Springboks player ratings vs Scotland | Nations Championship 2026

Springboks player ratings: The blistering start from Rassie Erasmus’ men suggested this might be a long afternoon for Scotland as the Springboks surged into a 14-0 lead and had the visitors firmly on the ropes. Yet momentum swung back violently in the second quarter, with Scotland striking twice in quick succession to drag themselves level at 14-14 by half-time. As they so often do, however, the Boks found another gear after the break.

A deluge of second-half tries restored order and ultimately, despite a Scotland fightback, put the visitors to bed in Pretoria on a 42-28 scoreline.

15. Aphelele Fassi – 6
Put a grubber straight out on 28 minutes and you could see he was annoyed at himself immediately. It wasn’t a game packed with attacking touches for the full-back, but he recovered well enough and was generally decent under the high ball thereafter as Scotland kicked plenty of traffic his way.

14. Edwill van der Merwe – 5
Had a smattering of opportunities in the first half but found precious little room to work with. Scotland defended his channel well and he never really managed to play himself into the game.

13. Jesse Kriel – 7
Was busy defensively and worked hard without the ball, though five missed tackles tells its own story. Didn’t do a hell of a lot with ball in hand either in what was a fairly quiet afternoon by his standards until, that is, his late try came against the run of play for the veteran.

12. Damian Willemse – 8
South Africa’s Swiss Army Knife endured a mixed first hour. He slipped off a couple of tackles amid a frantic first half and was tasked with containing wave upon wave of Scottish attack. Kyle Steyn burned him on the outside as some defensive frailties crept into his game. Made amends in spectacular fashion, though. His superb 60th-minute score was the game’s standout moment, a stunning solo effort that he effectively created himself. After a slaloming break upfield, Willemse got back off the deck and went again before finishing a piece of individual brilliance that wrestled momentum firmly back towards the hosts.

11. Ethan Hooker – 5.5
Drafted into the starting side after Canan Moodie pulled out late, Hooker found opportunities hard to come by. He was guilty of conceding a first-half turnover and never quite managed to leave a significant imprint on the contest, but at least made some meterage off rare ball.

10. Handre Pollard – 7.5
Flattened by Euan Ashman just two minutes into the match. The veteran Bulls stand-off responded exactly as you’d expect, fielding a couple of awkward high balls like a boss and then steering South Africa around the park with his customary calmness. A reassuring presence before moving to 12.

9. Embrose Papier – 8
Back on familiar turf at Loftus and looking every bit the player who starred for the Bulls during the URC season. His first Test try on 16 minutes was a beauty, slicing clean through the Scottish defence to cap an electric opening from the hosts. There was a blemish when he drifted off Finn Russell in the build-up to Kyle Rowe’s try, but overall this was a lively and influential display from the scrum-half.

8. Evan Roos – 7.5
A big chance for the combative Roos to strengthen his grip on the No.8 jersey and he took plenty from the opportunity. Powered over for South Africa’s second try after a sequence of violent carries from the Bok pack and was never shy about getting stuck into the heavy traffic. A couple of moments of ill-discipline knocked the shine off his afternoon slightly, but there was plenty to like about his contribution.

7. Pieter-Steph du Toit – 7
The implacable back-row juggernaut captaining the side got off to a flying start by stuffing a Scottish lineout. For a spell it looked like full-on Terminator mode as he stomped around the pitch breaking things and generally making life miserable for Scottish ball-carriers. His influence maybe waned a bit as the contest developed, as Scotland fought their way back into the game.

6. Paul de Villiers – 6.5
Played a significant role in South Africa’s second try, producing a mazy run through the guts of the Scottish defence during the build-up to Roos’ score. Worked hard around the park and carried with intent. Will be disappointed to have been one of the two defenders brushed aside when Matt Fagerson forced his way over.

5. Ruan Nortje – 7
Disrupted Scottish possession effectively and pinched ball at an important stage on 28 minutes. Even if he was perhaps one of the less eye-catching members of the Bok back-five during the opening period, he still found ways to contribute. Produced one of the more memorable moments of the second half with a one-handed pick-up and break on 45 minutes before audaciously adding a cheeky chip ahead to complete the sequence.

4. Cobus Wiese – 5.5
A slightly erratic outing. Went off his feet at a ruck to hand Scotland a reprieve from a promising Bok attack and then compounded matters with another penalty from a maul offence minutes later. To his credit, he bounced back with a remarkable catch-and-charge moment in the lead-up to Roos’ try. Replaced relatively early by Ben-Jason Dixon.

3. Wilco Louw – 7
The mammoth 144kg tighthead immediately brought pressure to bear on Pierre Schoeman at scrum time. After initially monstering the Scottish front row, the contest became more competitive as the visitors adjusted. Even so, Louw finished on the right side of the ledger. He gave more than he took and helped establish the platform the Boks needed.

2. Johan Grobbelaar – 7
Sporting a plaster across his nose, the hooker got through a mountain of unseen work. His key contribution arrived on 25 minutes when he won a crucial turnover after clamping himself over the ball at the breakdown.

1. Boan Venter – 7.5
Enjoyed a familiar battle with Zander Fagerson, a rival he has crossed paths with plenty of times in the URC. While neither man had things entirely their own way, Venter generally held the upper hand. Produced one of the day’s highlight-reel moments by overhead pressing the 125kg Cobus Wiese in a lift that brought back memories of Tendai Mtawarira’s famous feats from more than a decade ago.

Replacements – 6.5
The bench produced the sort of impact South African supporters have come to expect. Zach Porthen impressed after entering the action and marked the occasion with his first Test try. Elrigh Louw crashed over on 58 minutes to put the Boks back in front, while Grant Williams injected genuine pace and energy when the game opened up, aswell as try-saving hit on Kyle Steyn who looked a sure thing to score in the corner. Ben-Jason Dixon made himself a nuisance at the breakdown but endured a mixed cameo, missing a tackle on Matt Fagerson’s try and collecting a yellow card for reckless head contact shortly after half-time. Quan Horn arrived on 45 minutes for Pollard, while Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Ntuthuko Mchunu and Vincent Tshituka all contributed as South Africa’s replacements gradually helped wrest control of the contest back from a stubborn Scottish side.