Wallabies player ratings v Springboks: ‘Nightmare finish’ for James O’Connor as Will Skelton endures ‘quicksand’ outing

Lawrence Nolan
Wallabies players ratings

James O’Connor gets tackled by Kwagga Smith

Here are the Wallabies player ratings following the 22-30 Rugby Championship loss for Joe Schmidt’s team versus the Springboks in Cape Town.

Wallabies player ratings v Springboks

15 Tom Wright: A week can cruelly be a long time in rugby. Unstoppable in Johannesburg when the Wallabies’ incredible comeback ignited, he looked a broken man hobbling to the sideline in Cape Town less than four minutes in. Having begun by carrying to the ruck that cost his team the opening three points, he stretched awkwardly and hit the floor with a thud when deflecting the loose ball that materialised after Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii couldn’t take the full-back’s own wonky pass. N/A

14 Max Jorgensen: We have a soft spot for this fleet-footed player, and he again caught the eye with another silky contribution. His aerial catch and offload out of the contact was supreme in the disallowed Fraser McReight first-half try. Luck, though, was on his side seven minutes into the second half when a favourable bounce from a teasing James O’Connor kick invited him to score. The pity for Australia was that the ball wasn’t a frequent enough companion for the winger. 6

13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii: Spoke during the week about how Test rugby travel had aided his personal growth since last year’s switch from the NRL, but Cape Town won’t be fondly remembered as his average appearance ended with a half-time HIA. It was his penalised ruck technique that cost the Wallabies three early points. His fumble then led to Wright’s unfortunate injury. 5

12 Len Ikitau: The traffic man, he never flinched when allowed to carry into contact and crash into some South African bodies. His metres run count wasn’t massive, but the ground he did gain was invaluable in keeping the Wallabies battling. If there was regret, though, it was losing the ball at the ruck he carried to near the opposition line with his team 7-13 behind. There were also a few missed tackles. 7

11 Corey Toole: Reportedly the fastest man in Australian rugby, his debut in place of the injured Dylan Pietsch showcased this pace. Didn’t shy away from competing for aerial ball, and his industry across the 80 minutes was rewarded by his eighth-minute try. Defensively, he won’t like watching the review of his defending when Canan Moodie scored off a Handre Pollard cross-kick, but he remained an attacking threat and, on another day, his opportunistic kick and chase on 64 minutes would have led to a try, not frustration with the bounce at a time when the score was 17-23. 7

Half-backs

10 James O’Connor: Was on track for kudos in keeping his team in the hunt, and then it all painfully unravelled when he needed to be at his most precise. His general play before the match got near the end of the pipe was gutsy in helping his forwards feel rewarded for their efforts. Unfortunately, he endured a nightmare finish with three missed kicks, including the 73rd-minute conversion attempt to put the Wallabies 24-23 up. It was a sharp, wounding reminder that goal-kickers simply can’t afford to fail at this level. 6

9 Nic White: It was a shame his influence was snuffed out after less than 11 minutes. Demonstrated his threat when attacking quickly off a free-kick, putting in a perfect grubber kick for Toole to easily score. Sadly, his head bounced off the ground when caught in possession and flung around by Kwagga Smith, causing the HIA that ended his game. N/A   

Planet Rugby player ratings key 10 - Career defining performance 9 - Outright blockbuster effort 8 - Significantly influenced the result of the game 7 - Committed and effective outing 6 - Flashes of brilliance outside of executing fundamentals 5 - Fulfilling the role required by position (base level) 4 - Poor execution of fundamentals 3 - Costly errors and/or discipline in the game 2 - Poor performance that directly impacted the result 1 - Grossly ineffective throughout 0 - Should have carried water instead

Loose forwards

8 Rob Valetini: Restored to the team following injury in the second British and Irish Lions Test, he carried for more metres than the rest of the starting pack in an attritional first half where the Wallabies were clinging on in the fight. There was more of a ball-carrying load share in the second period, with McReight and Tom Hooper upping the ante to allow the No.8 not to be the sole focal point for bruising attention from the Springboks pack. 7

7 Fraser McReight: Man of the match with a tackling/turnover masterclass in Jo’burg, this week’s skipper in the absence of Harry Wilson came to the boil in the second half when the Wallabies got their sniff of a victory that would have been their first back-to-back wins in South Africa since 1963. He led his team’s full-time tackle stats, and also felt he had scored in the first half, but an Andrew Kellaway knock-on to play spoilsport. 7

6 Tom Hooper: Endured a muted first half, going by his greatly improved standards this year. He was penalised for a high tackle on Cheslin Kolbe 30 minutes in, but he flourished with a second wind and looked good on both sides of the ball. An example? There was an early second-half pass out the back that excitingly encapsulated his handling skills. 7

5 Will Skelton: It might sound bizarre to say, given how competitive Australia collectively were in South Africa, but this tour was perhaps a step too much on an individual basis for the usually firebrand enforcer. Having defiantly bossed the Lions in the third Test, he produced a lowish-key effort in Cape Town that followed on from last weekend’s lacklustre showing in Johannesburg. Shifting bodies at the breakdown was his priority, not tackling or handling the ball. Gone on 49 minutes. 5

4 Nick Frost: While Skelton at times seemed to be running in quicksand, his second row partner enjoyed a better go-forward contribution. This impact helped to keep the Wallabies believing they were capable of pulling off another successful comeback. Instead, it was the try-scoring opposition lock, Eben Etzebeth, who had the decisive say. 6

3 Taniela Tupou: It was his scrum penalty concession that led to his team falling 0-6 behind, but that was his only blip in a solid 53-minute effort that included playing for nearly 20 minutes with a dislocated pinky finger caused in a collision with Kolbe. Encouragingly got on the ball outside of his grunt work basics. 6

2 Billy Pollard: Featured for 65 minutes and can be pleased with his contribution. Ran a decent lineout, apart from not being straight with his fifth throw, which cost Australia an attacking position on the cusp of the 22. Was a physical presence who didn’t shirk the important tackles that helped to keep his team alive. 6

1 Tom Robertson: Handed a first start since 2018 due to James Slipper’s concussion, and he definitely didn’t disappoint. His level of scrummaging was an acceptable standard, and he was his team’s busiest tackler during the first half, helping Australia dig in and ensure the deficit was only 10 points at the break. That gap was cut to just three by the time of his exit at 49 minutes. 6

Replacements: There was a 68th-minute maul try from hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa, and reserve scrum-half Tate McDermott brought tonnes of energy, but errors from other subs hurt deeply. It was Kellaway’s missed catch that ignited the play for South Africa’s first try, and he was also at fault for the soft knock-on that resulted in the scrum penalty against Angus Bell, where the advantage resulted in Etzebeth’s clinching 74th-minute try. A last-minute neck roll from Nick Champion de Crespigny then gave the Boks an opportunity to go for a four-try bonus point. 4

READ MORE: Springboks player ratings: Handre Pollard ‘masterminds’ revenge mission as ‘Bomb Squad’ defuses Wallabies onslaught

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