Springbok Player Ratings v England
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Springbok Player Ratings v England
South Africa fell to a narrow 26-27 loss to England in their final test match of the year.
Marcus Smith nailed a last-minute penalty to seal the victory for England as South Africa came narrowly close to a come from behind victory after trailing at half time.
Here is how we rated South Africa in defeat.
15. Willie le Roux - 5
Dealt with a testing early kick well and put one of his own in soon after that led to the Springboks' first points. He had some promising moments on attack that never really materialized and had numerous errors including spilt high balls.
14. Jesse Kriel - 6
Beaten on the inside by Malins in the build-up to Steward's try. Overran a supporting line on Siya Kolisi with the South Africans attacking dangerously. He contested relatively well in the air but was otherwise quiet.
13. Lukhanyo Am - 7.5
The Springbok centre was caught out once or twice on defence as England's attack found holes in the Springbok. However, Am came up with key interventions and sparked a few promising attacks. His two turnovers were at pivotal points in the game. He also grabbed an assist for Mapimpi's try.
12. Damian de Allende - 8.5
Simply outstanding in all facets of the game. His footwork is underrated and almost led to a try for the Springboks while he showed off his breakdown prowess once again.
11. Makazole Mapimpi - 6.5
A finisher of the highest order. He held his line well to finish off his chance and was a threat under the high ball. Not much wrong with his performance at all but would have liked to see the ball more.
10. Handré Pollard - 6
Kept his side in the game with his accuracy from the tee in the first half slotting four from four. Pollard started to unravel in the second half missing his first two shots at goal and dropped a high ball under limited pressure.
Nailed his last kick after 50 minutes before he was replaced. His two missed shots at goal proved to be costly.
9. Cobus Reinach - 5
Reinach's box kicks were well off the mark in the first half. He sent one too far and was saved by an error from May. He shanked another from his own 22.
Some promising moments on attack but didn't make the most of his chance in the starting XV.
1. Ox Nché - 6
Landed a monstrous hit before halftime but was otherwise quiet while he was part of the starting pack that somewhat struggled. Ended his game with a massive scrum, winning
2. Bongi Mbonambi - 5
His last lineout throw in the first half put the Springboks under pressure but they managed to escape unscathed. A quiet game by his standards.
3. Trevor Nyakane - 5
Early issues at scrum time as he and Ox Nche were penalised on the first two set-pieces. Busy defensively but his performance was error-ridden.
4. Eben Etzebeth - 9
An incredible performance from the Springbok second row who was the best Springbok on the pitch, if not the best player.
He troubled England at lineout time in the latter stages of the game, terrorized Quirke and Youngs with his attempted and one successful charge down.
He carried with superbly and made an excellent break but was unable to link up with Malcolm Marx. Defensively he landed some massive hits.
5. Lood de Jager - 6
A tireless performance on defence and in clearing out the breakdown. He had a few mishaps in calling the lineout but otherwise solid.
6. Siya Kolisi - 6.5
Some excellent carries into the heart of the England defence and solid defence. He almost sent Kriel speeding away down the touchline but his pass went behind the centre-come-winger.
His yellow card was warranted and swung the game in England's favour while his insistence of going to the corner can be questions, especially once he told Jantjies to take the three in the latter stages.
7. Kwagga Smith - 6
Try as he may, it was just not Kwagga Smith's day. He got stuck into plenty but came up with little. No real lack of effort and came close to scoring but was not supported when he dived for the line.
Replaced by Jasper Wiese in the 64th minute.
8. Duane Vermeulen - 6.5
Not quite the safe option as lineout time as he has been this year while the veteran no.8 tried did his utmost to swing the game in South Africa's favour.
A threat over the ball and carried strongly.
Replacements:
16. Malcolm Marx - 7.5
Had major success over the ball and was excellent in the set piecs.
17. Steven Kitshoff - 7
Won his scrum battles and landed some hefty hits.
18. Vincent Koch - 6
A few penalties against the tighthead but strong in the scrums.
19. Franco Mostert - 6
Quietly went about his work with little flash or fuss.
20. Jasper Wiese - 6
Big ball carries from the abrasive back rower not quite as impactful as he would have liked.
21. Herschel Jantjies - 6.5
A far more composed performance than last week. Kicked well out of hand and his passes were swift.
22. Elton Jantjies - 7
Made a noticeable difference to the Springbok attack which resulted in a try for Mapimpi. Kicked well too and did well to steer the Springboks into a posession where they could win the game.
23. Frans Steyn - 6
Nailed another big kick from far out and had some good touches on attack.
