days when he drove an old jalopy and seemed more interested in parties and girls than rugby.
On Saturday he will return to Newlands, where he played his first Test against the British Lions in 1997 and so many matches for Western Province and the Stormers - winning a Currie Cup winners medal in his first season of top flight rugby back in 1997.
In his last Test at Newlands, against the All Blacks during last year's Tri-Nations, he kicked a monster penalty from an acute angle two minutes into the match. Ultimately, his four penalties and a conversion played a key role in South Africa beating New Zealand 22-16 at Cape Town for the first time in two decades.
"Newlands is a special place for me and always will be, especially now as I don't take anything for granted and play every game as if it was my last. That's why I enjoy my rugby so much more these days and don't get stressed or angry about it as much as I used to."
Many may be surprised that Montgomery has emerged as the most capped Bok fullback of all time and the highest points scorer, but he isn't.
"Not at all. I had a dream of becoming a Springbok when I was a kid. My dad played for South West Africa. I was born and bred with rugby, it was in me all the time."
And while a great fuss has been made of Montgomery's milestones, he's been less concerned about the number of matches or points he's tallied.
"I haven't thought about the points or the tries that much. That's something I'll probably reflect on once I've retired, but for the moment I'm just playing for 80 minutes and enjoying every moment as much as I can. It's a great feeling to score a try, but I prefer creating a try for someone else in the team."
There's no point writing Monty off anymore. Now you just have to respect his accomplishments and appreciate what a character and a performer he has been for South African rugby.
The only question is: Once all is done and dusted, how many points will he have from a sparkling career?
Well if he stays injury free and keeping kicking with such incredible precision, then by the end of next year's World Cup he won't be far off becoming only the second player after Welsh flyhalf Neil Jenkins to kick 1 000 points in Test rugby.
Percival Colin Montgomery
Born: 15 March 1974 in Walvis Bay
Education: SACS (Cape Town)
As a player: Craven Week Western Province 1992 and 1993, SA Schools (1992 and 1993), Western Province U21 (1994 and 1995), Western Province (debut 1996), Emerging Springboks (1997), South Africa (debut 1997), Stormers (debut 1998), Newport (Wales), Sharks. Won Currie Cup three times, 1997, 2000, 2001
First Test cap: vs British and Irish Lions, 1997 (played centre)
Most likely to say: "Life is about options"
Rugby's points machines
Leading all-time Test points scorers:
1 Neil Jenkins (Wales) 1 052
2 Diego Dominguez (Arg) 983
3 Andrew Mehrtrens (NZ) 967
4 Michael Lynagh (Australia) 911
5 Matthew Burke (Australia) 879
Also:
11 Percy Montgomery (SA) 615