Afrigather The Springboks surged to a 48-7 bonus-point win to clinch the Rugby Championship title in beautiful style in Nelspruit on Saturday.
Needing only one log level to safe a primary Rugby Championship title since 2019, the Springboks did a lot for than that to verify to carry the trophy residence.
From the outset, the hosts had been relentless of their pursuit of a victory, and for all their speak of taking the sport to the Springboks, Argentina merely had no reply for the South African onslaught.
Rassie Erasmus’ fired up fees in the end outscored the guests seven tries to 1 to not solely avenge their defeat on this fixture per week in the past, however to be topped the undisputed champions of the 2024 Rugby Championship.
With that in thoughts, listed below are some key participant rankings for the Springboks based mostly on their excellent particular person contributions.
SUPER SPRINGBOKS SHINE
Aphelele Fassi flays Los Pumas — 9/10
Fassi epitomises all that’s good about this Springbok workforce and its present crop of gamers. He was launched from the squad by Rassie Erasmus not so way back to go work on and enhance sure points of his sport. As soon as again on the Sharks, he accomplished his homework precisely as ordered by Erasmus and shortly he was recalled into the workforce.
Now he’s not solely simply a part of the squad, however Fassi is the Springboks’ major fullback and it’s trying increasingly like he has made that his No 15 jersey forward of Willie le Roux.
On this sport, he inserted himself because the Springboks’ second playmaker and bar his wonderful distribution in that position, Fassi scored two good first-half tries. Merely excellent.
Libbok shuts up the naysayers — 8/10
All through this whole week, Manie Libbok was crucified for his match-losing penalty miss towards Los Pumas in Argentina, with many followers calling for his relegation from the match-day squad.
However Rassie Erasmus refused to buck to the surface noise and went on to pick Libbok because the Springboks’ beginning playmaker with Handre Pollard on the bench.
Libbok was relieved of the place-kicking duties although, with that accountability falling to scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse. And it was a masterstroke by Erasmus, with Libbok masterfully orchestrating the Springbok assault with the type of finesse and tactically kicking expertise only a few gamers within the workforce possess.
Ox Nche chows the Los Pumas scrum — 9/10
The massive man not solely anchored that Springbok scrum, he feasted on the opposition at that exact set-piece, a lot in order that Argentina’s Joel Sclavi was walked backwards each time, thus conceding quite a few penalties.
What additionally units Ox aside is his distinctive work fee within the unfastened. He’s trademark carrying sport and his tireless work on the breakdown had been additionally ever current once more in the present day.
Pieter-Steph du Toit doing Pieter-Steph du Toit issues — 9/10
We’ve grow to be to accustomed to Du Toit producing one monumental shift after one other, that what he does generally goes amiss, particularly when his much less constant teammates carry out properly.
Industrious and bodily, Du Toit did the laborious yards once more in the present day within the collisions and when he did roam within the wider channels, he was like a predator stalking its prey.
Creating a number of mismatch positions when operating immediately at any and all opponents in his line of imaginative and prescient, the powerhouse again row was rewarded with two grand tries to cap off one other good show by him.
Because it stands, Pieter-Steph du Toit is the entrance runner for each the SA Rugby Participant of the Yr and World Participant of the Yr awards.
WHO WOULD YOU CROWN AS MAN OF THE MATCH?
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