Springboks player ratings: Kicking woes cost world champions against Ireland

Following the epic Rugby World Cup clash between South Africa and Ireland, here is how we rated the Springboks in the 13-8 defeat.

15 Damian Willemse: Simply, a rock at the back for the Springboks as he made some brilliant tackles, fielded the high bombs well and made some excellent metres with ball in hand and great footwork. 7

14 Kurt-Lee Arendse: Went looking for work around the park when the ball didn’t come his way. He was brilliantly brave on defence, in the air and at the breakdown. 6

Standout centres

13 Jesse Kriel: The outside centre made some incredible last-ditch tackles for the Springboks, notably denying a try in the first half. He continued in that vein in the second period. He made good decisions with ball in hand, too, with his opposite number also having a fine game. 7

12 Damian de Allende: His head-to-head with Bundee Aki was simply box-office. The pair traded blows, and when they weren’t hammering into one another, they managed to gain ground. The Springbok regularly got over the advantage line and flattened defenders in front of him. He also flew into rucks and passed well. 8

🇿🇦 Damian de-molish Allende. #RSAvIRE #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/4hgg3QaEjF

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) September 23, 2023

11 Cheslin Kolbe: Scored for the Springboks but he had precious few opportunities with the ball in hand. Kolbe did make his tackles and was sound under the high ball. 6

Misses off the tee

10 Manie Libbok: Kicked well out of hand and had some nice touches with ball in hand, including his skip pass for South Africa’s try, but his kicking off the tee did prove to be costly. 5

9 Faf de Klerk: The number nine had some real highs and lows throughout the game. A few horrid passes were followed up by some great kicks. He missed his two shots at goal, and on the whole, he controlled the Boks’ attack reasonably well. 6

Back-rowers

8 Jasper Wiese: Big carries, hefty tackles and won a turnover in his 48-minute shift. It was a physical and abrasive match, and he was at the forefront for the Springboks during his stint. 6

7 Pieter-Steph du Toit: The only Springboks forward that went a full 80 minutes, and he was brutally effective from start to finish. He won an early lineout, constantly charged around the pitch, making crucial tackles, carries and hit countless rucks. 7

6 Siya Kolisi: A mixed bag from the Springboks skipper who was sharp on defence and had several huge carries. However, he did spill a few balls he would usually hold onto, including one near the try-line and another soon after. 6

Tight five

5 Franco Mostert: Set the tone for South Africa’s lineout dominance in the first half with the opening steal, even if he gave it away immediately. Relentless work rate again. 7

4 Eben Etzebeth: Nailed in a big shot before he left the pitch, but that was after an excellent shift. He was excellent in applying pressure on Jamison Gibson-Park’s kick, thundered into tackles and was a menace to Ireland’s lineout. 7

3 Frans Malherbe: Scrum honours were even with him and Andrew Porter in a tight tussle in the first half. He made a huge amount of tackles and was accurate in doing so. 6

2 Bongi Mbonambi: At his usual high standard hitting his jumper on all but one occasion while he was just as effective in the rucks and defensively. 6

1 Steven Kitshoff: He wasn’t rewarded at the breakdown despite regularly threatening a turnover. Another who hit double-digit tackle numbers in the first half. Gave Tadhg Furlong a run for his money at the scrum, with neither getting the upper hand. 6

Replacements: The Bomb Squad was explosive in 2019, and South Africa hoped it would go nuclear against Ireland, and to a degree, it did. The scrum was largely dominant in the second half but failed to fire when it counted at the end. RG Snyman and Jean Kleyn were immense, as was Kwagga Smith, but just could see the Boks over the line at the death. 7

READ MORE: Ireland win Rugby World Cup epic against Springboks