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Ranking the top five performances from the Springboks in 2023
By Ben Smith
The Springboks became the second team in history to win the Rugby World Cup back-to-back in 2023 with a 12-11 win over New Zealand in the final.
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In doing so they became the second-most successful Rugby World Cup side with four titles behind the Black Ferns with six.
However, the performance in the final wasn’t South Africa’s best of the year as they just squeaked past a 14-man opposition.
Here are the top five performances of 2023 by the Springboks ranked.
5. Springboks 12-11 All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup final, Stade de France Paris
The Rugby World Cup final only makes the list only because it was the final. The story from this game is that the All Blacks should’ve won, which means that the Boks nearly blew it, despite having a one man advantage for most of the match.
As far as performances go, it wasn’t peak-Springboks. They were essentially gift-wrapped the final when Sam Cane’s yellow card was upgraded to red and they held on by just a point.
After losing Bongi Mbonambi early the All Blacks read hooker Deon Fourie like an open book exam. Most lineouts were picked off as the All Blacks enjoyed complete dominance in the second half.
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The only reason the Springboks are world champs again is because Richie Mo’unga and Jordie Barrett missed kicks at goal, something that was completely out of the Springboks control.
It could be said that the defence of the Boks got them the win, and it did, but factoring in the one man advantage they enjoyed it is less impressive than it sounds. They actually lost 8-3 on the scoreboard once Cane was sent off.
As a team performance, it didn’t reach any great heights, but the individual performance of Pieter-Steph du Toit was phenomenal, at the level of his 2019 play.
If it wasn’t a World Cup final, this performance wouldn’t be on the list.
4. Springboks 18-3 Scotland
South Africa’s pool stage win over makes the list as Scotland came into the World Cup as top five ranked side.
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They finished third in the Six Nations, losing only to France and Ireland, the top two ranked sides at the time. Scotland have been strong over the last few seasons and their attack has flourished with weapons out wide like Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham. They had dispatched Wales 35-7 in February on the back of sublime Finn Russell performance.
Unfortunately for Scotland, the Springboks threw Russell off his game and the Scotland No 10 had a rough outing as they only put up three points.
Defensively, it was an impressive outing against a quality opponent in what was a crunch match. Limiting a top five Test side to just three points is a significant showing.
It was a much more complete performance than the semi-final win over England by 16-15, which failed to make the list.
3. Springboks 43-12 Wallabies at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
The first game played by the Springboks in 2023 was perhaps their finest attacking showing of the year. With Mannie Libbok at flyhalf, they used width often to go after an undercooked Wallabies side. Despite Marika Koroibete scoring the first try, it was all one way traffic as young gun Kurt-Lee Arendse bagged a hat-trick.
The Springboks used variations in and around the rolling maul to target weak Wallaby defenders and it worked a treat. The maul bagged two penalty tries as well. Andre Esterhuizen had a barnstorming game, Marco van Staden looked like World Player of the Year.
The first Test under Eddie Jones was a nightmare for the Wallabies, but it was as clinical as it gets for South Africa in their only game at home in 2023.
2. Springboks 35-7 All Blacks at Twickenham, London
This record victory in the warm-up fixture was a dominant showing, but again, having a one man advantage and even two at one stage, diminishes the result somewhat. The Springboks were great in an unfair fight.
Once Scott Barrett was red carded in the first half for two yellow card offences, the All Blacks were going to struggle up front with a bench full of kids at Test match level. They had already lost the starting tighthead prop to injury very early.
The Boks loaded 7-1 bench went to work and demolished a 6-man and 7-man pack full of spring chickens. The maul & scrum was dominant and the undermanned All Blacks had no answer.
If it was 15-on-15 in a game that counted for something, then this performance would be No 1 on the list. As it was, it was an excellent performance against a weakened opponent in a meaningless one-off fixture.
1. Springboks 29-28 France in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final, Stade de France Paris
The best performance of the year for the Springboks has to the quarter-final where they rallied late to knock France out of their home World Cup.
Despite some lucky breaks going the Springboks way, the hand of Etzebeth, the illegal batting of the ball dead by Arendse, the Kolbe charge down later to be deemed offside, the two sides produced one of the best games of all-time.
The explosive first half saw three tries each in a stunning start. The Springboks are a dangerous counter-attacking side if you let them, and France obliged.
Arendse capitalised on a loose high ball to score, similarly Damian de Allende did the same one phase after recovering another spilt high ball. Jesse Kriel provided for Cheslin Kolbe with a grubber kick after a poor pass and knock-on by France.
The first three Springbok tries were all conjured from French errors. France only have themselves to blame for failing to manage those situations.
The play of the game came with the chips down for South Africa, down by six at 25-19 with a quarter of the game to go.
At that point in the game France had an 83 per cent chance of winning the contest based on all historical data.
South Africa gambled on coming up with a try instead of trying to cut the gap to three, which is very un-Springbok like. Eben Etzebeth crashed over from close range after sustained pressure to take back the lead.
A clutch play from Faf de Klerk and RG Snyman to rip the ball away on France’s last chance sealed a great win.
Ben…..jy is ‘n doos…..regte Kiwi….suur vir alles as die AB's verloor…..poepol….
Mealy-mouthed, as usual. Simply cannot bring himself to say that the better side won on the day. Not sure why I bothered to read his opinion, maybe I was expecting something better?
Ben Smith you really are a bitter tosser…every positive thing about the Boks is always twinged with poisoned sarcasm, if not outright hatred. You often make some valid points but overall your bitterness shines through. You certainly are not a good neutral analyst for RugbyPass. Embarrassing.
“In doing so they became the second-most successful Rugby World Cup side with four titles behind the Black Ferns with six.”
What a fkn joker. This turd is depriving a village somewhere of their idiot.
A champion team is one that can have a bad day and still find a way to win, which the Boks did in the final. That makes their victory even more impressive.
They went into that final following the hardest run in by any team in World Cup history.
The All Blacks messed it up sure, but that’s not the Boks fault. They got their points and held on.
If Barrett or mounga get their kicks, who knows what would have happened after. An ABs win possibly, but how do you know the Boks wouldn’t have got an intercept or engineered a drop goal or chanced their arm.
I think it’s a bit disrespectful to treat the best World Cup team in history like they were lucky.
Just a shame both teams had a bad day matt. I’d take SAs run in, fresher players and tougher opponents any day of the week. No other team could have handled that run though, and that’s what makes it more impressive.
I’m afraid you’ll just have to live with the lack of respect after a performance like that matt. It was a far cry from 2019 and many people will see them as the 3rd and 4th best teams who just played their ‘Final’ in the quarters.
Its deaf dumb and blind to suggest theyre not. You can win the LOTTO when your numbers come up, thats how. Most average RWC winners ever. If not, then who was ?
What a great logical and real summary. I would add that Boks did not have a bad day and they were not lucky. The AB’s were not unlucky. They both had their set of players and played to their scripts. I think worldwide players getting fitter and better skilled every year. The winners deserve credit playing in this day and age. The Boks and AB’s got past Ireland and France. That Final was immense. Boks actually crossed line 3 times, Damien held up, KLA just knocked on, Willie chased a ball that went dead. Credit to AB’s. Any team that can give the AB’s that much ball and still win is a deserved winner. So were the coaches to chose a style that reflected the 2023 rules and data analysis. Maybe the Bok defence forced AB's mistakes and ill discipline.
Here is the chatGPT prompt Ben used to write this article:
I’m an accountant pretending to be a seasoned sports journalist. Write an article about the Springboks top 5 games of 2023. Make sure you mention how they won those games but shouldn’t have won them and they were just lucky.
How the hell does RugbyPass have Ben writing an article titled Boks best 5 games for 2023. He has never ever been objective about the Boks, or how we play, so to have him do this article is hilarious. An early April’s fool?
It would make a lot more sense to ask Nienaber what he felt were the best games of the Boks, as this would include team on field, strategy, importance and overall effort. Ben doing this is like asking Etzebeth to comment on indoor hockey.
Stick to your knitting Ben and focus on giving the Boks a hard time.
Where was Ben Smith's silly comments when England lost 31–34 to New Zealand in the 2021 Rugby World Cup the 9th women's Rugby World Cup? England got a red card after 18 minutes. England were easily the better team. In WXV 2023, England won 33-12 at a canter (not a WC I know).
Sam Cane was 27 mins in
So the black ferns have never won the World Cup back to back????
One minute you include the blacks ferns as the most successful team rugby World Cup side, but they were not recognised as one of the teams to go back to back???
All this just not to recognise the Springboks as the most successful team ever at the World Cup. Such a disappointment you are mate
Typical Ben Smith.
So basically the BlackFerns are twice as succesful as the All Blacks? Ok, that makes sense…
Makes a refreshing change from their partners beating the cr@p out of them all the time, I guess.
To compare them to the Boks just illustates how inbred the Smith family truly is, and one should probably have Bennie's dad arrested for incest.
You don’t know how inbred you are
Ranking the top performances from the Springboks in 2023
This is a general readership article, fun yet silly because each game is unique, as both teams and coaches plan to play to a specific game plan and deal with weather and refs etc. So difficult to rank and therefore it becomes null and void. The weather in France started off as hot, drinks breaks etc, in finals it was raining and colder. But but if I was to rank, and I have not given it too much thought, like I did not have a checklist of performance indicators and criteria to tabulate each game against, consistently and methodically instead of fluff.
RWC games are different to Rest of year games. For many reasons like if you lose you are out and maybe coaches need to not over play as to show all their strategy and tactics too early. So Boks v Scotland game was 18-3 but if it was played during the year, I predict the score would be vastly different. Also the Boks v Ireland game would have been good to win (boks were on the try line in last minutes) but not mission critical.
Here is the entire list for 2023, which you would think would be good for readers to see and to place in the context of your choices Ben. Boks only lost two.
12-11 New Zealand
16-15 England
29-28 France
49-18 Tonga
8-13 Ireland
76-0 Romania
18-3 Scotland
35-7 New Zealand
52-16 Wales
24-13 Argentina
22-21 Argentina
20-35 New Zealand
43-12 Australia
So my lists of top games would be separated between RWC v Rest of year
Boks top games - I could annotate why for each game but I am not a Rugbypass journalist.
RWC - in order of top games, 1 is first.
12-11 New Zealand
9-28 France
16-15 England
18-3 Scotland
8-13 Ireland
49-18 Tonga
76-0 Romania
Boks top games
Rest of year
35-7 New Zealand – Key game, first 7-1, record win, key not only for Boks but also other teams to show Abs aura has gone
43-12 Australia
22-21 Argentina
24-13 Argentina
52-16 Wales
20-35 New Zealand
IDK man, it’s not “top” games or most “important” games, it’s best performances.
I think they can help narrow perceptions sone a bit. Look at the Twivkenham game, coming off the loss, that might have been their most important game of the year to get them back on track, what gave them belief to still have confidence despite losing again to Ireland. Not in a pure performance perspective it was against a warm up team and has to complete against these more meaningful WC games you speak of. Now you have the WC games themselves, should Ireland have been considered a must win, normally coming first or second is important. Were any of the knockout games requiring a better performance than another, normally you have to step up as you go. I think the fun in this sort of game is balancing all those into one list. Best performance would have a heck of a lot to do with the performance of the other side, and an occasion like a WC Final teams are surely going to be giving it their absolute best, putting in everything that might not be noticeable on the big screen. It should probably be a given. Does that mean that a team plays well automatically though? No, of course not. Look at other sports where skills and strategy, or “smarts” are more influential than effort (i mean as a reflection towards rugby where effort does appear to have more influence), like the cricket. Obviously everyone is trying their absolute best in cricket, on the ball, concentrating, all those effort related aspects, but what clearly wins game is skill, and more importantly how one uses that skill to execute in that moment. The same is true in Rugby still. I’m not sure either side did that well at it in the final.
If Ben Smith is in fact a person, and from NZ, rather than an AI bot or RP burner account to write click bait, I denounce his citizenship.
Ben Smith is getting totally ridiculous. Besig om sy naam heeltemal gat te maak.
He achieved that many years ago already
Next article by Ben will be rating the AB’s best five games of the year. I’ll beat him to it.
1. RWC final loss to South AFrica, performed above themselves and only lost due to red card, hand of Etzebeth and sneaky move by Arendse, should have won
2. Record los at Twickenham to Bok’s. Played well within themselves, had the opposition guessing their real intent, hid all tactical skills and calls, if it wasn’t for ref and several cards may still have have won and deserved to.
3. Loss against France in WC opener, again hid tactics well, were not quite outplayed but kept reserves up for rest of tournament, reaffirmed their team motto “we learn more from losses than from wins”. Should have won and did everywhere except the scoreboard.
I could carry on but think Ben (other one) has couple of good ideas on how predictable and biased his writing has become.
In Afriad you’rea but slow Ben. Would have been funny if you had of come out with this first though.
Love how Ben had to use NZ woman’s rugby to downplay Bok men’s 4 World Cups. Good on you old Ben, for hiding behind the girls… 🙂
We’ll it makes a refreshing change from a NZ male beating up the girls instead.
I love how Ben just pretends that cards are pure luck. Just bad luck NZ got cards and thats why they lost but actually they were the better side. Umm....no Ben, getting cards is bad rugby. It's not wise to slam your shoulder into someone's head in a world cup final without making any attempt to bend at the waist…thats stupid, that's poor technique…that's bad rugby. NZ have poor discipline…they have had the entire year…which makes them a worse team. You can’t have your cake and eat it…if Handre Pollard missed you'd be saying he didn’t have the big match temperament…but Jordie and Mounga miss and it's just “oh that’s out of character”…no it isn’t…thats the difference between world champion teams and everyone else. Seems Ben's last brain cell has been killed down the bottom of a bottle after his team fell short, again. So much for objective or even vaguely professional journalism.
That was Cane’s first ever red card. I’m not sure how you can not think it unlucky to get it in a RWC Final.
Now you could say, well NZ only has themselves to blame as they’re twice as likely to get carded than anyone else, but as you should know with your own players only just escaping the same outcome, it’s not one of those things you can really control.
The first ever team to win by complete luck 😁
No good Ben, return to editor, article is outright rejected, no resubmission. I am not a fan of ranking and picking best games. Each game has different meanings and settings. I suppose at a push you could compare RWC knockout games, maybe they are similar, comparable like quarters or semi! RWC pool games are also different.
But only a fool cannot appreciate the significance of a RWC FINAL.
I also do not like people picking best 15 players of all time etc those articles are trash they do not make sense. Just like this article. I hope you did not spend too long writing it. It is silly.
There are so many erroneous threads.
I will just pick one. The ALL blacks had the worst disciplinary record of all the teams in the RWC 2 red 2 yellow cards. You write in your esteemed reviews that the Springboks were lucky to play against ALL Blacks with less players yet you miss the point that it is a poor skill and poor coaching to get red carded. Tackling is a skill set.
The gold standard of play may now be with the countries of Ireland, France and South Africa. Do not try blame any team for the All Blacks deficiencies.
He specifically included that game on the list only because it was the WC Final
Are you saying they should post pone these types of articles in RWC year?
This article is not about the ABs.
Haha nah, good on you for putting your foot down!
While the Springboks' performance in the Rugby World Cup final might not have been their most dominant, it is essential to acknowledge the mental resilience and adaptability they demonstrated in securing a historic back-to-back victory. The argument that the All Blacks should've won overshadows the fact that the Springboks capitalized on the opportunities presented, showcasing strategic prowess and a formidable defense. The team's ability to navigate challenges, such as the early loss of Bongi Mbonambi and the pressure of a one-man advantage, speaks volumes about their character. Moreover, singling out individual performances like Pieter-Steph du Toit's phenomenal display underscores the depth of talent within the squad. Ultimately, winning a World Cup, even in a less-than-perfect performance, is a testament to the Springboks' tenacity and ability to rise to the occasion, solidifying their status as one of the most successful teams in rugby history
You were doing so well until you the point you said they felt pressure in having an extra man. Just because the author is ridiculous doesn’t mean you should let yourself be ridiculous back just to make as strong sun surely your way.
Really nothing more than your first or last paragraph needs to be said (as you cant say much more).
Gosh. Even in a piece ostensibly looking to praise the World Champions, Ben finds it difficult to demonstrate grace or generosity of spirit. I used to really enjoy his analysis and journalism. He could cast a cold eye on performances and teams and break down what made them tick. However, he is now building a career on baiting Springbok fans. Unfortunately, those Springbok fans that do comment here and on social media are very quick to rise to the bait, which is what pays Ben’s bills these days. That said, an inability to appreciate the multi-dimensional play of which the Springboks are capable (and which they now regularly demonstrate), and an unwillingness to acknowledge the spirit in which they play the game (it’s not ‘red mist’ anymore), is a bit of a disappointment. Come on, Ben. you’re better than this.
He never, ever, did that that i read. It’s always just been baiting even if you weren’t the one getting baited before.
What Ben forgets is that discipline is a huge part of rugby. Also, his laughable “praise” of the springboks is in bad taste and just smells like sour grapes. Kolbe was never offside, Eben did knock the ball back. Knowing the rules and applying them to your advantage is smart, just ask Richie McCaw. After all the rubbish this guy has been writing I expected an apology, but I guess I expected too much from someone who is no journalist, but in fact a glorified troll.
What a bitter little cunt! If Ben Smith was a spice, he would be flour. I bet his parents changes the subject when their friends ask about him.
Got to upvote for those great foul insults, despite the offensive language. That is something that there is no need for in this day and she Alyssa.
FOUR MORE YEARS….🤣🤣🤣🤣
🏆🏆🏆🏆
As a neutral rugby follower it shatters me that Ben Smith receives such editorial space from various well known social outlets. His open contempt, negatively and aggression to Springbok teams and their performances is staggering.His annoyance with Springboks getting one over his beloved All Blacks is quite frankly embarrassing. Surely he can’t be that bitter?
What a bunch of kak🤣🤣
That’s a pretty embarrassing article….like a previous person commented, even adding the ladies rugby team wins to a WC trophy count…. #stillsourgrapes
Only cowards let women fight their battles Ben Smith and you seem to be one
Are women not people were you come from?
What would the list look like without their Man if the Match performances from Barnes and O'Keeffe I wonder?
I think Ben’s rated them that way already.
Couldnt score 1 try vs 14 men. Excellent vs injury-depleted All Blacks at Twickenham but Ireland were better at RWC; SA made a poor England look good and needed an illegal chargedown to get past France. Buy yourself a LOTTO ticket.
Red and White Dwanghole are you an England supporter??! What kind of England supporter trots out blatant lies in support of the All Craps and the froschfressers ffs have some national pride you simpering ponce.
French was still their best game though, you can’t be arguing with that or you’d be contradicting yourself!
There is a video taken from behind the kicker showing categorically Kolbe did not move till the kicker made his first move.
FOUR MORE YEARS….
Firstly ,Four More Years!!! The salty tears are great. And Ireland fell for it and they were out, celebrated like they had won the World Cup 😂😂
Are you Nigel in disguise?
You know what counts though? The final score, everything else is just theatrics😂😂. Four more years