Player ratings: Centre stage
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer will have more answers than questions following his sides performance against the World XV in Cape Town on Saturday.
The Springboks ran in seven tries to walk away with a comfortable 36 point victory over a lacklustre World XV side but it will be their discipline that will come under the spotlight, along with a few individual performances.
A definite highlight of the match was the midfield combination of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel. The pair showed they could be the answer to South Africa's midfield 'issues' with a strong showing.
Tauriq Ebrahim rates the Springboks!
15 Willie le Roux
A mixed bag from the usually reliable fullback. Started the match with a few errors but grabbed a hat-trick before being sent to the bin for a dangerous tackle.
6/10
14 JP Pietersen
Was he even on the field?
2/10
13 Jesse Kriel
Repaid the faith Heineke Meyer had in him with an excellent first half showing and combined well with Damien de Allende in midfield.
7/10
12 Damian de Allende
Continued his excellent Super Rugby form and could have penned his name at the starting World Cup inside centre. Bagged a brace in the process.
8/10
11 Bryan Habana
Did not have much ball to work with but when he went looking for work, he showed his class by setting up Le Roux for his second try.
6/10
10 Handré Pollard
Poor kicking game and a fairly uneventful showing in a match where he could have cemented his starting berth.
4/10
9 Ruan Pienaar
Justified his selection with excellent service and go-forward ball to release the backline.
7/10
8 Warren Whiteley
Looked out of sorts on the field and was a far cry from his Super Rugby form which saw him being selected.
5/10
7 Marcell Coetzee
Sheer class with a fantastic all-round performance. Forced turnovers at will and put in some big hits along the way.
9/10
6 Francois Louw
Worked well with Coetzee at the breakdowns but let himself down by being sent to the sin bin.
5/10
5 Victor Matfield (captain)
Another vintage performance by the best No.5 in the country.
7/10
4 Eben Etzebeth
Proved he can mix it with the best and most experienced locks in the world but also showed some nifty footwork for his try.
8/10
3 Jannie du Plessis
There will be many questions raised about his inclusion in the squad after making mo real impact in the game. Was lucky to get away with a dangerous clean out on Botha in the 12th minute.
2/10
2 Bismarck du Plessis
A typical Bismarck performance and showed why he is the best hooker in the country at the moment.
7/10
1 Tendai Mtawarira
Replaced at half-time but not before some good defensive work and strong work at scrum time.
6/10
Replacements:
16 Adriaan Strauss (on for B du Plessis, 53 mins)
Not a bad outing for the hooker and laid a solid foundation for the rest of the year.
6/10
17 Trevor Nyakane (on for Mtawarira, 40 mins)
Had plenty of time to prove he deserves his spot in the team and did an okay job – nothing spectacular.
5/10
18 Vincent Koch (on for J du Plessis, 53 mins)
Proved why he is regarded as one of the best props in the country and showed J du Plessis that his position is under serious threat.
7/10
19 Teboho Mohoje (on for Etzebeth, 67 mins)
Did not hurt his World Cup chances and proved to be a worthy lock replacement.
5/10
20 Schalk Burger (on for Whiteley, 53 mins)
Made an immediate impact and further cemented his legendary status with another massive performance.
7/10
21 Cobus Reinach (on for Pienaar, 67 mins)
Grabbed a try on his return to the field from injury and showed glimpses of his form that saw him receive his Springbok colours.
6/10
22 Pat Lambie (on for Habana, 54 mins)
Definitely brought his kicking boots with and certainly has an argument for being the starting flyhalf.
6/10
23 Jean de Villiers (on for Kriel, 60 mins)
A nice run about by the returning captain who assisted in Le Roux' hat-trick try, even though he looked pretty hesitant and nervous.
6/10
By Tauriq Ebrahim
@Tagels03
