The Springboks suffered a 42-38 defeat to the Wallabies in Perth on Sunday, in a match that saw the Australian team lead 24-17 at halftime and 42-17 with 10 minutes remaining. Coach Rassie Erasmus made 13 changes to the starting XV from the side that beat the All Blacks in Baltimore two weekends ago. The significant changes appeared to disrupt the team's rhythm, as they struggled to keep pace with the Wallabies throughout the match.
The Wallabies' lead seemed insurmountable at one point, but the Springboks showed resilience in the dying minutes, scoring three converted tries to narrow the gap to 42-38. However, it was too little, too late, as the team ran out of time. The Springboks' performance was marred by errors, with fullback Aphelele Fassi having a particularly tough game, scoring a rating of 5 out of 10 for his error-strewn performance.
Despite the loss, some Springboks players showed promise, including Edwill van der Merwe, who scored a try and made some good tackles, earning a rating of 7 out of 10. Canan Moodie also had a mixed bag performance, making some big tackles and looking dangerous in space, but also losing a ball that led to a Wallabies try, resulting in a rating of 7 out of 10.
André Esterhuizen and Herschel Jantjies also had decent performances, with Esterhuizen making some big carries but missing a few tackles, and Jantjies playing nicely after a long absence but never really threatening around the fringes. Esterhuizen received a rating of 6 out of 10, while Jantjies scored 6 out of 10. Ethan Hooker and Handré Pollard were among the top performers, with Hooker chasing kicks and making big tackles, and Pollard pulling off crucial tackles and kicking well.
The Springboks' forwards had a tough time, with Marco van Staden and Franco Mostert not having their usual impact. Van Staden received a rating of 5 out of 10, while Mostert scored 5 out of 10. Eben Etzebeth was a constant presence in the lineouts, but didn't get much carrying done, earning a rating of 6 out of 10. Elrigh Louw and Paul de Villiers worked hard around the edges, but failed to make big yards, with Louw scoring 6 out of 10 and de Villiers receiving 7 out of 10.
The bench, dubbed the "bomb squad," initially failed to fire, but then made an impact, helping to narrow the gap in the dying minutes. Johan Grobbelaar scored a try after a good driving maul, while Jan-Hendrik Wessels held his own in the scrums. The bench received an average rating of 6 out of 10.
The loss will be a disappointment for the Springboks, but they will look to regroup and bounce back from this defeat. The team's performance will be analyzed and scrutinized, with coach Rassie Erasmus likely to review the team's strategy and player selection ahead of their next match.
Key points
- The Springboks made 13 changes to the starting XV from the side that beat the All Blacks in Baltimore two weekends ago.
- The Wallabies led 42-17 with 10 minutes remaining, but the Springboks scored three converted tries in the dying minutes to narrow the gap.
- Despite the loss, some Springboks players showed promise, including Edwill van der Merwe, Ethan Hooker, and Handré Pollard.
