CAPE TOWN – What a performance by the Springboks!
Sweeping changes were made, but man, did this team get the job done. That 32-12 scoreline just added to the lekker game it was…
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🇿🇦 It’s all over here at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium as the Boks kick off their Castle Lager Rugby Championship campaign with a solid 32-12 win over @lospumas. #StrongerTogether #StrongerForever #RSAvARG pic.twitter.com/it774ZGvnY
— Springboks (@Springboks) August 14, 2021
Damian Willemse 7: Put in some good kicks and his chase was on point as well. Had a good game in his starting berth at fullback.
S'bu Nkosi 7: Looked to get involved in his first Test in a while, but we didn’t get to see as much of that powerful running (or his fine finishing) as we’d have liked. He competed well for the ball.
Jesse Kriel 6: It’s been a while since we’ve seen him in Bok colours and he hasn't played in a while. Considering that, he did a decent job although he didn't do too much with the ball.
Frans Steyn 6: Put in some strong running and showed his power in the carry.
Aphelele Fassi 8: The way ’the Weekend Special’ scored his try was absolutely fantastic. The control he showed was effortless. Even though his second try was disallowed, he showed us how he can work the ball and how much he can do with very little space. Definitely one for the future.
🏉 Aphelele Fassi gets the Boks’ second try after a great cross kick by Jantjies, who fails to add the extras from out wide and it’s 15-0 to SA midway through the first half.#StrongerTogether #StrongerForever #RSAvARG pic.twitter.com/GtTJnbn0yi
— Springboks (@Springboks) August 14, 2021
Elton Jantjies 8: That kick-pass that set up Fassi’s try was sweet. He controlled the game like a boss. Goal-kicking was also solid.
Cobus Reinach 8: That try and the way he worked it was superb. Constantly looked threatening when he had a go. His kicking game was one of the highlights. Brought proper energy to the game.
Jasper Wiese 8: Huge, huge improvement from his first couple of outings in the Bok jersey. He carried hard and made big metres. Brought real impact in the physical exchanges and on the ground. Well-deserved Man of the Match.
Kwagga Smith 6: His transition to blindside flank was never going to be an easy one, but he took to it decently.
Siya Kolisi 8: Another strong performance by the captain. His game is on the up and up and the way he's leading the Boks at the moment sure is something.
Lood de Jager 7: Another strong performance by this man. The depth of the Bok locks is really something special.
Eben Etzebeth 7: He was a presence under the high ball again and got stuck in everywhere in typical Etzebeth fashion. The way he can go from doing his thing at the lineout to adding all these little touches, like competing in the air, makes him the quality player he is.
Wilco Louw 7: How about the way he casually held up that maul all by himself in the second quarter? Big performance from the big guy.
Joseph Dweba 7: Not much could be faulted about his debut. Two shaky lineout throws, but otherwise he was good. He carried very well and he was big on defence. He got involved everywhere.
Ox Nche 8: Another outstanding performance from the new Bok. Given what we’ve seen from his so far, we have every reason to be confident that the Bok front row will dominate for years to come.
IOL Sport