Springboks player ratings: Handre Pollard ‘masterminds’ revenge mission as ‘Bomb Squad’ defuses Wallabies onslaught
Following the Springboks’ 30-22 victory over the Wallabies in Cape Town, here is how we rated Rassie Erasmus’ men in the Rugby Championship clash.
Springboks player ratings v Australia
15 Aphelele Fassi: A few momentum-killing actions, including another overkicked punt that went out on the full. He did have bright moments in attack, including an up-and-under that he regathered himself. Ended the game in the sin bin. 4
14 Canan Moodie: While he did well to finish off his try and had some fairly decent reads on defence, his soft moments were notable. This included a lax attempt at covering the backfield that led to Max Jorgensen’s try in the second half. Had very few opportunities with the ball in hand before he was replaced by Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. 4
13 Jesse Kriel (c): A few loose passes and misreads on defence. It wasn’t the stand-in captain’s best game, but it was far from his worst. He largely held his own and came away with the win in the end. 5
12 Damian de Allende: Immediately made a difference at the breakdown and played his bit along with Handre Pollard in controlling the attack. He was strong as usual on both sides of the ball. 6
11 Cheslin Kolbe: Incredibly busy throughout the match as he charged after the high bombs and went scavenging for work. He was a real thorn in the Wallabies’ defence as he regularly made ground and beat defenders with the ball in hand. Always brave, always busy, and always trying to spark something and often did. Won a telling turnover near the end to keep the Wallabies at bay. 8
10 Handre Pollard: It was plainly evident that the veteran playmaker brought more control and direction to the attack. It may have looked like he hooked his cross kick to Moodie, but it was very much intentional. There were some loose passes and not-so-accurate bombs, but Pollard was brought in to marshal the troops, and that’s precisely what he did and did it well. The Springboks needed the calm head to mastermind the victory, and he was very much it. Fittingly named man of the match. 8
9 Grant Williams: Again, his box kicks were phenomenal as the Springboks managed to cause all kinds of havoc to the Wallabies‘ backfield. His service and decision-making were also swift and accurate before he made way on the hour mark. 7
The forwards
8 Kwagga Smith: Work-rate, work-rate. Smith covered every blade of grass at the Cape Town Stadium twice. He grabbed a well-taken try in the first half but was guilty of rolling the dice at a few breakdowns and came up short in the referee’s views, perhaps unlucky so with a few of the decisions. Still, he was particularly effective with his carries, and that was needed after he replaced Jean-Luc du Preez, who withdrew through illness. 6
7 Franco Mostert: Another tireless effort from the work-horse forward but had little success. Did the grunt work of hitting rucks and tackles but not his finest outing. 4
6 Marco van Staden: Like Smith, he was guilty of chancing his arm at the breakdown on occasion, but he did have more success than the former. Again, he was strong in contact. He has been an underrated performer in the Springboks’ team so far this year. 7
5 Ruan Nortje: Top Springboks tackler while he was on the pitch and did finish his cameo with a 100% lineout success, even if it wasn’t all pretty. Charged around the pitch like a man possessed and had a few bright moments on both sides of the ball because of it. 6
4 RG Snyman: Part of a lineout that fared much better than it did at Ellis Park last week. He was strong in contact and won a fantastic turnover that led to the opening try for his side. Also replaced shortly into the second half. 7
3 Thomas du Toit: On the whole, he got the better of Tom Robertson in the scrums but the Wallabies were wise to get the ball out of the scrums quickly. In open play, he was an aggressive carrier and got a nice offload away to his propping partner. Tidy without being outstanding. 6
2 Malcolm Marx: Asked to go deep into the match due to his breakdown prowess and aggression around the park with the inexperienced Marnus van der Merwe among the replacements. His throws were more accurate in the first half than in the first, which will continue to be a concern. 6
1 Ox Nche: He managed to eke a penalty out of Taniela Tupou and was lively around the park. A performance very much like his fellow prop. 6
Replacements: The Bomb Squad needed to defuse the situation and steer the Springboks to a much-needed win, and on the whole, they did just that. Cobus Reinach picked up from where Grant Williams left off, while Feinberg-Mngomezulu tidied up the backfield somewhat. However, it was the impacts of Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager that really stole the show with the former barging over the line to score a crucial, crucial try. The Bomb Squad imploded last week, and while it didn’t explode in Cape Town, it crucially defused the Wallabies’ onslaught. 7
READ MORE: Eddie Jones: Springboks need the ‘old formula’ as they go through ‘transitional period’
