After Argentina’s sobering defeat of South Africa in Durban last week, this was the last chance for many of the Springboks’ fringe players to stake their claim for inclusion into the final 31 of the Rugby World Cup squad.
15 Zane Kirchner – 6.5
Was isolated and turned over in the 1st minute of the game that almost lead to a try but settled into it after that and showed why he has always been a solid performer for the Springboks. His versatility and ability to slot into the ten channel will make him a very useful and experienced understudy for Willie Le Roux.
6.5/10
14 Lwazi Mvovo – 8
Looked dangerous every time he had ball in hand. Finished his try superbly in demonstrating his strength, speed and nimble footwork. Took his chance to impress with both hands.
13 Jesse Kriel – 6
Not at his usual electric best. Efficient as always but we never really saw the devastating line breaks of previous, recent matches. That said, the number 13 shirt belongs to Kriel for the long term.
12 Damien de Allende – 7
His relationship with Kriel continues to flourish and looked to have a new freedom with Pat Lambie playing inside him. With Jean De Villiers in a race to be fit, Allende will have a chance to nail down a starting spot.
11 Bryan Habana – 7
This was close to a vintage and trademark performance from Habana. Always looking busy, dangerous with ball in hand and as always, in the right place at the right time to dot down for his 59th test try.
10 Pat Lambie – 9
Flawless. 16 points from the boot with a 100% kicking record. Couple this with the variation and control that he demonstrated from the kick off, Lambie will have probably just put him in pole position to start at the World Cup in front of Handre Pollard.
9 Ruan Pienaar – 7
His service was snappy and on the money every time. Dropped the ball when he looked certain to score but his long cut out pass for Habana’s try more than made up for it. He never troubled the Puma’s defence around the fringe which is a dimension to his game that may see him slip too far down the pecking order.
8 Schalk Burger – 6.5
Number 8 is clearly not Burger’s favourite position and this game showed it in spades. Still offering his skills at the breakdown and in defence, Burger was nowhere near as visible or eye catching in the loose as he is when he plays on the flank. Got through a lot of work however and organised the fringe defence well. Fantastic quick hands lead to the Mvovo try.
7 Willem Alberts – 8
How South Africa have missed Alberts. If ever you needed proof that having a specialist, ball carrying openside playing in the seven shirt, then this was it. Huge in defence, I can’t recall a missed tackle, and big gains when carrying at the opposition showed that Alberts will have been welcomed back into the fold with open arms.
6 Heinrich Brussow – 8
Brussow, after this performance, has put the cat amongst the pigeons with the Springbok selectors. An absolute menace at the breakdown and honest in defence, Brussow has put himself in a strong position for selection.
5 Victor Matfield – 7
As you would always expect from Matfield, straight hard running and a slick well organised line out. He has never let the Springboks down and doesn’t look like he will be any time soon.
4 Eben Etzebeth – 8.5
It’s hard to believe that Etzebeth is only 23. He is everything that a modern day second row should be. Physically brutal but with the athleticism that belies his size. His try saving tackle in the first minute was world class and he was peerless in the lineout. Etzebeth just keeps getting better game by game. His partnership with Matfield is a potent weapon for the Springboks.
3 Marcel van der Merwe – 5
Solid scrummaging but poor in the loose. He slipped off tackles and was anonymous around the field.
2 Adriaan Strauss – 6.5
Only played one half but was solid in the scrum and made all of his tackles. A very dependable performance complemented by his high work rate.
1 Trevor Nyakane – 7
A very solid performance from Nyakane. Scrummaged well, carried well and did more than his fair share of defensive work. The fact he can play loose head or tight head stands him in good stead.
Replacements
16 Schalk Brits – 7
A completely different animal to Strauss due to his quick feet and ability to beat defenders one on one. He showed all of his skill set and made a very positive impact after coming on at half time.
17 Tendai Mtawarira – 6
Scrummaged well and made his tackles. Not seen in the loose enough but still a force to be reckoned with.
18 Frans Malherbe – 6
Helped keep the scrum dominance for the Springboks after last week’s mauling and showed that he may be able to offer more in the loose.
19 Flip van der Merwe – 4.5
Hardly touched the ball when coming on for Matfield. A poor showing only highlighted why Etzebeth is currently head and shoulders above the rest.
20 Pieter-Steph du Toit – 6
Looked more than comfortable on this stage but made nowhere near the impact that Alberts did.
21 Cobus Reinach – No rating
Only played 5 minutes
22 Handre Pollard – No rating
Only played 6 Minutes
23 Jan Serfontein – 5.5
Didn’t make any impact really. Not enough clean and quick ball at this stage of the game.
By Andrew Daniel
Follow Andy on Twitter: @scrum5ive
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Interesting and informative read Andy. Looking forward to more!
I missed most of game. What happened in 2nd half? Based on these ratings one would assume nothing is wrong, yet numbers don’t lie. Obvious dominant first half and then what?
I’m pleased to see Alberts back playing well but the choice for back row has become almost impossible to call. Francois Louw just has to be in that team and hopefully Duane Vermeulen can recover from his surgery in time to play at Number 8. If not, Schalk Burger will have to fill that void.
Good read!