Following the Springboks’ 32-17 victory over France in their Autumn Nations Series clash, here’s our winners and losers from an absorbing Test at the Stade de France.
Winners
Cobus Reinach
Like a fine wine, the 35-year-old Reinach is getting better with age. Such control at the base for South Africa, his kicking game and option taking was top drawer, and he iced his showing with a stunning individual try that silenced the home supporters. That snipe, chip and regather was breathtaking as he played an absolute blinder.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
He is forming quite the partnership with Reinach and the pair were outstanding in white on Saturday. Feinberg-Mngomezulu has been labelled a generational talent in the past and it’s clear to see he is a special, special player. The fly-half was named Player of the Match as he caused France all kinds of problems and added a late try to put the seal on a wonderful performance.
Jasper Wiese
It was expected that he would go the full 80 minutes and so it proved as the tireless Wiese was a rock all game. His carries cause so much damage as France discovered, while the number eight also put it about defensively in a classic Wiese showing. The 30-year-old is fast becoming one of the first names on Rassie Erasmus’ team sheet.
Pieter-Steph du Toit
Alongside Wiese was the former World Rugby Player of the Year, who once again put in an impressive performance in the back-row. It’s rare he scores lower than 7/10 in our ratings and it was an 8 for Du Toit on Saturday. Carried and tackled fiercely was also solid in the lineout, the flanker never lets the Boks down on the big stage.
Malcolm Marx
It’s not often that starting hookers feature for more than an hour but Marx went for a whopping 77 minutes in Paris, such was his form on the field. He was a rock in the set-piece and made his presence felt in all departments, with South Africa’s number two jersey now very much his own and rightly so. Still just 31 years of age.
Anthony Jelonch
One of the few positives from this French performance, Jelonch was such a force around the field as he put his sizeable frame to good use at the Stade de France. His power in contact is a sight to behold and he was incredibly unfortunate to finish on the losing side. While France fell apart in the second period, he kept his form.
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Thomas Ramos
Just a quality player in all departments. He was accurate off the kicking tee, as is his wont, and also set up both of Damian Penaud’s tries, with the first assist something out of nothing. Can hold his head high.
Springbok coaches
The backroom team can be mightily proud of their work and how their players upped their game in tough circumstances. The timing of the replacements in terms of knowing when to change and when not – case in point Marx – played a key role in the result while the calmness and confidence of the team on and off the field was impressive.
Losers
Lood de Jager
Will have breathed a huge sigh of relief as he watched his team-mates produce a stunning second-half performance to seal victory. This after the giant lock was shown red by referee Angus Gardner for a head shot on Ramos on the stroke of half-time. He had actually had a strong start to the match but that red sees him make this list.
Fabien Galthie
Will be hugely frustrated in how his team botched a golden opportunity to exact revenge for that World Cup quarter-final loss. Playing against 14 men for the second half, one expected France to run out winners, but it went pear-shaped after the break. He went early with his substitutions and one wonders if that was the right move.
France player ratings: Fabien Galthie and superstar back make ‘costly’ errors as Les Bleus ‘blown away’ by Springboks
French bench
Speaking of which it was a second 40 to forget for the Les Bleus bench as they failed to have the required impact on proceedings, with the 14 Boks ultimately growing in stature as the game wore on. Maxime Lucu, Jean-Baptiste Gros, Dorian Aldegheri, Romain Taofifenua, Hugo Auradou, Oscar Jegou and Nicolas Depoortere all struggled.
Damian Willemse
Not his strongest shift for South Africa by any means as he cut a dejected figure when he was replaced on 56 minutes. Some uncharacteristic errors from the full-back.
Louis Bielle-Biarrey
A costly yellow card from the flying wing on 62 minutes as he had no chance of claiming the ball as the Springboks looked to go wide. He missed a crucial stage of the final quarter and South Africa would make France pay as they scored two tries. Bielle-Biarrey did show flashes of his quality at times but ultimately it was a bad night.
Romain Ntamack
While he was not alone in struggling to put the Boks to the sword, Ntamack will no doubt shoulder a fair amount of the criticism for how France did not go through the gears. Perhaps it is credit to South Africa’s defence who suffocated Ntamack and co. but it was a forgetful evening as he came off second best to Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
READ MORE: France v Springboks: Five takeaways as South Africa ‘banish any doubt’ about World Cup win with ‘seismic statement’
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