The Springboks defeated Argentina 22-21 on Saturday at Ellis Park to finish in second place in the Rugby Championship.
The match, which served as part of the preparations for the Rugby World Cup in September, was the Boks’ last before three friendly matches ahead of the team leaving for France.
The Boks were in cruise control in the first half but then took their foot off the peddle as the bench failed to make a big impact in the game.
Here’s how The Citizen rated the Bok players
Willie le Roux 6: The fullback’s exit kicking in the early stages of the match was key when the Boks seemed a bit shell-shocked, while he threw a great pass for Eben Etzebeth’s try. He, however, made a few blunders, too, with his handling costing him at times.
Cheslin Kolbe 6: Was eager to put on an impressive display and was very involved in the game. Overall he was solid in defence and tried hard on attack. The experienced winger got stuck into some dirty work, too.
Jesse Kriel 6: As someone who was playing in his first game of the international season, he didn’t show any signs of rustiness. Ran with the ball in hand well in midfield and made sure it reached the wing. Tackled strongly.
Damian de Allende 8: The regular No 12 showed up on the day, immensely improving from his showing in New Zealand, he made good carries and had bite in his tackles. He scored an unorthodox try from the maul, controlling it well.
Damian De Allende of the Springboks against Argentina. Picture: Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images
Kurt-Lee Arendse 6: Los Pumas targeted him because of his small frame but he answered all the questions that were asked defensively, which is very encouraging as he will play a prominent role at the Rugby World Cup in France.
Manie Libbok 8: As the game opened up he showed his qualities, including good passing skills and his ability to kick smartly. He directed matters well, with his line kicks and for poles key. He capped the match off with a try, his first for the Boks.
Grant Williams: N/A — In what was his first start for Boks, Williams’ game ended before it even started after he was clattered into by an Argentine player straight from the kick-off. He was unfortunately stretched off.
Duane Vermeulen 7: The captain was busy on the day; he stamped his authority on the match and set the tone for the team to follow. He bulldozed Los Pumas whenever he received the ball, be it by running on to it or catching from kick-off.
Pieter-Steph du Toit 7: The 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year is slowly getting back to his best. He was all over the field being a menace for the opposition, stealing ball and making plenty of tackles. He also proved effective as a maul disrupter.
Marco van Staden 5: It was a relatively quiet game for him, not much action came his way, and he didn’t hit the highs of his outing against the Wallabies. He would have wanted to be more involved and continue to make his case to go to France.
Marvin Orie 6: He proved to be a valuable lineout option, he was very comfortable when calling. Returning to his old stomping ground, he looked the part with the performance and it probably sealed his spot in the 33-man squad.
Eben Etzebeth 8: He managed to brush away the Auckland blues and owned the moniker of enforcer. He pushed away anyone who was in his way, and snatched any and all bodies when they were attacking him. Good performance that was highlighted by a try.
Frans Malherbe 7: He was excellent in the scrums; his foot movement was tidy compared to his last outing against the All Blacks. He worked hard in the game, covered a lot of ground and was in the thick of things when defending.
Malcolm Marx in action against Argentina at Emirates Airline Park. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
Malcolm Marx 8: He proved that he can put an equally good display on from the start like he does from the bench. As ever he was world class; his lineout throws were excellent, he was good at the ruck and ran with the ball like he was part of the backline.
Steven Kitshoff 8: Another good game from him; at the moment he’s operating at a world-class level, putting his name in the conversation of the best player in the world. He scrummed well and made impressive steals at the breakdown.
Bench
Faf de Klerk 7: He practically played the full game because of the injury to Williams. He would go on to have one of his best games in the green and gold jersey; he dictated the tempo of the game well while the Boks were trying to find their feet. His kicking was accurate, and his service swift.
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