Boks battered, beaten, bewildered
The Springboks suffered their biggest beating in 111 years of Test rugby on Saturday. There were no redeeming features for a side who will carry the scars for many years.
Most valuable player: 12. Jan Serfontein Rating: 6/10
It may seem a bit surreal to name a standout player after the team were thrashed 57-0, but Serfontein never stopped trying, whether it was on defence or attack. He was the one player in the Springboks’ ranks who could hold his head high, but the midfield partnership with Jesse Kriel did not seem to work out. It’s probably time to bring a player like Rohan Janse van Rensburg into the Bok set-up.
1. Beast Mtawarira Rating: 5/10
The big man enjoyed one of his better Tests for some time and it was significant how the Boks’ scrumming performance deteriorated after he was substituted as early as the 44th minute. He also produced at least one storming run early in the match.
3. Ruan Dreyer Rating: 3/10
He was unable to produce the strong scrumming performance that he and his team were probably hoping for, while the strong work-rate outside of the set phases which he produced for the Lions in Super Rugby was absent, perhaps due to a lack of game time.
7. Jean-Luc du Preez Rating: 4/10
He made the dreadful pass which led to the second try after wing Nehe Milner-Skudder intercepted. Du Preez came back with some strong carries, but like the rest of the team he was also exposed when the defence fell apart.
11. Courtnall Skosan Rating: 2/10
Found wanting, he was badly out of position when the All Blacks scored their first try, with New Zealand scrumhalf Aaron Smith chipping in no-man’s land which Skosan was supposed to cover. He was also exposed again in defence and under the high ball.
2. Malcolm Marx Rating: 4/10
He has come under fire for the Boks’ poor lineout showing but the tactic to throw deep, which resulted in several overthrows, appeared to be a pre-game tactic which backfired heavily. He was, however, still very busy as a ball-carrier in open play.
4. Franco Mostert Rating: 4/10
Unable to deliver his usual high standard, he struggled after being rested the previous week against Australia. Mostert was surprisingly substituted early in the second half by Pieter-Steph du Toit, a sign that the coaching staff were seeking more impact.
8. Uzair Cassiem Rating: 3/10
Yet to make an impact at Test level, apart from a few isolated carries, he is too much of a passenger at Test level and looks out of place at No 8. He may need to revert back to his more accustomed position as a No 7 flanker.
13. Jesse Kriel Rating: 3/10
He came off second best in his direct duel with All Black outside centre Ryan Crotty, and his anticipation in reading the game and the next play were questionable. Kriel lacked any penetration in midfield where the attack was too predictable and one-dimensional.
5. Eben Etzebeth Rating: 5/10
Handed his first defeat as national captain, the manner of the loss would have hurt tremendously. He was very physical early on as a ball-carrier , but the team’s lineouts and tight phases suffered more and more as the game wore on.
9. Francois Hougaard Rating: 1/10
For a player with so much experience it was another poor performance from the scrumhalf, and his delayed passing from the base and general failure to make the correct decisions on attack and defence put his team under severe pressure.
14. Raymond Rhule Rating: 2/10
One can’t see him playing much more rugby at international level. His defence is simply not what is required from a Test player and his poor attempt to tackle All Black wing Rieko Ioane directly led to New Zealand’s fourth try just before the half-time hooter.
6. Siya Kolisi Rating: 4/10
He showed only brief and sporadic glimpses of why he was rated so highly earlier this year, but Kolisi struggled, with his normal flank partner Jaco Kriel missing and was exposed physically at the breakdowns by the likes of the busy All Blacks flanker Sam Cane.
10. Elton Jantjies Rating: 4/10
He failed to give direction to his side on attack, even early on when they still enjoyed a fair amount of good possession and territory. He also failed to prove the critics wrong after being accused of succumbing to pressure.
15. Andries Coetzee Rating: 5/10
Together with Serfontein, he remained in the fight and never stopped battling. Though he made a few telling surges from the back, his inside support players were unable to leave question marks in the minds of the opposition defenders.