Springbok Player Ratings v Australia
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Springbok Player Ratings v Australia
Cooper slotted a match winning conversion to claim a 28-26 victory over South Africa on Sunday.
Here is how we rated the Springboks.
1. Steven Kitshoff - 6.5
Bettered Alalaatoa at scrum time on all but one occasion and was third on the tackle count list making 11.
2. Bongi Mbonambi - 6
Solid at the set pieces and managed to get his name on the scoresheet. Cleared out rucks well and made five tackles before being replaced by Marx after 47 minutes.
3. Frans Malherbe - 6
Won his scrum battle against the young Angus Bell 2-1 and was good defensively. A run of the mill performance from the tighthead prop.
4. Eben Etzebeth - 7
Brought his usual grunt and abrasiveness to the Springbok pack. Contested well at lineout time and was excellent in the mauls and rucks. A hard no-arms tackle by Swinton forced him off the pitch but he returned to finish the match. Not quite a trademark performance but good nonetheless.
5. Lood de Jager - 6.5
A busy shift from the big second-rower as he finished the game as the joint top tackler with 13 but missed five tackles. He ran the Springbok lineout well which resulted in two tries, while he was on the pitch, before injuring his troublesome shoulder which will be a major concern for the Boks.
6. Siya Kolisi - 6
A silly tackle could well have ended his game early but the Springbok captain lucky spent just 10 minutes in the sin bin. A hard working performance as he got stuck into the rucks and on defence but like his flyhalf, it just wasn't his day. Replaced after 56 minutes.
7. Franco Mostert - 7
Jointed top tackler for the Springboks, Mostert covered just about every blade of grass on the pitch. Another tireless shift from the big man.
8. Duane Vermeulen - 7
A strong performance on his return to test rugby. Vermeulen barely looked off the pace for a second as he made over 40 running metres, tackled well and won a penalty. He was replaced after 53 minutes as he works his way back to test match fitness.
9. Faf de Klerk - 5
It was clear the Wallabies targeted the Springbok scrumhalf and hassled and hurried him with every opportunity. His kicking out of hand was on point but hampered by the Wallabies blocking the Springbok high ball chasers.
10. Handré Pollard - 4
A forgettable performance from the Springbok pivot. Pollard missed three shots at goal, one right in front, which left the Springboks eight points short in a one score game. He found it hard to get the Springbok attack firing and threw an offload directly into touch after fielding a high ball.
11. Makazole Mapimpi - 6
Solid under the high ball but was blocked by the Wallaby defenders as he chased kicks. Came up with an excellent take that led to a try for the Springboks. He had few opportunities in attack.
12. Damian de Allende - 6
Thundered into the Wallabies defence when asked to do so but wasn't quite as effective with Kerevi marking the abrasive centre. He defended well.
13. Lukhanyo Am - 5
An usually off day for the Springbok centre. A knock on with the Wallabies defence open spoiled a good chance for the Springboks while he also did all the hard work before failing to dot down a try in the first half. Defensively he was sound but hardly his best game after a steller run of form.
14. Sbu Nkosi - 5
Had some bright moments but the Wallabies managed to keep him quiet and blocked him from competing in the air. His missed tackle count will be of some concern.
15. Willie le Roux - 5
Tried to send Nkosi over for a try but his quick release pass was not nearly accurate enough. He tried his best to ignite the Springbok attack but was cut down and was provided with poor service. The intercept was on but his attempt was not quite good enough and cost him 10 minutes in the bin.
Replacements:
16. Malcolm Marx - 8
17. Ox Nché - 6
18. Vincent Koch - 6
19. Marco van Staden - 5
20. Kwagga Smith - 6
21. Jasper Wiese - 5
22. Herschel Jantjies - 5
23. Damian Willemse - 6
