Springbok player ratings in win against England: Bench-sitters save the day

The Springboks defeated England 16-15 in a Rugby World Cup semi-final encounter at the Stade de France in Paris on Saturday night to qualify for this weekend’s final where they will take on New Zealand.

The team showed tremendous character on the night to fight back and win the game after England outplayed them in most departments.

This is how The Citizen rated the Boks players out of 10

Damian Willemse 5: The talented utility back was not his usual Rolls–Royce self. The nature of the game and conditions took away some of his attacking abilities, but he was eager to be involved in the game and influence it with his kicking, but could never move through the gears.

Kurt-Lee Arendse 7: The winger was solid in the tough circumstances of the match. He did what was expected of him in terms of chasing down kicks, he helped put England under pressure. There were not many attacking opportunities for him but the X-factor in him came on show during an improvised lineout play.

Jesse Kriel 5: The outside centre proved how much of an asset he is in the Boks defence system. He read the situation of the game perfectly as England put the team under pressure; he had to defend and at times act as one of the forwards.

Damian de Allende 7: This was one of the games where De Allende’s character and leadership on the field were at full display. He contributed immensely in attack and defence. He carried the ball with power and beat a couple of defenders. In defence, he was able to put his body on the line and stop England’s momentum.

Cheslin Kolbe 6: England put the Boks’ backline under pressure with their high balls, and Kolbe’s side of the field was especially targeted. Although he initially struggled with the high balls, he managed to pull himself together and make things difficult for England. He also chased well when SA kicked.

Manie Libbok 5: The game was out of his control from the get-go, he never managed to get into his usual game. He seemed rattled and was taken off after the half-hour mark. His kicks never had the distance and accuracy, the tough weather conditions did not help him. He managed to kick in a penalty.

Cobus Reinach 5: It was a tough game for the scrumhalf. With England having the majority of the possession he could not dictate the tempo of the match as he would have liked. It was even difficult for him to deliver kicks that pushed the Boks up the field. England nullified him as they were aware of his speed and the damage he could cause.

Duane Vermeulen 6: When the Boks are under siege, Vermeulen always tries to bring calmness to the situation, and he did that in the match. The rain was pouring, making conditions difficult but he was excellent at handling the high balls, he bullied England physically and made several good tackles.

Pieter-Steph du Toit 7: The flanker covered so much ground during the 80 minutes and showed why the Springboks are better with him on the field. He was getting in the faces of England, tackling anyone that was in front of him. Du Toit was also instrumental in the scrum penalty wins the Boks had in the second half.

Siya Kolisi 5: Even though it was a difficult game for him, the skipper did marshall his troops when they were under pressure in the first half. He was good in defence and tried hard to help swing momentum to his side at the breakdowns, but ended up giving away two penalties.

Franco Mostert 7: As ever Mostert gave his all, he was one of the best players on the park. He made 19 tackles, the highest in the game from a player. He showed his overall class in all departments, his lineout takes were good under the tough conditions.

Eben Etzebeth 5: The Bok enforcer failed to stamp his authority on the game because of England’s tactical dominance and how they controlled the match. Even when the team had their backs against the wall, Etzebeth tried his best to fight back, he was involved and tackled well.

Frans Malherbe 6: It was a standard performance from Malherbe, he was good in defence, and he was solid in the scrums. He was on the field for a long time, never looked tired and was important in helping the pack ascend to scrum dominance in the second half.

Bongi Mbonambi 7: Mbonambi messed up his lineout throws at the start of the game and that hampered the team. However, he shook that off and went on to have an excellent game. He also collaborated well with the Boks leadership group to make important decisions when he was on-field captain.

Steven Kitshoff 4: It was a rather frustrating outing for Kitshoff, he struggled with the conditions. He was expected to be dominant in the scrum battles but he fell short and conceded a penalty on one occasion. Kitshoff will be concerned about his form because it has dropped off recently.

Bench 10: The bench produced a great effort, their impact helping to swing the momentum the Boks’ way later in the match.

Ox Nche proved why he’s one of the best props in the world; he came on and smashed the England scrum, winning the Boks more than one penalty. Vincent Koch, too, was key in the scrums, his last effort also winning the Boks a penalty.

RG Snyman stepped up and scored the game’s only try.  Deon Fourie and Kwagga Smith brought energy to the team when they needed it most.

The halfback pairing of Faf de Klerk and Handre Pollard managed to control proceedings with their kicking, their experience as a duo showed in a tight finish. Pollard showed why he’s one of the best kickers in the world, as he slotted the pressure kicks to give South Africa the win.