Player ratings: South Africa

OPINION: South Africa has not only returned to the top of the world rankings but has also gone more than 180 minutes without conceding a try against Scotland.

The Springboks held out a second-half surge from the home team to record a 32-15 win over Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday.

They were repeatedly saved by their defence – holding firm even under pressure.

It saw them outscore the Scots by four tries to none.

Jan de Koning rates the South African players!

15 Willie le Roux
There was some very mart play and great tactical kicking – including a sublime crossfield kick for Mapimpi’s second try. He was solid at the back, covering a lot of field on defence – even though he made some defensive errors.
7/10

14 Canan Moodie
Had his moments, but conceded a penalty in the tackle and made some handling errors. However, his kick-chasing and aerial game was from the top shelf.
7/10

13 Lukhanyo Am
His hands let him down on occasion, but he settled down and produced some great plays – especially in the second half. There was a vital penalty he won at a tackle.
7/10

12 Andre Esterhuizen
Produced some powerful surges, often getting over the advantage line and his 10 bursts yielded more than 50 metres. Add in a team-high 13 tackles and you realise his true value.
8/10

11 Makazole Mapimpi
Scored two tries, but made some defensive errors and were yellow-carded. He worked hard and did some impressive kick-chasing.
6/10

10 Handre Pollard
Sublime cross-field kick for the opening try by Mapimpi and a few othger great plays. He made some mistakes and missed a number of tackles, but again showed that he has tons of #BMT, making the crucial plays.
6/10

9 Jaden Hendrikse
Made some uncharacteristic mistakes, but generally an acceptable service.
6/10

8 Albertus Smith
Nervous start – conceding penalties and missed tackles. His carries were also ineffective.
5/10

7 Elrigh Louw
His support play was not always on point, but had a couple of decent carries and made all his tackles.
6/10

6 Marco van Staden
A very quiet day by his standard, with limited carries for very little reward. His most valuable contribution was on defence.
5/10

5 Franco Mostert
He tried to insert his trademark workrate. However, he was not flawless, with some line-out wobbles and was yanked at half-time.
5/10

4 Eben Etzebeth (captain)
Getting across on defence and making dominant tackles. Produced 12 carries and 11 tackles to go with his line-out work.
8/10

3 Thomas du Toit
Great reaction to pounce on a loose ball and score after another stray throw by Mbonambi. However, he struggled to get into the game.
5/10

2 Mbongeni Mbonambi
His basics were not the best – with missed line-outs, one that resulted in a Scotland penalty. His general workrate was also poor.
5/10

1 Ox Nche
He was again a scrum monster and made nine tackles. Did what was expected of him.
6/10

Replacements:

16 Malcolm Marx (on for Mbonambi – 45th min)
His line-outs were on point from the outset, with a number of powerful carries that created momentum for his team. Was a rock on defence, especially when Scotland was piling on the pressure in the second half.
7/10

17 Gerhard Steenekamp (on for Nche – 45th min)
Coming on in leaps and bounds as a set-piece player. Worked hard with the ball in hand, but missed two tackles.
6/10

18 Vincent Koch (on for Du Toit – 45th min)
Powerful in the set pieces, made a handful of carries for little reward and made all his tackles.
6/10

19 Rudolf Snyman (on for Mostert – 40th min)
Added that extra dynamic that was missing in the first half and his line-out play was valuable to the Bok cause. Was always a threat with the ball in hand and made all his tackles.
7/10

20 Siyamthanda Kolisi (on for Van staden – 45th min)
Got isolated and conceded a penalty at a crucial stage in the second half. Made his tackles and had a few good runs.
6/10

21 Pieter-Steph du Toit (on for Louw – 45th min)
Showed why he is rated as the best player in the world with his high-energy, all-action performance. Was also a valuable line-out resource.
7/10

22 Jasper Wiese (on for Smith – 45th min)
Powerful carries and justly scored the try that sealed the win off the back of a powerful scrum. Was the most produced forward with the ball in hand – 12 carries that often saw him cross the advantage line.
7/10

23 Grant Williams (on for Hendrikse – 69th min)
Not enough time to be rated.

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