Springbok player ratings vs All Blacks | 2nd Test Rugby's Greatest Rivalry 2026

South Africa kept their hopes of a Greatest Rugby Rivalry series win alive with a 33–26 win over the All Blacks at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town.

Coming out of the gates hot, the hosts hit the front inside two minutes when Jesse Kriel hit a sublime line off a Cobus Reinach pass.

Settling into the contest, the visitors would score next when Will Jordan left both of the Springbok centres clutching at his shadow before releasing Cam Roigard, who raced under the posts untouched.

Fixture

Internationals

South Africa

33 - 26

Full-time

New Zealand

All Stats and Data

This back-and-forth nature would continue throughout the first half, with Cheslin Kolbe landing a penalty before Damian de Allende powered over for his side’s second try. Damian McKenzie replied ten minutes later with a beautiful piece of wide play, only for Siya Kolisi to establish a double-digit lead for his side with three minutes remaining in the half.

Flexing their power game in the second half, the hosts bossed the gain line on both sides of the ball. This pressure was translated into points, namely from the boot of Cheslin Kolbe.

However, as has been the case in recent times, the hosts became complacent, allowing the All Blacks to close back within a score through a converted Ardie Savea try in the 77th minute to set up a grandstand finish.

Here is how the Springbok players fared as they levelled the series.

1. Gerhard Steenekamp – 5
One-third of Rassie’s ‘last-minute’ reshuffle, the Bulls loosehead was solid but far from the dominant presence of Ox Nche. On the whole, it was a quiet showing, but some may argue he did exactly what the Bok coaches required of him by softening up the All Blacks’ starters.

2. Deon Fourie – 6
Returning to the starting line-up in his second position of hooker, the Stormers back-row forward did exceptionally well under the circumstances. Hitting his markers at lineout time and carrying frequently, Fourie did exactly what Rassie would’ve hoped for. One moment he will rue, however, is a missed tackle on Ardie Savea which set the wheels in motion for Damian McKenzie’s try in the corner. Nonetheless, it was a good showing from the 39-year-old.

3. Thomas du Toit – 8
Solid at scrum time to go with his characteristic barn-storming carrying ability. The Sharks-bound tighthead brings a layer of dynamism to the Springbok pack that none of the other options currently offer. Remaining on the park when the other starters were plucked from the action in the 35th minute proved just how crucial he was to Rassie’s plan for the contest. Staying on the park until the 56th minute, du Toit made 13 tackles, four carries and won a lineout at the tail to go with his set-piece dominance.

4. Eben Etzebeth – 9
Contested hard at lineout time, with a big-time disruption in the 12th minute on his own five-metre line as the All Blacks were piling on the pressure. His hustle from the kick-off was massively influential, particularly following the All Blacks’ opening try, when he forced a knock-on. This allowed Cheslin Kolbe to restore the Bok lead. Moments later, his follow-up of Ethan Hooker’s slap back won the Boks another penalty. Keeping this pressure on all match, Etzebeth time and again stunted the All Blacks, winning timely lineouts and getting into the passing channels.

5. Ruan Nortje – 7
Nothing flashy, but ultra-effective from the Bulls lock, who did plenty of the unseen hard work that allowed his pack to edge the contest. Making 13 tackles, four carries, winning three lineouts and chasing box kicks ferociously made for an industrious outing.

6. Siya Kolisi (C) – 7
A true captain’s performance from the double World Cup winner. Setting the platform for the opening try with a direct carry off a maul. Getting through a mountain of work at the breakdown, the skipper would be rewarded with a try of his own, having run a peach of a line to split the All Blacks’ goal-line defence. Departing two minutes into the second half was a solid stint upon his return from injury.

7. Pieter-Steph du Toit – 7.5
Absolutely everywhere as usual, the centurion got through a ton of work, topping the tackle charts with 14, carrying six times, winning a lineout and hassling Cam Roigard at the breakdown.

8. Jasper Wiese – 4
Started shakily with another knock-on at the point of contact. Clearly identified as a danger man for his side, the powerhouse number eight was marked tightly by the All Blacks, rarely making any inroads. When he doesn’t make those yards, Wiese’s lack of ball-playing ability limits his side’s attacking prowess.

9. Cobus Reinach – 6
Scrappy at the breakdown and lineout, it wasn’t the vintage performance the veteran would’ve been hoping for a week on from a disappointing yellow card. Similarly, at the breakdown, he was half a step off the pace, getting caught with the ball in hand on a few occasions. When his pack gained ascendancy, his general play improved, but it still felt less accurate than we are accustomed to. One area that did fire well was his box-kicking, which hung perfectly for his chasers and routinely gave his side an entry into the contest when play slowed down. Additionally, his running threat around the breakdown was central to the build-up of his side’s three tries.

10. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu – 6
Days after reportedly being dropped for Handre Pollard, Feinberg-Mngomezulu rebounded well with a physical and mentally astute performance. From the boot, his ability to pin the All Blacks deep was crucial for the Boks to reset when play got a bit loose. Shifting to fullback for the second half due to Damian Willemse’s injury, he appeared freed from pressure with Manie Libbok leading the attack.

Whilst it was far from perfect, with a near charge-down try for Jordie Barrett and a couple of missed loop plays, it was certainly a step up from Ellis Park and showed the mental resilience of the young playmaker.

11. Ethan Hooker – 8.5
Dominated the aerial space, starting with a pinpoint take of a Cobus Reinach box kick. Defensively, the youngster was noticeably in the All Blacks’ faces with his exceptional timing and power. Using his versatility exceptionally well, Hooker went looking for work, often popping up in the midfield to make key yards. Whilst his future may lie in the centres, in the here and now, he has given the Bok selectors a real headache.

12. Damian de Allende – 7
Struggled a touch in the opening quarter, his first noticeable interaction was to miss a cover tackle on Will Jordan for the All Blacks’ opening score. Showing his quality to rebound, the centurion powered through three All Blacks to get the hosts’ second try on the board. When it was all said and done, de Allende had completed an astronomical 18 tackles and 10 carries to go with a line break and a couple of defenders beaten.

13. Jesse Kriel – 6.5
Powered over for the opening try inside two minutes, which was the perfect nerve-settler for his side. Slipping a tackle on Will Jordan in the build-up to Cam Roigard’s try will frustrate the normally watertight Kriel. This missed tackle would be one of his seven missed efforts in what was a disappointing return. Still, his 18 completed tackles are a significant return.

14. Cheslin Kolbe – 9
South Africa’s Duracell Bunny was at it again with an all-court performance. Outleaping All Blacks defenders time and again to win back possession for his side. His chase of Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s low cross-kick to drag Leroy Carter back to his own line was a momentum-swinging piece of play. This effort earned the hosts a penalty, which they duly turned into seven points. Continuing his fine form from the kicking tee, the winger kept his 100% series record intact and crucially got his side just out of reach.

15. Damian Willemse – 4
Did well with his positioning in the backfield to close down the All Blacks’ probing kicks. From hand, his kicking left a lot to be desired, seeming to catch the outside of his boot on a number of occasions. This lack of distance and accuracy piled the pressure on his side early in the contest. Picking up an unfortunate injury to close out the first half was a disappointing ending to his afternoon.

Replacements
16. Malcolm Marx – 8
Played his part in a shift towards South Africa’s scrum dominance when he entered the fray in the 35th minute. Putting in a huge hit to end the first half was a key moment, with Damian Willemse out of the line due to injury. In the second half, his breakdown presence and carrying game were too much to handle for the visitors.

17. Ox Nche – 7.5
Did exactly what you’d expect with his first scrum of the day as he utterly blitzed the All Blacks’ front row to win his side a penalty.

18. Wilco Louw – 7
Picked up where Thomas du Toit left off at scrum time and around the park with a few big-time carries into heavy traffic.

19. Lood de Jager – 3
Won a key penalty and conceded a key penalty. The veteran lock was shown yellow for a high shot on Leroy Carter. These two moments summed up what was a mixed-bag performance, with six tackles made, two missed and a single carry.

20. Andre Esterhuizen – 6
Replaced Siya Kolisi two minutes into the second half and brought a dynamic carrying edge to his side, in particular off lineout ball. Making 24 metres from his five carries was a good return, as were his eight tackles and crucial penalty-winning turnover.

21. Cameron Hanekom – 7
Came on for a 13-minute cameo and had a couple of nice carries, one of which had the potential to set up a try, only for a knock-on to occur in the subsequent play. His big-time turnover to close out the contest was perfectly timed and displayed his athleticism as he raced across the pitch to win the ball.

22. Morne van den Berg – 6
Got a nice run replacing Reinach in the 56th minute, the Lions scrum-half looked assured around what was a fierce breakdown contest. His box-kicking was generally good and his passing was solid, although he didn’t quite offer the running threat of Reinach.

23. Manie Libbok – 7
Calmly slotted in at the beginning of the second half, the veteran flyhalf brought a clear simplicity that was exactly what his side needed. Letting his forwards do the hard work before picking out gaps in the All Blacks’ defence, Libbok kept his side rolling beautifully. Away from his attacking flair, he put his head in the spokes time and again to chop down big All Blacks ball-carriers.