Seven who were 2018’s Springbok standouts
● Considered too small to play “serious” rugby, Aphiwe Dyantyi was almost lost to a game to which he had devoted much of his childhood.
Dyantyi is arguably the game’s most celebrated “lost and found” item of 2018 after a stellar year which climaxed when he walked off with World Rugby’s breakthrough player of the year award.
Dyantyi’s path took several unexpected twists and turns.
He impressed at schoolboy level but his physical dimensions were considered insufficient to make a mark in the higher echelons of the game. Disillusioned, he gave up the game before former Lions centre Mac Masina lured him to koshuis rugby and a crack at Varsity Cup.
He sparkled there, was spotted by the Lions and his rise this year has been nothing short of meteoric.
From the moment he made his Super Rugby debut for the Lions, Dyantyi has been a crowd-pleaser.
He got out of the blocks with a crucial try against the Sharks in the opening round before his electrifying pace and wicked sidestep were in evidence in the two tries he scored in the win over the Jaguares at Ellis Park. He scored a long-range try that had the television commentators gushing. That match marked Dyantyi’s arrival in the big league.
He became such a crowd favourite this year that a hush would descend on Ellis Park when the ball was moved left in anticipation of it reaching his hands. His try-scoring exploits and assists helped the Lions run away with the African conference.
Though injury stunted his progress in the second half of the Super Rugby competition, Dyantyi was rewarded with a call-up in the Test series against England. He made his mark there too.
He scored a try on debut, in the 64th minute as the Springboks engineered a remarkable come-from-behind win after trailing 24-3 after 18 minutes.
He played in 13 Tests this season and would probably have done so in all 14 had coach Rassie Erasmus not opted to play a weakened team against Wales in Washington.
Dyantyi’s impact wasn’t as keenly felt as the season drew to a close, but he had done enough in the first 10 months of the year to win World Rugby’s breakthrough player of the year award.
If he stays injury free Dyantyi’s poster-boy image is likely to endure in the green and gold.
Faf de Klerk
The former Lions dynamo was a World Rugby player of the year nominee. Bok coach Erasmus roped in De Klerk for the team’s most pressing engagements and the scrumhalf made a huge difference. De Klerk, forever probing and teasing opposing defences, made some telling contributions from the base of the scrum.
He was particularly impressive against England in June.
When he has not been around because of club commitments, the Bok effort suffered. De Klerk has established himself as the team’s undisputed first-choice No 9 and will more than likely retain that status next year.
Pieter-Steph du Toit
Du Toit, a former SA Rugby player of the year, maintained his lofty standards this season. Despite that he operated mostly in a losing cause at the Stormers in Super Rugby and had to split duties between the second and back rows, Du Toit has been a remarkably consistent performer this year. He has probably been one of the most consistent Springbok forwards this year.
He was nominated as one of the SA Rugby players of the year and the blond backrower should have a decent crack at picking up the gong for a second time.
Malcolm Marx
Marx was a nominee for World Rugby’s player of the year. His muscular presence was again keenly felt by the Lions and the Springboks. He proved a colossus in Super Rugby, affecting the game with telling contributions, especially in the tight-loose. His ability to turn over possession at the ruck has set him apart from his rivals. He makes his greatest impact when required to flex his muscles but his softer skills let him down towards the end of the season. He had a forgettable end-of-year tour of Europe. The reigning SA Rugby player of the year is again a nominee for the title.
Siya Kolisi
The international season started with much fanfare amid deep appreciation of Kolisi’s rise to the Springbok captaincy. He became the country’s first black Test captain when he led the team out against England at Ellis Park.
It proved an emotional affair as the Boks made a slow start at Ellis Park but recovered marvellously to beat England in a tense clash. Crucially, they went on to win the series and beat the All Blacks in Wellington.
It wasn’t all plain sailing for Kolisi as the team struggled to find consistency but the flank proved a valuable ball carrier throughout his maiden season as captain.
Franco Mostert
The elongated second-rower again cut a talismanic figure for the Lions in Super Rugby this season.
He displayed a similarly relentless work ethic for the Springboks which helped earn him a nomination for the country’s player of the year.
That Mostert was able to rise above the challenge this season is even more impressive when you consider that much uncertainty had developed around his purported move from the Lions to Johan Ackermann’s Gloucester in England.
He focused on the job at hand and remained a preferred target man in the middle of the lineout, while his work rate in the tight-loose proved exemplary throughout.
S’bu Nkosi
Nkosi’s sturdy presence on the wing for the Sharks increasingly won admirers as the Super Rugby season wore on. By the time the Test series against England appeared on the horizon he was a shoo-in for Erasmus’s Bok squad.
Nkosi’s ability to stand up in the tackle and at times rid himself of defenders in his bloody-minded quest for tries has been a key feature of his play. He is equally robust in defence, often clattering into hapless ball carriers who become ball spillers.
He made a dream debut against England, scoring two tries for the Springboks.
From small to tall, they took the team to dizzying heights this season
He scored a try on debut … as the Springboks engineered a remarkable come-from-behind win after trailing
24-3 after 18 minutes