7 Springboks Who Shone Against Australia

The Springboks’ emphatic 24-8 win over the Wallabies in Sydney was just the exclamation that the South Africans needed after falling to New Zealand in Johannesburg and Australia in Adelaide, with some performances that lacked the lustre of what Jacques Nienaber’s men are quite clearly capable of.

Within the fantastic team effort were some great individual performances too, and we thought we’d highlight some of the Springboks that made the biggest impact throughout the game.

Damian Willemse

With an unexpected but familiar shift to flyhalf, Damian Willemse thrived with more time on the ball against Australia. His distribution was accurate and quick, and he often floated behind or alongside his passes to pick up a second touch or scoop up a loose ball. His footwork and attacking mindset made him one of the trickiest players to mark and forced some tighter defence by the Wallabies, which gave the outside backs more room to strike. South Africa’s flyhalf channel has been needing a threat-level increase, and Willemse definitely provides that.

Siya Kolisi

While Kolisi is often praised for his 2019 World Cup efforts and debut, the Sydney battle was one of the captain’s best performances to date. Not only was he physical, but he also carried well, made dominating tackles, fetched excellently, and was looking to play and keep the ball alive a few times, one of which resulted in Mostert’s try.

Franco Mostert

Mostert showed exactly why he is so highly regarded. While he may not be the flashiest player around, the work ethic Mostert showcases is second-to-none; and while he racked up some serious tackle numbers, he finally got a try for all his efforts, finishing off a great move on the right wing thanks to some slick passing. Mostert was also relentlessly disruptive during the Australian lineouts and solid when Springboks had the throw-in too.

Eben Etzebeth

Eben Etzebeth was a menace throughout the entire game and seems back to his usual best. After delivering the initial offload that resulted in Damian de Allende’s try, he was ruthless on defence and pivotal in all set-piece plays from the Springboks. While many may joke about the intensity during his scuffle with Allan Ala’alatoa, the truth is that he demonstrated controlled aggression throughout the game to dominate the Wallabies when it mattered.

Jasper Wiese

Jasper Wiese was easily the Springboks’ best ball-carrier, and gave South Africa 2 or 3 metres over the advantage line every time he took the ball into contact. He also worked hard at the breakdown and was a nuisance on defence, not giving Australia any room to breath when he was in range of a tackle.

Willie le Roux

It’s evident that Le Roux’s opportunity to start again at fullback didn’t go to waste. He was dynamic on attack, joining the line at the perfect moments, elusive for defenders, and excellent with his positioning to field all of Australia’s downfield kicks. His incessant talking, direction, and communication to his teammates is invaluable, and Le Roux’s combination with the wingers and Willemse at No. 10 looks to be in a very cohesive space at the moment.

Canan Moodie

If there was any doubt whether Canan Moodie was the real deal or not, that notion has been extinguished. The 19-year-old Bulls star had an incredible debut, and one which bagged him a try after a spectacular kick-chase, clean take, and pace following a Jordan Hendrikse kick. If South Africa can cultivate a tall and agile winger like Moodie to chase and get his timing right, the box-kick will once again become one of the best-attacking weapons in the Springboks’ arsenal.