Springbok player ratings: Moodie, Marx, Malherbe man up in All Blacks mauling

The Springboks were ultimately far too good for an ill-disciplined All Blacks side on Friday, with South Africa roaring to a record-breaking 28-point victory that will see them move to the top of the world rankings.

Below, we rank some of the top Bok performers.

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THESE WERE THE SPRINGBOKS’ STANDOUT STARS

Frans Malherbe 8/10

The big man was feasting at scrum time, and he was feasting on Ethan de Groote. The All-Black front ranker had no answer to Malherbe’s scrummaging prowess, which set the platform for the Springboks to dominate territory, possession and, ultimately, the game. Malherbe was also no slouch around the park in open play, making several tackles and a few strong carries.

Andre Esterhuizen 8/10

Damian de Allende, are you watching? This performance from Esterhuizen should serve as a wake-up call to the veteran Springbok inside centre that his place in the starting XV is not as clear-cut as it used to be. Esterhuizen was simply immense in that midfield against New Zealand. He was rock solid in defence and made a couple of of line-breaks throughout the heart of the All Blacks defensive line to get the Springboks on the front foot. Don’t be surprised if he usurps De Allende in South Africa’s starting XV.

Franco Mostert 7/10

You see what happens when Mostert plays lock and not flank?! Excellence, second-row excellence. It wasn’t too long ago that there were talks of Mostert possibly missing out on a spot in the World Cup squad due to his poor form so far this season. But those sub-par displays came when he was inexplicably picked to do a job at blindside flank. It was a failed experiment, and judging by Mostert’s return to lock, it was one the coaches knew they had to accept and let go. In this game, Mostert was the chief disruptor of the All Blacks lineout and reminded everyone of the value he adds to the Springboks’ cause as a lock.

Duane Vermeulen 7/10

He may be one of the elder statesmen in the Springbok set-up, but Duane Vermeulen was exceptional once again. He led the Springboks’ charge with a couple of turnovers at the breakdown with inch-perfect execution. There’s a reason he fended off several comers for his No 8 jersey, and this performance was it.

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Malcolm Marx 7/10

What more can be said or written about Marx that hasn’t been said or written before? The hooker produced another aggressive and physically dominant effort. Marx was one of the Springboks’ try-scorers, dotting down just after half-time to underline his remark display before he was hooked and replaced by Bongi Mbonambi.

Canan Moodie 7/10

Magical Moodie. Monstrous Moodie. Moodie is the maestro. Take your pick or add your own. The kid was simply amazing. A lot was said about his selection at outside centre, with many sceptics doubting whether he had it in him to stand his man against the most established and accomplished All Blacks midfielders. Well, Moodie did more than that. He outplayed and completely overshadowed them. He bamboozled the All Blacks defence to score what would have been one of the great tries in this fixture, but it was cancelled as Moodie was deemed to have been offside in the lead-up.

Honourable mentions: Pieter-Steph du Toit, who was the ultimate work horse yet again; Damian Willemse, who had the All Blacks defenders on strings with his hot-stepping from the back. Manie Libbok for his perfect kicking display off the tee, and Kurt-Lee Arendse for another sprightly and energetic shift, which saw him bag an 11th try in just his 10th Test.

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HERE IS HOW THE TEAMS LINED UP:

Springboks – 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Subs: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Jean Kleyn, 20 RG Snyman, 21 Marco van Staden, 22 Cobus Reinach, 23 Kwagga Smith.

All Blacks – 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Mark Telea, 10 Richie Mounga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane (c), 6 Luke Jacobson, 5 Scott Barrett, 4 Sam Whitelock, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Ethan de Groot.
Subs: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Tamaiti Williams, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Josh Lord, 20 Tupou Vaai, 21 Dalton Papali’i, 22 Cam Roigard, 23 Anton Leinert-Brown.