The Springboks suffered a disappointing defeat against the All Blacks. They led the game 13-12 at halftime and could only kick one more penalty in the second half, while the All Blacks managed to score three tries.
Here are the player ratings for the first test which will potentally influence Rassie’s team selection for test two.
1 Ox Nche- 9
Only played 41 minutes, but boy, his impact was so important. Penalties came in two out of four first-half scrums.
Made three carries and six tackles, so was also excellent around the park.
2 Malcolm Marx- 7
Lost the ball forward as the Springboks maul was charging for the line.
Made six carries and four tackles. The Springboks won 93 % of their lineouts
3 Wilco Louw- 9
Absolutely dominated at scrum time. That’s all that really needs to be said.
4 Eben Etzebeth- 6
While he got in and disrupted the game, his timing seemed a little off in the game. He conceded two penalties, which was more than any other Springboks starter. He had one standout carry but failed to make many yards elsewhere.
5 Ruan Nortje- 7
Nortje was the main target in the Springboks lineout, which was a success for the Springboks in the game. He did only manage one carry in the game, but did make 11 carries.
6 Paul de Villiers- 9
De Villiers was the best player alongside Wiese in the first half and was so good on the defensive side of the game. He made 15 tackles and five carries in the game. Truly is a talent for the future of Springboks rugby.
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit- 8
Led the Springboks, but struggled to control the overall voice of the team. He led with his performance although, he did miss four tackles. Made 10 carries for 24 metres and completed nine of his 13 tackles.
8 Jasper Wiese- 9
Wiese comes out of this game with a huge amount of credit, not that he needed much. Led the game with 17 carries, making 63 metres, most of which came after or in contact. Beat four defenders, more than any other Springbok. Also made eight tackles in the game.
9 Grant Williams- 7
Had the difficult task of shifting to the wing in the second half after Cheslin Kolbe hobbled off injured. He kicked well during the game and made 42 metres carrying. His box kick getting charged down by Holland was a crucial area.
10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu- 6
Outstanding up and under just into the second half. A few too many knock ons in the game and even though, he made eight carries, he lost the ball to turnovers five times. Still recovering from his injury towards the end of the club season, he has much more to show.
11 Kurt-Lee Arendse 6
Went off after nine minutes and failed his HIA.
12 Damian De Allende- 7
On his 100th cap it was a difficult day to get into for De Allende as his partnership with Kriel was disrupted so early on into the game. Was up against Jordie Barrett and just couldn’t find any luck against him. Made six tackles and six carries for 21 metres.
13 Jesse Kriel- 6
Kriel wasn’t able to get into the game much and early got moved out of position onto the wing to cover for the injury to Kurt Lee Arendse. Only got three carries in the game, the same as the two starting props.
14 Cheslin Kolbe- 7
Apart from one outstanding step early in the game, Kolbe didn’t do a lot. He made a great tackle to put Ruben Love into touch, but only got two carries. His mark went a little higher due to his brilliant kicking from the tee. He kicked 11 points without missing.
15 Damian Willemse- 8
Willemse was brilliant in the air early on. He made an incredible intervention to stop his opposite man go in under the posts. Made six carries and three tackles.
Replacements- 6
Andre Esterhuizen came on early on for Arendse and scored the first Springboks try. The scrum lost its pure dominance when the subs came on and two substitutes ended up in the sinbin for the final 10 minutes.
