The Springboks, playing with 12 men at one stage, put up a remarkable fight to clinch a 32-14 win over a spirited Italian side in Turin on Saturday.
They’ve done it again. The 14-man Springboks have just done it again.
For the second week in a row, the Springboks overcame a red-card setback to register a hard-fought win in hostile territory. Last week, Lood de Jager’s red spurred South Africa to victory against the French; this week they did the same against Italy after a contentious red to lock Franco Mostert in the 12th minute.
To make matters worse, the Springboks were down to 13 at one stage after Marco van Staden was given his marching orders with a yellow card for cynical foul.
And yet, despite all the obstacles, challenges and controversial officiating, Rassie Erasmus’ men job the job done in stunning fashion.
And throughout that drama-filled match, there were a few big individual performances that inspired the win.
So, who shone brightest in this chaotic – if madcap – encounter, you might wonder?
Well, here are some key player ratings based on today’s individual performances:
SPRINGBOK PLAYER RATINGS
All scores out of 10
DAMIAN WILLEMSE – 9
Got through a lot of work in both attack and defence. He nearly covered every blade of grass on that field in Turin. And it was exactly what a handicapped South Africa needed from him on the day.
CANAN MOODIE – 8
His hot-stepping performance would have come as no surprise to those who had followed his earlier years. It was on one such dazzling run, that he set up Grant Williams for the game-deciding try. Additionally, his aerial supremacy also went a long way in getting the Springboks on the front at crucial moments.
ANDRE ESTERHUIZEN – 7
Came on for Edwill van der Merwe in the 27th minute, a change which saw Ethan Hooker move from centre to wing, while Esterhuizen covered both the midfield and flank in the absence of subbed-off Ben-Jason Dixon. And amid all the chaos taking place, Esterhuizen – the evergreen hybrid – quietly enjoyed yet another blinding game in his dual role.
Italy – 15 Ange Capuozzo, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex (captain), 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Stephen Varney, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Ross Vintcent, 5 Andrea Zambonin, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 3 Marco Riccioni, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Danilo Fischetti.
Subs: 16 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Simone Ferrari, 19 Federico Ruzza, 20 Riccardo Favretto, 21 David Odiase, 22 Martin Page-Relo, 23 Tommaso Allan.
South Africa – 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Ethan Hooker, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Marco van Staden, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Zachary Porthen, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Boan Venter.
Subs: 16 Gerhard Steenekamp, 17 Wilco Louw, 18 RG Snyman, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 Andre Esterhuizen, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok.
