All Blacks player ratings: Breakout star ‘mammoth’ and Will Jordan ‘classy’ but Ruben Love has ‘first real struggle’
Fabian Holland and Will Jordan in action for the All Blacks against the Springboks.
Following a 33-26 defeat to the Springboks in the second Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry at DHL Stadium on Saturday, here are the player ratings for the All Blacks.
15 Damian McKenzie: Scored a nice try after a flowing New Zealand move and he also broke clear from the Boks defence after a slip, but the inside ball, rather than the kick to Will Jordan, might have been the better option. Continued to have his moments in the second period, but he wasn’t a dominant factor in the match. 7
14 Will Jordan: So many classy moments once again from the All Blacks superstar, who showed his sheer brilliance by sprinting away from the cover defence and sending Cam Roigard over for their first try. Always a threat and also excellent in the air. 8
13 Quinn Tupaea: Has had a slightly quieter Greatest Rivalry tour after a storming Nations Championship, but there was still some slick moments which showed why he has become an effective Test outside centre. 6
12 Jordie Barrett: A bit too much kicking in the first half and a lot of it pretty ineffective as Barrett probably had his worst game of the year. Even so, that’s a pretty high bar he’s set and his passing game still created opportunities for the visitors as he came to the fore later in the encounter. 6
11 Leroy Carter: Like the majority of the backs, Carter had his moments, including a wonderful tackle on Eben Etzebeth, a superb take in the air and a wonderful finish in the second period. 7
First real struggle for Love
10 Ruben Love: Has enjoyed a good start to his Test career but the fly-half struggled to impose himself on Saturday. There was an intercept pass to Jesse Kriel which was a poor error while he probably could have been slightly flatter to the gain line. Had a fine final quarter, however, as he stepped up to the plate late on, but the first hour rather passed him by despite his excellent goal-kicking. 5
9 Cam Roigard: Displayed his poaching instincts by being on Jordan’s shoulder to receive the wing’s pass and score, while he continually looked to spark the All Blacks attack. His box-kicking was also pretty accurate but he perhaps didn’t go to it enough, especially in the second period, which did put them under pressure on occasions. 8
8 Ardie Savea (c): Alongside Jordan, the number eight was the tourists’ best player in the first half. Savea created their second try with a superb run off the back of a lineout as he made an impact on both sides of the ball. 8
7 Luke Jacobson: Another busy display where the openside flanker was a constant presence at close quarters, but Jacobson was probably not as effective as he has been since coming into the side. 6
6 Simon Parker: Showed his physicality and athleticism with a couple of very good carries, but there are probably not enough of those moments as he’s not really playing to his weight as the Boks loose trio very much had the upper hand while he was on the field. 6
5 Tupou Vaa’i: Had a couple of forays out wide but generally played slightly tighter to the ruck this weekend. There was the odd set-piece issue, especially early on, but it wasn’t a decisive factor in the game. Solid rather spectacular. 6
Mammoth once again
4 Fabian Holland: Another outstanding shift from the 2025 Breakthrough Player of the Year, who has been simply exceptional since recovering from injury. Really brought the physicality and we enjoyed his battle with Eben Etzebeth, while his sublime skills saw him set up Carter’s try with a stunning off-load. 8
3 Tyrel Lomax: Had a better day in the scrum, although it was a frustrating watch at times with it constantly going to ground. Got smashed back in the tackle once and missed a couple of tackles, so could have been better around the field. 5
2 Codie Taylor: The Springboks put real pressure on the lineout this weekend and, as a result, Taylor was put under pressure. Did a couple of throws to the front which negated that Boks threat somewhat but it was not the clean ball they wanted. 5
1 George Bower: Another decent shift from the loosehead, who has worked hard in the set-piece and around the field. There was also a lovely pass on the gain line which set Parker free down the middle. 7
Replacements: Asafo Aumua was once again an absolute dynamo off the bench, giving the All Blacks plenty of momentum. There was the odd lineout wobble but Taylor also struggled in that area, so you can’t fault him too much there. Xavier Numia and Peter Lakai also provided plenty of energy as the result was in doubt until the very end. 7
READ MORE: Springboks v All Blacks, LIVE BLOG: Relive our coverage of the Greatest Rivalry Test in Cape Town