The Springboks' tour to Australia ended in defeat on Sunday, as the team fell 42-38 to the Wallabies in Perth. The match was expected to be a challenging encounter for the weary South Africans, but few predicted the significant disparity in performance between the starting fringe players and the experienced replacements. The Australians appeared hungrier and more energetic, while the Springboks looked flat and struggled to mount a comeback.
Aphelele Fassi, who started at fullback, had a difficult game, earning a rating of 3. A silly forward pass to Ethan Hooker led to a try for Australia, while Fassi's inability to catch an aerial bomb resulted in another score for the hosts. He also dropped a pass that could have led to a promising backline move. In contrast, Edwill van der Merwe, who played on the wing, scored his seventh try in eight Tests and nearly added another with an acrobatic effort.
Canan Moodie, playing at outside centre, had an excellent game, earning a rating of 8. His defensive reading of the Wallabies' attack was impressive, and he made several strong runs. Andre Esterhuizen, who played at inside centre, had a solid game, scoring 6.5 out of 10. He made a superb long pass that set up Van der Merwe's try and showed some softer passing touches.
Handre Pollard, the Springboks' fly-half, had a good game, scoring 7.5 out of 10. He missed an early touch finder but was imperious with his goalkicking and showed good game management. Herschel Jantjies, the scrum-half, also scored 7.5, impressing with his crisp passing. However, Marco van Staden, who started at number 8, struggled, earning a rating of 5.5.
Paul de Villiers, who played at flank forward, was one of the standout performers for the Springboks, scoring 8 out of 10. He picked up where he left off in his previous appearance, winning turnover penalties and showing impressive loose forward play. Eben Etzebeth, the veteran lock, also had a polished performance, earning a rating of 8. He was dominant in the lineouts and mauls.
The Springboks' replacements made a significant impact, with Malcolm Marx, Ox Nche, and Wilco Louw all impressing. Marx, who is considered the world's best player, helped change the flow of the game, while Nche had a massive scrumming impact and made some big ball carries. Louw destroyed his opposite number when he came on.
The loss was a disappointing end to the Springboks' tour, but there were some positives to take forward. Morne van den Berg, who replaced Jantjies at scrum-half, showed what a classic scrum-half he is and is now likely to be the team's first choice. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu also looked lively from the moment he came on, earning his best performance of the year.
Key points
- The Springboks struggled with their starting fringe players, but their replacements made a significant impact.
- Paul de Villiers was one of the standout performers for the Springboks, impressing with his loose forward play.
- The Springboks' failure at fullback, particularly from Aphelele Fassi, was a significant factor in their defeat.
