Springboks player ratings: ‘No superlatives left’ for ‘ridiculously good’ Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu after incredible display

Following a 67-30 victory over Argentina in the Rugby Championship clash at Kings Park Stadium on Saturday, here are the player ratings for the Springboks.

15 Damian Willemse: Was at full-back against Argentina having started at centre in the All Blacks demolition, but he had fewer chances to stretch his legs. He was solid without being at his best. 6

14 Cheslin Kolbe: Creator, in the wrong way, of one of the most bizarre tries you will ever see. It was deemed that he had taken a drop-kick after dotting down and Santiago Chocobares was aware to the opportunity to score. Kolbe made up for that by scoring in the second period, but he certainly won’t be making that mistake again. 5

13 Canan Moodie: A slow start but he very much grew into the game and at the start of the second period it felt like Moodie was at the heart of a lot of things the springboks did well. It came without those breaks he’s become renowned for but his chasing and carrying game was excellent. 7

12 Damian de Allende: A solid showing from the centre who got better as the game went on, but he’s certainly had much better matches this year. 6

11 Ethan Hooker: It almost came off for him on a few occasions, especially when challenging in the air, but the ball agonisingly went free. A real talent where it just didn’t run for him until he set up a Pieter-Steph du Toit score. 6

No superlatives left

10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu: Ridiculously good in Durban. Was effectively the sole reason they were ahead at the break as he scored 20 of their 25 points, including two tries. Feinberg-Mngomezulu then completed his hat-trick in the second period and assisted Cheslin Kolbe with a stunning cross-field kick. By the hour mark we had run out of superlatives for this superb display. Perhaps not perfect due to the odd error but certainly not far off. 9

9 Cobus Reinach: Argentina tried to make the ruck as messy as possible and they did a decent job at times, but once the Springboks got their rhythm, Reinach grew into the game. His box-kicking was solid enough but he managed to give them tempo at key moments. 7

8 Jasper Wiese: Never stops charging into contact and his ability at close quarters enabled the Springboks to get on the front foot. It was a tireless display from the number eight, who kept sending Argentines into reverse on both sides of the ball. 8

7 Pieter-Steph du Toit: As ever, Du Toit’s engine was exceptional as he did the dirty work at close quarters, but this Tony Brown system also enables him to roam around the field and he is thriving as a result, ending the game with a brace. 9

6 Siya Kolisi (c): Some nice moments in the loose but ultimately it was about him doing his job in clearing out breakdowns and making a nuisance of himself on Argentine ball, which he did pretty well. 6

Ruling the air

5 Ruan Nortje: Rassie Erasmus likes to rotate but the Bulls lock has been a mainstay of the team since the second round of the Rugby championship Nortje’s set-piece work has sorted out their lineout issues, while he also pressurises the opposition in defence. 8

4 Eben Etzebeth: Denied a try due to a knock-on but was one of South Africa’s better forwards in the first half when the Boks weren’t quite at their best. Had some joy on Los Pumas’ lineout ball and was physical around the field. 7

3 Thomas du Toit: Not his best day as he felt the wrath of Angus Gardner’s whistle on a few occasions. Du Toit has otherwise been dominant in this competition so it was probably just one of those games. 5

2 Malcolm Marx: There were plenty of good things from the hooker and in the second half Marx was excellent, but his yellow card, which also resulted in a penalty try, could have proved costly. Thankfully, he made up for it after the break. 7

1 Boan Venter: Ox Nche’s deputy did a decent enough job in the set-piece, but the hosts didn’t get the dominance they usually attain. They unsurprisingly missed Nche in the set-piece. 5

Replacements: The bench did its job excellently in Durban, with the front-row getting set-piece dominance and RG Snyman producing some fine work in all facets. Behind the scrum, Morne van den Berg brought tempo while Andre Esterhuizen was physical and Manie Libbok built nicely from his stunning display against the All Blacks. 8