South Africa player ratings vs England
What a wonderful day in the life of the Rainbow Nation, their third World Cup triumph and a fully deserved one at that as they outmuscled England 32-12 in Yokohama.
Attempting to become the first team to collect the trophy having lost a match en route to the final, Rassie Erasmus’ players were collectively excellent in how they set about shredding the favouritism foisted on England in the wake of their semi-final demolition of New Zealand.
They were brutally combative in the tight, mostly pulverising the England scrum dented by Kyle Sinckler’s concussion-enforced departure and also benefiting from a lack of crispness surrounding the opposition’s passing.
The claustrophobic Boks were ahead on 10 minutes and were only ever pegged back level twice – for three and five-minute spells in a first half that ended with them 12-6 ahead despite the double injury blow that resulted in the early departures of forwards Lood de Jager and Mbongeni Mbonambi.
It was in the minutes approaching the hour when the result was further shaped. Instead of England closing to within three points after Handre Pollard was penalised for holding on, Owen Farrell blipped with his kick off the tee and then could only watch in anguish as Pollard had the accuracy just minutes later down the other end to stretch the margin to nine.
(Continue reading below…)
England did quickly get three points back, but that was the last shot they fired as South Africa, a team much criticised for its narrow, kick-heavy style of play, pounced for result-defining tries from wingers Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe.
In the end, No England player could begrudge South Africa their 20-point winning margin. They looked the dominant side nearly the whole way through the final. Here’s how RugbyPass rated the Springboks:
15. Willie Le Roux – 6
Starting with a poor pass to Kolbe and a knock-on when clobbered by Sam Underhill. However, those nerves were misleading as he largely played with a confident swagger. His awareness of space was personified in the key moments after England missed a penalty kick to close to 15-12. His excellent tactical kick forced England to concede huge territory and from the lineout restart came the penalty for 18-9. Departed on 68 minutes for Frans Steyn knowing the result was in the bag.
14. Cheslin Kolbe – 6
His contribution was restricted as the action tended to take place elsewhere. Showed fabulous hands to grasp an early poor pass from le Roux off his toes and soon put in a brave tackle on the sprinting Jonny May. It was his hands on the floor at a ruck that enabled England to pull level on 23 minutes. He then featured very little as the ball didn’t come down his channel for long periods. However, he stayed alert and was rewarded with the counter-attacking try on 74 minutes when he duped Farrell and was too quick for Billy Vunipola.
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13. Lukhanyo Am – 6
A soft knock-on on halfway on 28 minutes was the sort of error that could have eaten away on the mind of a weaker mind, but he didn’t blink. Demonstrated a lovely directness on the ball, his break approaching the interval highlighting his threat as the ensuing kick forced a knock-on from Elliot Daly. It was his assist that then gave Mapimpi the run-in for the all-important first try.
12. Damian de Allende – 7
He was his backline’s most consistent performer throughout the tournament and he capped it with another positive display in the final. Help shut down the English ball-carrying threat while also being direct in the carry, making many hard yards in his 54 metres off a dozen runs.
11. Makazole Mapimpi – 6
His tally coming into the game of nine international tries in nine matches in 2019 became ten in ten when he provided the final’s key score, racing over on 64 minutes having kicked ahead and then collecting a pass from Am. Earlier, it had been his carry that led to the incident where Sinckler wound up concussed by Maro Itoje in friendly fire. Was generally busier than Kolbe and his aerial skills were repeatedly witnessed with some excellent catches.
Too soon for player ratings?
– @alexshawsport rates the England players after a hugely disappointing night in Yokohama for Eddie's men#RWCFinal #ENGvSA #ENGvRSA #englandrugbyhttps://t.co/6AOUPYcTEN
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 2, 2019
10. Handre Pollard – 8
Very curious how much criticism he was forced to endure throughout the tournament. He was on the money here in the final, giving his dominant pack every go-forward and richly rewarding them with his accuracy off the kicking tee in turning penalties into inspiring points. A kick and catch on six minutes suggested this would be his day and he went on from there, executing so many actions perfectly and clocking up his team’s most metres in the carry by the interval. Was at fault for the no-release penalty that could have allowed England get to within three points in the second half, but he quickly bounced back with composure to ensure the win was comprehensively closed out.
9. Faf de Klerk – 7
Missed a number of tackles but that shortcoming wasn’t going to blot his copy in a contest where he clearly eclipsed the unsettled Ben Youngs. All the usual de Klerk features were evident but he also showed he was ready to do that and more by quickly tapping and going from a penalty awarded on four minutes. It showed the Boks wouldn’t be predictable and pedestrian as they have been accused of. Played for 77 minutes.
1. Tendai Mtawarira – 8
There were tackles and a couple of fleeting carries, but it was all about the scrum for ‘The Beast’. With the match restarting at the set-piece after Sinckler’s third-minute exit, he rocked replacement Dan Cole to win the penalty that grabbed the momentum and ensured the Boks scrum was dominant in a count where it won five penalties to England’s one. Departed on 44 minutes and Steven Kitshoff arrived on to help win a penalty at the restarting scrum. The sub loosehead went on to impress to earn a similar 8/10 rating.
Will you accept this rose, Eddie? #ENGvRSA #RWC2019 #RWCFinal pic.twitter.com/71wDswPTkE
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 2, 2019
2. Mbongeni Mbonambi – 5
Had shown energy in the tackle and accuracy at the lineout, but he didn’t last long as a bang to head when tackling Billy Vunipola prematurely ended his game. Malcolm Marx, though, was a more than adequate replacement. He may have conceded the in from the side penalty that allowed England get the score to 18-12, but his tackle count reached double digits and his presence clearing out at the breakdown was invaluable in his 7/10 effort.
3. Frans Malherbe – 7
It was his first-minute carry led to Pollard’s first shot at the posts and although that kick was missed, it set in train the pattern that was early South African dominance. Will have been pleased with the 17th-minute scrum penalty forced from Mako Vunipola and with his tackling as his count had reached ten before he gave way on 44 minutes for Vincent Koch who contributed a similar 7/10 performance.
4. Eben Etzebeth – 8
Was everything South Africa would have wanted him to be, a spoiling nuisance whose annoying presence gradually ratcheted up the frustrations of an England pack that failed to come anyway close to the reaching the tempo of their win over New Zealand. Needed treatment for his shoulder on 28 minutes but ploughed on to be his team’s top tackler by the interval. Showed he can have soft hands too, off-loading one-handedly on 56 minutes before he gave way four minutes later to RG Snyman.
A strange first half #RWC2019 #rsavseng pic.twitter.com/s9Uxc4hcEd
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 2, 2019
5. Lood de Jager – 5
A shoulder injury suffered on 22 minutes when tackling Billy Vunipola ended his final early but similar to Mbonambi’s departure, de Jager’s exit didn’t hinder the Boks in the slightest. His replacement Franco Mostert may have look ponderous on the ball but he got through a ton of work without it and he was his team’s top tackler with 16, three more than next-best Etzebeth for an 8/10 rating.
6. Siya Kolisi – 7
The stars aligned in Yokohama for Kolisi, who became the first black man to lift the World Cup for South Africa. He will never get man of the match awards for what he does on the pitch. Ugly, selfless work at the breakdown doesn’t catch the eye in the same way as other rugby aspects do, but he was a man on a mission and his energetic leadership helped keep the Boks focused on their job. Lasted 64 minutes in what was his 50th cap, Francois Louw coming on.
7. Pieter-Steph Du Toit – 7
It was his error, gathering a fumble by Pollard in an offside position, that put an end to South Africa’s early dominance. He was also hit hard by Underhill on 28 minutes, but he gave that and more back to the England players in a performance where his second-half was better than his first. A menace in slowing down England ball, he forced one crucial turnover in his 22 with the score stood at 15-6.
8. Duane Vermeulen – 8
The player England simply had no answer for. It was his presence over ball that resulted in Farrell conceding the penalty that gave South Africa their early lead and his imperious performance built from there. There was one smashing turnover after the eclipsed Billy Vunipola had fastened onto loose ball from a Pollard spill, and he finished the first half with a healthy 35-metre total in the carry. Continued in the same way in the second half, stifling England’s ruck at every turn, and he deservedly earned the official man of the match award.
WATCH: World Rugby’s highlights package as South Africa beat England in the World Cup final
Comments on RugbyPass
Why is this dude getting so much coverage? Usually knobs like this get cancelled.
2 Go to commentsWow. What was that? A 3 million word meandering article about what exactly?
1 Go to commentsNice piece of writing. And yes the Sharks pulled a rabbit from the hat and were a little lucky with that penalty try that wasn’t given… however the Sharks (with their resources) should be way more consistent and should be putting teams like Claremont away for breakfast. I expect more from them and hope they kick on now.
8 Go to commentsJust what the Sharks needed to get things going in the right direction Defence on the outside really creates havoc for the whole team and needs to be addressed.
8 Go to commentsWell done guys both teams will be ready to play knockout rugby.
1 Go to commentsSurprised that Ramos isn't starting at 15. But what a squad of galacticos!
2 Go to commentsWhy is it a snub? What journalistic garbage is that? Sure the guy is a great player, but there are plenty of loose forwards and not all of them can be Springboks. Also, I know of no-one who doubts Rassie’s judgment. South Africa has a conveyor belt of loose forwards that just keeps producing, so the competition is intense. I certainly wish him well, but there is no entitlement and there is no snub.
17 Go to commentsSkelton may be brought back for the Wallabies so that would be the only reason that may hinder Wilson. Easily the form, most skilful and game IQ of any Oz 8. Valentini’s best and favourite position is 6, but lineouts may be an issue with Skelton, Valentini and Wilson. Will be interesting what Schmidt goes for but for me Wilson should be picked on form. Schmidt rewards work rate, skill and consistency. All that glitters every so often won’t be in contention. Greely is one of those players that has a knack of making the right decision. A coach is going to love him because he knows week in week out he’s going to get the job done. The second try Greely wasn’t the guy who made the initial break it was Flook, Greely was at the bottom of the ruck when Flook was off along the sideline. Greely got up and made the effort to catch up with play but also read the play nicely and hit the pass from Campbell at pace and then held the pass beautifully to Ryan.
6 Go to commentsSpot on Ben. Dead right. Havili looked great at 10. Easily the highest rugby IQ of any NZ player these days. Getting a kick charged down is a result of getting used to adjusting your depth to the line at 10, which he will sort out with time. But other than that it was an outstanding first effort in that position this year. I think the NZ media has misunderstood this directive from Razor. Havili might rank behind B Barrett this year, but Beuden is 33 this month and won't last much longer. DMaC is great but flaky and not really a test match animal (his efforts in Dunedin versus Aus last year for example). If Razor can't have Mounga, DMaC is too unstructured for Razor (and is just too small for test rugby). Havili will end up our first choice first five, and in partnership with Jodie will be excellent. Two triple threat operators in tandem, and big bodies and tough tacklers to boot. Jordoe will be the ABs goal kicker. I am an Aucklander and Blues (and Warriors) fan, but Havili at 10 is going to be sensational in time… he can be the best first five in the world by the end of this year. No question.
6 Go to commentsSharks deserved to be far further back by the last quarter. Their tackling was awful, their set pieces were disappointing, their defensive organization was poor (especially on the Kok side of the D line), they kept making unnecessary errors, and they never looked like cracking the Clermont defense during those first 60m. Masuku kept them in touch, with some help from the Clermont generosity on penalty opportunities. Agree with the writer of this article. It was belligerence, and ability to raise their pressure game just enough, that turned the last quarter into a Bok-style shutout. Clermont have a reputation of not playing the full 80m, and there was a bit of that for sure. But, quite often when the intensity of a team drops off in the last quarter credit is due to the opponent for tiring them out. At 60m, with the Kok try, you thought that just maybe the game was on. At 70m, with the Mapimpi contribution, one felt that Clermont were fading, while facing a team that would maintain the pressure game through the final whistle. Good win in the end, but the Sharks are still playing way below their potential. And with their resources, and a coach that has had enough time to figure things out, they are running out of excuses.
8 Go to commentsGood riddance
1 Go to commentswel the crusaders were beaten by a queensland reds side that hadnt beaten them at home since 1999 and queensland reds partied like it was 1999
6 Go to commentsHard to disagree with the 5 points - with the exception that Wilson should be a squad member but, depending on the other loose forward selections, is not yet a shoo-in. McReight is. Aussie is looking a lot better this year and JS has some selection options. Also, Havili’s tendency to get caught, charged down is also a liability at times but he seemed focused (mostly) and is definitely a consideration for utility back-up. Still feel Reihana is a better prospect at 1st five for Saders.
6 Go to commentsYeah nah, still not sure on Havili tbh. Even though I’m a Crusaders fan through and through I’d be stunned if Razor considers him after seeing some of the stunning talent coming through up North.
6 Go to commentsThink it was a great defensive performance by Northampton. They didn't have stage fright in the first half, the Nienaber defense smothered them. They limited Leinster to 15-3 in the first half. It could have been over by then. A great try from Leinster in the start of the second half looked to have sealed it. But Byrne missed another conversion. Northampton started trying little kicks behind the Leinster wingers. Leinster messed one and Smith brilliantly made the conversion. Leinster decided to tighten the game after Byrne missed a straight forward penalty. A few errors got NH into the 22 and they scored and converted with a few minutes left. Another brilliant steal from Lawes saw NH have a final attack which was turned over by Conan. A classic semi final. World record attendance of 82,300. Leinsters 3 week preparation warranted for this one.
1 Go to commentsJust came back from the game and the atmosphere was amazing. Players stayed afterwards for more than a hour to sign stuff and take photos with fans. Great day out.
8 Go to commentsA great game. The Sharks without Etsebeth are a shadow of the team compared to when he plays. The limitations of Some of the expensive Sharks players are being exposed. Credit to Clermont for some exhilaration play at times.
8 Go to comments100% Mr Owens. But who would want to be a referee.? It must be the most difficult job on earth.
1 Go to commentsStarts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
8 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
8 Go to comments