Springboks player ratings v Italy: Damian Willemse ‘the star of the show’ as world champions overcome another red card
Springboks full-back Damian Willemse and hooker Johan Grobbelaar (inset) shone in their win over Italy.
After their 32-14 victory over Italy in their Autumn Nations Series clash at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, here’s how the Springboks team performed on Saturday.
15 Damian Willemse: Showed why he is so highly rated as he was the star of the show with an outstanding all-round performance for the full 80 minutes. Willemse was solid under the high ball and gave his side good momentum from the back despite great pressure from his opponents. His efforts were rewarded with the official man-of-the-match award. 9
14 Edwill van der Merwe: The rookie flyer was replaced by Andre Esterhuizen in the 27th minute as Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus rang the changes after Franco Mostert was red-carded early on. Came back on later as a replacement for Kurt-Lee Arendse but had few attacking opportunities. 6
13 Canan Moodie: Came back into the run-on side and was caught out on defence early on, but soon settled down and got better as the match progressed. Left his stamp on the match when left Louis Lynagh for dead before offloading to Grant Williams, who crossed for a well-taken try. 7
12 Ethan Hooker: Showed his utility value by making a rare start in midfield and gave a good account of himself. Was also forced to pack down on the side of the scrum on a few occasions after the Mostert red card, and did well at the set-piece. Also scored his first Test try late on after gathering a cross-field kick from Manie Libbok. 8
11 Kurt-Lee Arendse: Like the rest of the backline, he had few chances on attack during the first half but competed well for the high balls and was solid on defence during his time on the field. 6
10 Handré Pollard: Despite the Boks playing with 14 men for most of the match, the double World Cup winner was solid in the execution of his core duties, with his goal-kicking particularly impressive before he was replaced by Libbok in the 68th minute. 6
9 Morne van den Berg: The Springboks scrum-half can be happy with his performance; despite being on the back foot for long periods in the opening half, he kept his cool and provided a good service to his outside backs. He also punched above his weight on defence and scored a well-taken try. 7
The forwards
8 Marco van Staden: Although he played out of position, Van Staden emptied the tank on attack and defence and made a nuisance of himself at the breakdowns. Scored his side’s first try, and although he was yellow carded for a defensive indiscretion in the second half, he was one of the Boks’ best players. 8
7 Ben-Jason Dixon: The Stormers stalwart made his long-awaited return to Test action but was forced off shortly after Mostert’s red card in the 11th minute, with Ruan Nortje replacing him. N/A
6 Siya Kolisi (c): The Springboks skipper caught the eye with some powerful carries during the early stages and did what was expected of him in the execution of his defensive duties before being replaced by RG Snyman after 45 minutes. 6
5 Franco Mostert: The experienced lock made a dangerous hit on Paolo Garbisi in the 11th minute, for which he was red-carded. His departure certainly had a big impact on the rest of his team as they scrambled to make up for his absence. 3
4 Jean Kleyn: Despite losing his second-row partner during the game’s early stages, the Munsterman toiled manfully. Did what was expected of him in the lineouts and put his body on the line on defence. 6
3 Zachary Porthen: The young front-row was another player who was sacrificed early on after Mostert’s red card, with the more experienced Wilco Louw coming on to replace him in the 19th minute. N/A
2 Johan Grobbelaar: The Bulls star was in the thick of the action throughout and can be happy with his overall performance. Grobbelaar was a willing ball carrier while also doing well on defence, and won a crucial turnover in the second half. 8
1 Boan Venter: He was put under pressure in the scrums when Mostert was off the field and Gerhard Steenekamp came on to replace him after 25 minutes. Came back on briefly later in the half before Steenekamp replaced him for good at half-time. 5
Replacements: For the second successive week, the Boks’ bench made a big impact on the end result and, once again, the likes of Nortje and Esterhuizen brought plenty of energy to the party when they entered the fray. Meanwhile, other replacements like Smith, Steenekamp, Louw, Snyman, Libbok and Williams also made telling contributions. 8
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