The 9's:
Jesse Kriel: Simply outstanding. He slotted in seamlessly after Lukhanyo Am’s injury and was a linchpin in the Boks’ world class defence. He is finally getting the plaudits his game deserves. 9
Handre Pollard: A heroic return to the squad after initially being left out. He was brought back for his goal-kicking and did not disappoint, nailing all 13 of his attempts. He may have been a bit shaky on defence, but his tactical kicking was on point, and he dragged the Boks over the line in the semi-final against England and scored all of South Africa’s points in the final a week later. 9
Pieter-Steph du Toit: A truly sensational tournament from the ever-present workhorse blindside flanker, who reminded the world of his world-class status. He will go down as one of the greatest Bok flankers, and rightly so. He produced a masterclass in tackling against New Zealand in the final and played at his usual high standard in the pool stages and knockouts. 9
Kwagga Smith: An outrageously good campaign from the Springboks’ ‘battle stats king’. He topped the turnover count in the tournament with 10, despite starting just once at the World Cup. He came alive in the knockout games, winning match-defining moments for his side, including three turnovers in the final and a match-winning penalty against France. 9
Eben Etzebeth: Produced an absolute blinder against France when South Africa needed it the most. He was similarly excellent against Scotland and Ireland and again in the final. He was one of the side’s best, as he led the charge in all facets of the game. 9
Deon Fourie: Picked as a flanker and emergency hooker for the tournament, the veteran answered the SOS in the front-row more often than he would have expected. He filled the role well and, in the final, had one of his career-best games after replacing Bongi Mbonambi early on. He was superb at the breakdown, made an unbelievable carry that led to Snyman’s try against England, and made a tremendous 20 tackles in the final. 9
Agree 100%...the 6 players who put a bit more into the team...was surprized about Jesse...not a fan, but he stepped up big time.