Boks Player Ratings: Who stood out against the All Blacks?
by Stehan Schoeman · KickOffHere’s how we rated the Springboks in their 33-26 win over the All Blacks in the second Test in the Greatest Rivalry series in Cape Town on Saturday.
Springbok Player Ratings
1. Gerhard Steenekamp: Left the field in the 36th minute. Did the donkey work. 6.5
2. Deon Fourie: Also only 36 minutes on the field. Good lineout work. Busy, looked for work, can be satisfied with his performance. 7
3. Thomas du Toit: Thomas the Tank. Solid and played the full match. A power display. 7
4. Eben Etzebeth: Played extremely hard, aggressive on attack. One of his better matches in a long time. Competed and disrupted the All Black lineouts. 8
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5. Ruan Nortjé: Played his heart out. Nothing flashy. Threw his body around and did his part with commitment. 7
6. Siya Kolisi (c): Impressive. Scored a try in the 38th minute. Inspiring and led from the front. Replaced in the 42nd minute. Can feel more than satisfied with his performance. 8
7. Pieter-Steph du Toit: His love for the Springbok jersey shows in every match. Excellent on attack and defence. You couldn’t ask for more from PSDT. 7
8. Jasper Wiese: At his current level, the man has no equal. Gives everything on attack and defence. 7.5
9. Cobus Reinach: Excellent match. Clears the ball quickly behind the pack. Good on attack and defence. His tactical kicking was right on the money. 7.5
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10. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu: Brilliant tackle stopped a try in the 11th minute. Noticeably better than at Ellis Park. 7
11. Ethan Hooker: Brilliant under the high ball. More than impressive with ball in hand and gained ground. 7.5
12. Damian de Allende: Deserved his try in the 22nd minute. Ran strongly with the ball, got over the advantage line. Picked up an injury at half-time after an excellent tackle. 7.5
13. Jesse Kriel: Scored a try in the second minute. The backline’s class captain – organised and kept the Springbok defensive lines in place. 7.5
14. Cheslin Kolbe: Named Player of the Match. Remained a headache for the defence with ball in hand. Kicked accurately at goal. Busy. 8
15. Damian Willemse: Excellent tackle at half-time. Quiet match but did his job. 7
Rate the Ref | Springboks v All Blacks, 2nd Test: Angus Gardner
Replacements
Malcolm Marx: Forced two turnovers and caused the defence headaches. Marx is a powerhouse. 8
Ox Nché: Like a can of bully beef – packed with meat, and that means scrums, runs and tackles. 7
Wilco Louw: Quiet match in the second half. 6.5
Lood de Jager: Replaced Nortjé. Received a yellow card. Average performance. 6
André Esterhuizen: Replaced Kolisi at flank. Ran like a runaway train with the ball. 6.5
Cameron Hanekom: Didn’t get many opportunities in the second half. 6.5
Morné van den Berg: Not as effective or as much of a nuisance as Reinach. 6.5
Manie Libbok: Replaced Willemse at fullback. Made quite a few tackles. Didn’t get a chance to show much on attack. 6.5