Five Springboks stood tall in Ellis Park shambles

The Springboks were awful at Ellis Park. Their 33-16 defeat against the All Blacks was built on poor decisions, flawed execution and a replacement strategy that weakened the Springboks rather than finishing off the All Blacks. But an awful collective performance does not mean every individual failed.

Jasper Wiese was colossal. Wilco Louw destroyed the All Blacks scrum. Paul de Villiers played with the authority of a veteran. Cheslin Kolbe provided class and accuracy every time he was involved, and Damian Willemse retained his composure while the confusion spread around him.

Five Springboks who stood tallest

Jasper Wiese – No 8

Jasper Wiese did not deserve to be on the losing side. He was the best Springbok and arguably the best player on the field. Wiese carried 17 times, almost twice as often as any other Bok, made 62 metres and beat four defenders. Every carry had violence, purpose and forward momentum. He also made six tackles, won South Africa’s first penalty at the breakdown and split the All Blacks with the cleanest Bok break of the second half. Wiese repeatedly created front-foot ball.

Wilco Louw – No 3

Wilco Louw’s job was to break the All Blacks scrum. He broke it. For 60 minutes, the Boks tighthead treated every engagement as a personal contest. He forced scrum penalties in the 26th and 46th minutes and made New Zealand’s starting front row look technically and physically outclassed. Louw gave South Africa the platform from which this Test should have been won.

Paul de Villiers – No 6

Paul de Villiers played his first Test against the All Blacks as if he had been doing it for years. In 61 minutes, the 23-year-old made a match-high 12 tackles, carried for 18 metres, beat a defender and attacked every breakdown with intent. This was not youthful promise dressed up as praise. It was a proper Test performance, built on work-rate, courage and accuracy.

Cheslin Kolbe – No 14

Cheslin Kolbe showed that his influence cannot be measured by possession alone. He had five touches and carried for 10 metres, yet beat two defenders, made five tackles and scored all 11 of his points in kicking four from four. His first run left All Blacks flanker Luke Jacobson grasping at air; his chasing turned kicks into contests, and his defence was as committed as his attack. Kolbe was the one Bok back who made something happen. He left after 58 minutes, just as South Africa unravelled. Without his urgency, accuracy and individual threat, the Boks became flatter, slower and utterly predictable.

Damian Willemse – No 15

Damian Willemse was among the few Springboks who remained composed while the performance around him disintegrated. New Zealand tested him in the air and he answered, securing the high ball, beating the first defender or freeing his hands for an offload. His return totalled 21 attack metres, one defender beaten, five passes and two tackles. But it was his assurance and composure that isn’t recorded in a statistic. He is currently the most complete fullback in Test rugby. He is in the top five as an inside centre, where he was forced to finish the match because of backline injuries.

*Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus will on Monday, 11.45 (SA time) name his match 23 to play the All Blacks in Cape Town on Saturday