The Springboks started Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry on the back foot after a dismal second-half display at Ellis Park against the All Blacks, going down 33-16. It was a clinical display by the New Zealanders, whilst handling errors and poor discipline proved costly for the world champions as they surrendered their No 1 ranking.
Here, we rate the performances of the Springboks.
Starting XV
15 Damian Willemse | 7 out of 10: Masterclass under the high ball and fielding the bombs that came his way. He showed his composure at the back and made some telling metres when he ran with the ball in hand.
14 Cheslin Kolbe (7/10): Luke Jacobson has a family. Stepped the flanker early on with some nifty footwork and slotted some good conversions from the tee. Chased the high kicks with aplomb but left the field with an injury.
13 Jesse Kriel (5/10): Shifted to the wing early in the game and played out of position. He looked solid at the start, but just like De Allende, didn’t get enough opportunities to showcase his skills on attack or defence.
12 Damian de Allende (6/10): Some bulldozing runs when on the attack with the ball, but didn’t make the desired impact in his 100th Test. Maybe the occasion got to him, but the Boks needed a stronger performance from their centurion.
11 Kurt-Lee Arendse (N/A): Off with an early head injury and didn’t return.
10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (4/10): Not the finest Bok performance for the flyhalf. He put up some good kicks and had strong runs, but did not look like the confident player who took international rugby by storm.
9 Grant Williams (6/10): Lively, sharp and full of energy in the first half, keeping the team on the front foot. His kicks were accurate as well and allowed the Bok chasers to win back possession. However, that tackle effort in the corner on Will Jordan could have been better to prevent the try.
8 Jasper Wiese (8/10): He didn’t put a foot wrong and it’s a pity most of the Springbok forwards did not match his energy. Wiese always got over the gain line when he carried, and made one of the first turnovers as well.
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (6/10): Missed two tackles that led to tries, but still had strong carries and defended tirelessly. Not a Test up to his usual standards, but he will definitely look to make up for it.
6 Paul de Villiers (7/10): An immediate impact with a ball steal early on. He also had some strong carries and defensive work. He was watched closely by the Kiwis, but still did a commendable job in his first outing against them.
5 Ruan Nortjé (5/10): Had some solid lineouts where the Boks put up good driving mauls; however, his physicality and tackling need to improve over the next couple of games.
4 Eben Etzebeth (6/10): Some hard tackles and carries with the ball in hand. However, the Boks would have wanted a stronger impact from their enforcer at Ellis Park, especially when they were under pressure in the second 40.
3 Wilco Louw (7/10): Scrummed the All Blacks into the ground and ensured that the Boks had dominance in this area of the game when he was on. Conceded a crucial penalty when he tried to roll away after a tackle.
2 Malcolm Marx (7/10): His engine never stops working, even when he has to play for 80 minutes. Strong display over the ball, but that knock-on in front of the try line when the Boks had a rumbling rolling maul was costly.
1 Ox Nche (7/10): If only he could go for 80 minutes. He mauled the New Zealand tighthead at scrum time, although it took over 10 minutes for the first scrum to happen. Some strong runs as well, and he will be licking his lips for the second Test.
Replacements
16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels (4/10): Could not make the desired impact at loosehead when he was sent on.
17 Gerhard Steenekamp (4/10): Some solid scrums at the start when he replaced Nche, but could not sustain the pressure.
18 Zachary Porthen (4/10): Did not make the desired impact when he came on at tighthead.
19 Cobus Wiese (N/A): That dropped ball on attack showed how under pressure the Boks were, but he had too little time to judge his performance.
20 Andre Esterhuizen (7/10): Came on and immediately made an impact by scoring a try as an HIA replacement. Strong runs and tackles by the hybrid player, but had to leave in the second half after an injury.
21 Marco van Staden (4/10): Could not make the desired impact when he took the field.
22 Cobus Reinach (3/30): That yellow card was criminal. He put the Boks under pressure when they had to close out the game.
23 Manie Libbok (5/10): Some good distribution of the ball, but was not on the field long enough to make a difference.