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Springboks player ratings vs All Blacks | The Rugby Championship
Springboks player ratings: For the second week in a row, South Africa beat New Zealand after being second best for much of the contest. That is not a dig at the double Rugby World Cup champions but a sign of their powerful will and immense strength in depth.
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This 18-12 win in Cape Town was hard won, but there is no doubting they deserved it after keeping the All Blacks at arm’s length while taking their chances when they were presented.
This win, their fourth in a row against their great rivals, also secures the Freedom Cup, the floating trophy shared between the sides, for the first time since 2009. With an 11 points lead now secured over New Zealand on The Rugby Championship table, the title is all-but theirs as well.
The scrappy nature of the game is reflected in some below-par individual scores, but some stand-out performances from a few key individuals got the job done. Here are the Springboks player ratings:
15. Willie le Roux – 6
Not at his best, but his presence alone gave the All Blacks something to consider on defence. Whether joining the line at first receiver or looping round to spark an attack, his distribution caused the occasional threat.
14. Canan Moodie – 3 (replaced by Lukhanyo Am, 46 minutes)
Was too often caught in no-man’s land on the rush defence. Struggled to get into the game and was too soft on a few tackles. Earns points for chasing long-range high kicks.
13. Jesse Kriel – 6
Loses points for the general inaccuracy of the rush defence. As the generalissimo in this department, he has to shoulder some blame but no doubt the problems lie on the training pitch. Otherwise dependable when tackling and offered an option with ball in hand, particularly when cleaning up messy situations in the trams.
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12. Damian de Allende – 9
Superb. The only South African who seemed to storm over the gainline with every carry. Made 56 metres – more than any of his teammates – from 11 carries and 10 passes, proving he is more than just a battering ram. For good measure, he won an important steal over the ball when the All Blacks were mounting a siege inside South Africa’s half. When do we start talking about him in the same breath as Jean de Villiers in terms of the greatest South African 12s of the modern era?
11. Cheslin Kolbe – 9
Is he the best player in the world? He’s up there, isn’t he? Forget the gimmick lineout throw, this performance had it all. Tackles on much larger men. Swift hands when sending it down the line. Superhuman leaps to secure high balls. But most impressive of all is his footwork. And though he fed off scraps for much of the game, that was more than enough for this master chef to serve up a sumptuous feast of dancing feet and twisted ankles.
10. Handre Pollard – 5 (replaced by Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 53)
Solid but unspectacular. Neither set the pulse racing or controlled the game. Wasn’t helped by his forwards getting bossed at the breakdown but it wasn’t exactly a show that inks his name on the team sheet moving forward. Still, his unnerving accuracy off the tee meant the Boks stayed in the fight despite being second best while he was on the pitch.
9. Grant Williams – 5.5 (replaced by Jaden Hendrikse, 60)
Started poorly but grew as the game went on. Like Pollard, he wasn’t helped by the lack of consistent front-foot ball. Once he received better service in front of him his box kicking improved.
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1. Ox Nche – 8 (replaced by Gerhard Steenkamp, 57)
Eased into the game by consuming several All Blacks scrums and was a menace throughout his stay. His work-rate was immense and he hammered everything in black that came his way. A wonderful day out for the salad-dodger.
2. Bongi Mbonambi – 4 (replaced by Malcolm Marx, 45)
Missed his jumper from his first two throws and just about got away with the third. That’s not entirely on him as the lineout was a mess, but he has to take some stick for that. Otherwise lacked the heft of Codie Taylor and Marx.
3. Frans Malherbe – 6 (replaced by Vincent Koch, 53)
Used well as a battering ram in the close exchanges, and once again was a titan in the scrum. But a relatively quiet game means he registers a mid-table score.
4. Eben Etzebeth – 8
Immense. As he so often does he seemed to grow as the game approached its crescendo. He has developed this new trait of receiving the ball, standing still for a moment and then cranking through the gears as his powerful legs compel him over the advantage line. Is there a better lock in the game at present? Just an enormous contribution from the enormous man.
5. Ruan Nortje – 6
The occasional good read on the All Blacks lineout, as well as some stiff carries and tackles, doesn’t quite make up for the chaos that was the Springboks’ lineout in the first half. Too many decoy jumpers and overcomplicated routines looked a bit amateur at times. But he will learn from the experience and deserves credit for making 16 tackles, more than anyone else on the pitch.
6. Siya Kolisi – 7 (replaced by Kwagga Smith, 56)
Was everywhere. In the loose, in heavy traffic, charging with the ball and hurling himself into contact. Did it all with a fractured cheekbone having promised this week that everything he did on the pitch was for his country. Sometimes the guff served by the Boks can be saccharine, but when it is backed up by performances such as this one it all starts to make sense. That he scored the try that shifted momentum is a fitting thread to the narrative.
7. Pieter-Steph du Toit – 7
Not his usual elite performance but he still hammered 13 tackles and made 31 metres in the carry, mostly into two All Blacks from close range. That might be his most quiet game in green and it still deserves an above average score.
8. Jasper Wiese – 6 (replaced by Elrigh Louw, 53)
A touch one dimensional, carrying like a bulldozer but lacking the rangy bursts and silky touches that can also break tight games open. Was unlucky to be on the receiving end of collective punishment early in the game but one a big steal early doors when New Zealand were pressing in South Africa’s 22.
Hopefully all the Springboks have got to touch it now ?
Finally taking home the Freedom Cup for the first time since 2009 ? pic.twitter.com/SXDgqaPsng
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 7, 2024
Replacements:
16. Malcolm Marx – 9.5
A near-perfect performance from arguably South Africa’s greatest ever hooker. Made an immediate impact off the bench, finding his jumper at a lineout and then carrying twice in a minute to haul the Springboks close to the All Blacks’ line. That sequence ended with Etzebeth almost scoring a try and, from then, the home side effectively controlled the game. Was rewarded with a try of his own when he peeled off the back of a maul down the blindside.
17. Gerhard Steenkamp – 6
A great addition to the group. Scarcely put a foot wrong.
18. Vincent Koch – 7
Some big carries. Added mobility in the close battles and proved his all-court game.
19. Kwagga Smith – 7
These sorts of contributions off the bench have become the norm now. One of the most remarkable players in the game at present.
20. Elrigh Louw – 7
Impressive. Should be starting both games against Argentina.
21. Jaden Hendrikse – 6
It was his dinked kick over the top that had Kolbe tearing towards the ball in space before the winger was taken out by Tyrel Lomax. It was a sharp piece of work from Hendrikse when the temptation would have been to conserve possession. The subsequent penalty was kicked into the corner and Marx scored the game-winning try.
22. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu – 6
Sliced through New Zealand’s defence late in the game to win a massive territorial gain. Missed a few shots at goal but otherwise felt like a slight improvement on what had come before.
23. Lukhanyo Am – 4
Less flashy than we are accustomed but he did the dirty work, helping to secure a ball on the hour mark when it looked lost. Appears to be stuck without a clear role in the side. Like Moodie, he was in no-man’s land on the rush defence.
In this episode of Walk the Talk, Jim Hamilton chats with double World Cup winner Damian de Allende about all things Springbok rugby, including RWC2023 and the upcoming Ireland series. Watch now for free on RugbyPass TV
Cheslin Kolbe is not the best player in the world. PSdT is not the best player in the world. Etzebeth is not the best player in the world. Even Marx is not the best player in the world. But that's what's great about the Springboks - they are still the best team in the world. From a fan who more often than not roots against them.
I think all those players are pretty close to being the best players in the world actually.
Mbonambi should get a 10 for sitting down and staying down and pretending to be injured near the 20 minute mark. Marx didn't move on the bench indicating it was probably a pre-planned move. This gave his unfit fellow forwards a good breather. The officials could stop this blatant time wasting by moving the player off the pitch and continuing with the game.
What an exceptionally insightful comment. Wow, I’ve grown as a person reading your contribution on this platform.
Thank you.
I’m super impressed by this Bok team and it’s almost to the point where they can dictate the outcome of each match. If they polished their lineouts and set pieces and managed to stick their offloads and not force the game the score would have been different. Think they played better last week, but, a win is a win. When they manage to find that fifth gear and start running their set pieces silky smooth we’re going to see an even better Bok team. Go Bokke!
The boks mauls were on point.
They won all there scrums - over both matches if I’m not mistaken.
They extracted more scrum penalties than the ABs, and should have got more had Williams been pinged at least twice more times in the first halves of both games for putting a hand down/scrum infringements.
The boks won 36/42 lineouts on their own throw over the two games and won 2 against the ABs throw in the second match which were key moments in the game.
All this despite being down 4 World Cup winning locks due to injury.
Set pieces were actually great. The AbS were just very scrappy. The AB pack is very good.
Rucks we were abysmal conceding turnovers. But that’s the risk we run with the TB attacking shape. That needs work. And fitter forwards getting to the breakdowns to clear out quicker. Handling errors definitely needs more work.
If you watch the ABs and us, you can see we’re adopting a very NZ looking attack - with forwards and backs linking and making passes. But the ABs make it look easy. Quick and fast. They just can’t deal with the rush defence, but their accurate passes stick like glue.
Jasper Wiese was "Was unlucky to be on the receiving end of collective punishment early in the game"? You mean when he tackled Cortez Ratima without the ball while he was running in support of Codie Taylor's break?
Daniel Gallan and Ben Smith need to spend less time together in bed trying to get one of them pregnant, and more time focussing on journalism. I really didn't think their drivel could get any worse, but they manage to surprise me every week....
Is there really NO Macca's or KFC that needs cleaning staff?
I mean, they'll probably suck at that too, but at least I dont eat that garbage, so it'll be a lot easier pretending they dont exist anymore.
Ratings are a joke.
Just looked at the Aussy game where they shipped 67 points and found these absolute gems-
Angus Bell – 9.5
Matt Faessler – 8
Taniela Tupou – 7
Nick Frost – 7
Jeremy Williams – 7
Rob Valetini – 5
Carlo Tizzano – 7
Harry Wilson – 8
Ben Donaldson – 8
Hamish Stewart – 7
Worst ratings rater of all journos. Weak. I'd suggest when watching games, drink a little bit less. It's hard to see through a haze. Goes to show that they would just hire about anybody as long as you bend. Sober up, watch the game again, and then redo the ratings. You did do these ratings to bash the Boks. They got another double, this time over the AB's. You don't help the AB's players by telling them they are better than they are, pampering them. Claiming they were better in both tests and still the better team lost? Both games? Are you high? You are a joker replacement journo.
Has a Kiwi penned these ratings?
Don't blame us for this. I think the process is: watch the first ten minutes, go and do something else for the rest of the game, pull some numbers out of a hat.
Obviously all subjective but having just watched match again...I'm genuinely gobsmacked by the brilliant Pieter Stef du Toit.. his all round effictiveness..both on attack and defence...another "9" from me!
5 at best.
He needs to make 20 tackles a game min. Or else.
A thought.
A player with a low rating, by an armchair expert, might make a high rating for another player by his reading of the game or composure under pressure.
Think Le roux and pollard for SA and Beauden b for NZ.
These ratings are "dubious" at best. NZ are a good team, SA were better on the day. The best performance a flyhalf could probably have is when he is almost not seen on the field. No flashy line-breaks, no fluffed kicks, just everyone around him looking good. Pollard I thought did exactly what he was asked to. Control tempo, pass when need, relieve pressure to and keep SA in hunt with goal kicking. Pollard Moodie both managed to keep SA in the game, neither gave away points so being part victory says they should at least give five to Moodie and six for Pollard. How much better was he than DMac and what was his rating
Quite right. It's all subjective. So many moving parts and loads of ways to read the game. No one is right. No one is wrong.
Did this rating agent watch or understand the game?
Crap ratings. Read planet rugby’s ratings for a more balanced, fairer assessment.
They also use a far more consistent scale.
Rugby pass seem to have a different scale for each player based on the authors expectations or how much he likes them.
Can't fathom how Moodie and Reece both were a 3.
They're almost the same though.