Springbok player ratings: Who fired and who flopped
· The South African
The Springboks ground out a 17-10 victory against Argentina at Estadio José Amalfitani in Buenos Aires on Saturday, with several players making a return from injury.
Unfortunately, not only was the performance far from impressive, captain Siya Kolisi again pulled up with a hamstring strain, which could leave him on the sidelines once again.
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The Springboks do at least return to South Africa with another win under their belts, and lots of lessons learned, as they join up with the rest of their teammates in Johannesburg who have already turned their focus to Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.
Springbok player ratings against Argentina
Who Fired
Cameron Hanekom – 9/10
The standout player on the pitch. Produced a massive shift with 13 carries for 82 metres, made physical defensive hits, won a key breakdown penalty, and capped his performance with a second-half try from close range.
Ehtna Hooker 7/10
The young winger produced a composed performance, as he so often does, and he was one player who looked like he could make something happen at any time. Solid comeback.
Johan Grobbelaar 7/10
The burly hooker the most carries (16) and produced the sort of work ethic that will certainly please Rassie Erasmus and the coaches.
Who Flopped
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu – 4/10
A frustrating and subdued outing returning from injury. Struggled under pressure with his tactical kicking game, repeatedly failing to get length on his high balls and putting the side under defensive strain.
Eben Etzebeth – 5/10
Another player who looked rusty after returning from injury. Etzebeth didn’t have his usual impact, and conceded a needless penalty for jumping into a tackle.
Reflecting on the match, Erasmus said: “We’re not happy with the performance itself, but we’re happy with the character the players showed. A lot of the group haven’t played in a while, and we had a few younger players in this squad who brought real energy. So, we’re not saying we played well, but we’re very happy with how hard we ground this one out.
“The lesson is that knockout-level rugby is always close. Rugby World Cup pool games can sometimes be a bit more comfortable, but this is exactly the kind of match you learn from.
“Even if we had drawn tonight, we would have still learned a lot about grinding out a result with a crowd going wild, and Argentina were strong in those closing minutes. For us to stay calm through that, even without playing our best rugby, tells me we’re handling pressure a little better than before.”