Split with Springboks Rassie Erasmus, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Cheslin Kolbe.
Following the conclusion of the Springboks’ international season, we rated every single player that Rassie Erasmus selected this year out of 10.
It was a successful year for South Africa with the Springboks ending their long wait for a first-ever full Rugby Championship trophy, having previously won a truncated version of the tournament in 2019 and the Tri Nations before Argentina joined the competition.
That came off the back of a hard-fought series draw with Ireland, losing the second Test match by a single point, while hammering Wales at Twickenham as well.
Erasmus’ men also lost just once during the Rugby Championship, defeating the All Blacks and Wallabies in back-to-back Tests, but a largely changed team fell to Los Pumas in Argentina by just one point before regrouping to hammer Felipe Contepomi’s team a week later and sealed the title.
That meant the Springboks departed north looking to go unbeaten in November for the first time since 2013 and Erasmus’ charges duly delivered, sweeping aside Scotland, England and Wales respectively to end the year as the top-ranked team on the planet.
Following a successful year for the Springboks in which they won 11 of their 13 Test matches, we rated each of the 50 players who pulled on the Green and Gold jumper out of 10.
Outside backs
Edwill van der Merwe: It’s a real shame that injuries hampered the Lions speedster’s involvement after a starring debut at Twickenham. The 28-year-old scored a stunning try against Wales in the opening game of the year and was named man of the match after initially being overlooked for the alignment camps. He surely would have played again had it not been for his injury, particularly when one considers how Erasmus rotated this year. There is more to come from the flyer. 7
Makazole Mapimpi: He is the epitome of form is temporary and class permanent. He continues to execute at an incredibly high level despite losing a touch of pace but was perhaps fortunate that there were injuries out wide during the year. A lethal finisher, he moved up to joint-third on the Springboks’ all-time leading scorers list after crossing for six tries in five Tests this year including a hat-trick against Portugal. Solid as ever. 7
Aphelele Fassi: After a two-year spell on the outers of the squad, the ‘Weekend Special’ returned to the international arena with a bang. His previous three caps all came on the wing but he nailed down the starting full-back role in key Tests against Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and England, racking up eight caps and four tries in 2024. Fassi started the year a possible bolter but by the end of it he was an out-and-out starter for the big Test matches and he produced fine performances in those games. 8
Kurt-Lee Arendse: Overshadowed by Cheslin Kolbe – more on him shortly – but Arendse is box-office in his own right and he proved as much again this year. He scored several memorable tries perhaps none more so than his solo effort against the Wallabies. Like Fassi, he had a few too many visits to the sin-bin but overall, another standout year where he scored five tries in nine Tests. 8
Cheslin Kolbe: Rightly nominated for World Rugby Player of the Year, falling short to Pieter-Steph du Toit. A generational talent who was on top of his game for the Springboks throughout the year. He once again showed that he is more than a hot-stepping, pace merchant with a few lineout throws, scrum feeds and drop-goal attempts. He ripped England to shreds at Twickenham and was brilliant defensively too. Almost gets full marks. 9
Willie le Roux: It’s clear that the Springboks great is nearing the end of his Test career as Erasmus looks to the future of the role, but when given a chance this year he has not disappointed. Still one of the best playmakers in the game, Le Roux put on a show at Murrayfield and was excellent in the first Test against Ireland before getting injured in the second. He still has a lot to offer the squad in terms of mentorship before reaching his 100-cap milestone. 7
Quan Horn: One of seven debutants against Portugal in what proved to be his only cap of the year. It was a mixed bag for the Lions star who scored his first international try but was also yellow-carded. His performances at club level suggest that he will earn more caps next year. 6
Canan Moodie: Injuries restricted him to just two caps this year – against New Zealand and Scotland – and he was frankly OK in the first but much better in the second. He did his job on defence in both games with little fuss but shone under the high ball at Murrayfield. 6
Centres
André Esterhuizen: A red card against Portugal in his second Test match of the year hampered his opportunities throughout 2024. He impressed against Wales in June and did so again against Scotland where he limited the influence of the brilliant Sione Tuipulotu. He needs a big year in Green and Gold in 2025 as he must replicate his brilliance at club level for the Springboks. 5
Jesse Kriel: Built on what as an excellent 2023. He was crucial defensively at the World Cup last year but looked even more liberated by Tony Brown’s attacking structures, running a beautiful attacking line and getting his hands on the ball far more often. Rightly named in the World Rugby Dream XV for his efforts. 8
Damian de Allende: Ask a Springbok who is the most underrated player in the squad and they will say the powerhouse inside centre. De Allende has long been the glue in the Bok backline and this year was no different. Many predicted that he would fall out of favour with the new emphasis on attack but no, he thrived as he showed off his wonderful passing game to go with his brutal edge in the contract areas including the breakdown. 8
Lukhanyo Am: There were flashes of the brilliance that he showed in 2019 and 2021 as he looked to be recapturing his world best form. However, he wasn’t consistent enough to force Kriel out of the starting XV. He did get a handful of opportunities at number 12 and continues to be a classy operator on defence. Solid without setting the world alight. 6
Fly-halves
Jordan Hendrikse: A cap in the Springboks’ first game of the year and the last as the versatile back joined his brother on the international stage. There were good signs that there is a Test-quality playmaker there but his two performances were filled with soft errors along with some great attacking and defence plays. A mixed bag overall. 5
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu: Injured stopped his involvement in the squad dead in its tracks just as he was building up a mighty head of steam. It was mind-blowing to witness just how cool, calm, collected and level-headed Feinberg-Mngomezulu was in his first foray into international rugby. He shone in every appearance he made which included matches against two of the three best teams in the world and at times, he dominated. The Springboks have a generational talent on their hands. 8
Handré Pollard: While Brown’s attacking system is asking more of the number 10s and perhaps doesn’t quite suit Pollard’s style, the Boks never looked more comfortable and confident than when the veteran was at the wheel. He almost single-handedly beat Ireland in the second Test with his accurate boot and had several strong cameos off the bench throughout the year. He was the insurance policy on the bench for Erasmus for most of the year and steered the side to victory on multiple occasions whether it was inspiring the comeback or holding onto their lead. Still has ice in his veins. 8
Manie Libbok: Unfortunately for Libbok his miskick against Los Pumas in Argentina will be the lasting memory for fans in 2024. It brought an end to a winning streak and denied the team a clean sweep of the Rugby Championship. That comes with the territory of being a placekicker and in that area of the game, Libbok was poor once again. He did have strong attacking and kicking out-of-hand performances against Argentina a week later and at Twickenham, and looked at times tailor-made to marshal the new attack. However, his inaccuracies off the tee and lack of consistency cost him. 6
Scrum-halves
Faf de Klerk: Put bluntly, it was not the finest year for De Klerk in the Springboks jersey. He came in rather cold after a spell on the sidelines in Japan and it showed in an uncharacteristic, inaccurate performance against Wales. And it didn’t get much better from there with an average shift in the first game against Ireland and a mare the following week. Injury cut his season there before he was overlooked for the November internationals. 3
Grant Williams: Started the year almost exclusively as an impact player for the Boks and ended it as arguably the team’s best scrum-half. He was electric in every single cap and finally got a shot in the starting number nine jersey against the All Blacks after scoring the match-winning try the week before. A game-breaking nightmare for any defence around the fringes, Williams’ box kicks and overall service was of the highest order in 2024. 8
Cobus Reinach: Solid is perhaps the perfect summation of Reinach’s year in Green and Gold. Whether he was coming off the bench or starting, he was accurate without being a world-beater. He had an off day along with many of his peers in Argentina but was otherwise a steady performer throughout 2024. 6
Morné van den Berg: A promising debut against Portugal was followed up with a mare in torrid conditions Down Under which really didn’t suit his style of play. It was a learning curve for the scrum-half fondly known as ‘Krappie’ (crab) who certainly impressed the coaches in training and is bound to be involved again. 5
Jaden Hendrikse: A standout in the victory over Argentina in Nelspruit after making his first appearance of 2024 a week prior. Hendrikse gets much-unjustified stick from supporters as the Boks’ breakdown struggles in Tests did not make his job any easier. Still, he had some great moments in the Bok jersey paired with some average ones. 6
Loose forwards
Kwagga Smith: Surpassed the 50 Test cap in a match where he wasn’t at his best but that was an outliner in an otherwise strong year from the versatile Boks who was a key cog in the Bomb Squad. 8
Pieter-Steph du Toit: Crowned the best player in the world in 2024 and it’s hard to argue against him claiming the gong after a hugely impressive year in Green and Gold after a stunning 2023. He was excellent in every single Test match he played in 2024 whether he started at lock or flank. He even led the side in the opening game of the year and during the latter stages of other Tests. A world-class player who is now one of the all-time greats of not only the Springboks jersey but in the history of the international game. A tackling machine last year, Du Toit has also shone in his new role in the wider parts of the pitch and took a bigger responsibility at lineout time. What a player and frankly deserves full marks. 10
Evan Roos: It could have been a real breakout year for Roos in the Green and Gold jersey but a selective surgery to sort a troublesome shoulder meant he played just two Tests – against Wales and Portugal. He was solid in both, making a memorable break at Twickenham. 6
Ben-Jason Dixon: A debut off the bench against Wales in London was followed up by four further Tests matches – three in the Rugby Championship – before he was overlooked for the November internationals. He was underwhelming in his shift against the All Blacks and got the shepherd’s hook in the first half but that should not take away from a promising start to his Test career. He has been likened to Pieter-Steph du Toit by the Bok coaches and it’s easy to see why. 6
Siya Kolisi: Not so fat, transparent and ineffective as Racing 92’s president will have you believe. Well at least not in the Springboks jersey. Much of his work goes unnoticed as he not only provides excellent clean ball at the breakdown but runs great dummy lines to open up gaps in the opposition’s defence. He did that all well this year and put in several top-drawer performances even with a facial fracture. 8
Marco van Staden: He fought hard to get his opportunities particularly when he was on the fringe with injury concerns in the pack. Still, he managed seven appearances including three starts. He didn’t quite knock the lights out as his nickname ‘Eskom’ suggests but he was just above average. 6
Phepsi Buthelezi: Another one of the players who debuted against Portugal but did not feature again. Tipped to fill Kolisi’s boots in the years to come, the Sharks back-rower did not disappoint on debut but will be disappointed he didn’t kick on. 6
Elrigh Louw: A sterling year for the Bulls’ tyro who was initially overlooked for the July internationals only to impress off the bench against Portugal and become a regular in the matchday squads throughout the Rugby Championship and November Tests, playing every single one of the Boks’ 10 Tests after missing the first three. Whether he featured off the bench or in the starting XV, he was immense with ball in hand and superbly defensively. He worked wonderfully in tandem with Smith in the Bomb Squad too. Arguably the Springbok whose stocks rose the most in 2024. 8
Ruan Venter: The 21-year-old is tipped for a bright, bright future in the Bok set-up but this was not his breakthrough year as he played just 22 minutes of international rugby, coming off the bench against Portugal. He impressed with ball in hand and made his tackles and there wasn’t too much else to take away from a solid enough start. 6
Jasper Wiese: He looked like a man possessed when he completed his suspension and was thrown into the thick of it against the All Blacks and had a blinder. With all the noise around Cameron Hanekom and Roos about filling Duane Vermeulen’s void, Wiese stamped his authority on the jumper with impressive shifts with his trademark powerhouse carries and brutal defence. 8
Cameron Hanekom: The newest Springbok and the 50th player to be selected by Erasmus this year, debuting in Cardiff against Wales. There was much hype around Hanekom throughout 2024 and while it was not a poor debut, he did not enjoy the box-office performance his raw talent promised. He was error-ridden and perhaps just nervous. 5
Locks
Eben Etzebeth: Another sensational year of international rugby in the bank for the now most capped Springboks player of all-time. Etzebeth hassled and hurried half-backs around the world throughout 2024 while also showing that he has the brains to go with the brawn with his incredible intellect at the lineouts and around the laws of the game. He is a true great of the game who shows no signs of slowing down and a deserved World Rugby Player of the Year nominee. 9
Franco Mostert Work rate personified. Mostert is the classic example of a team player and one who wears his heart on his sleeve. A true cliche, of course, and that’s not a bad thing. He played just five Tests this year – a low turnover for his standards – after breaking his leg in the second match against Ireland when he was in great form. He had an average outing against Scotland which is understandable considering he hadn’t played any rugby in nearly five months but bounced back to put in a man-of-the-match shift against Wales. 7
Salmaan Moerat: Questions marks still remain over the Stormers second-row as to whether he really does meet the high standards and pedigree of Springboks locks currently in the squad and those before him. Now a Springboks captain, the scrutiny will only intensify for Moerat who never really made a telling impact in his seven appearances this year which included three as captain. 4
RG Snyman: All-action, all of the time. A freakish athlete who showed off all the skills when fit for the Springboks. He worked tirelessly on both sides of the ball and added a real game-breaking threat with his ability to offload in contact even after powering through a tackle or two or even three. It’s a real shame that he missed the entirety of the Rugby Championship through injury but he certainly was a standout in his five appearances. 8
Ruan Nortjé: A close second to Louw in the Springbok whose stocks rose the most in 2024 as he was parachuted into the Rugby Championship squad to help solve and locking crisis. And to his credit, he did a rather fine job. A workaholic in the same form as Mostert, Nortje ran the lineout well on the whole after some early hiccups and earned a spot in the end-of-year tour before a training injury stalled his progress. He does seem a little underpowered for the Bok pack but made up for it in his work rate and is bound to be back and probably even better. 7
Hookers
Bongi Mbonambi: You know what you are getting from Mbonambi game in and game out: accurate set-pieces, strong defence, a wilful ball carrier, breakdown operator and a fierce competitor. In 2024, he ticked all those boxes. 7
Malcolm Marx: Quite surprisingly named in the World Rugby Dream XV in what was a quiet year by his usually high standards. Marx came into the international season with zero club rugby following his injury during the pool stages of last year’s World Cup and early on it showed as his lineout darts were not on point. His performances grew as the year went on and he was by no means poor. 7
Johan Grobbelaar: The Bulls hooker impressed when he made his long-awaited Test debut starting against Portugal. He backed that up with a solid outing against Australia but did not overly excite the coaches, who dropped him from the squad and only recalled him once Wessels sustained an injury before the November internationals. He put in a strong performance against Wales which will leave him feeling positive. 6
André-Hugo Venter: The last player to debut against Portugal but not feature again in 2024, the son of Andre Venter marked his first appearance in Green and Gold with a well-taken close-range try. It was a solid 22 minute cameo. 6
Props
Ox Nche: A strong contender for the World Rugby Player of the Year if props were actually considered. Nche was marvellous at scrum time throughout the season and thrived in the freedom of Brown’s attack. He got our vote for the best player in the world in 2024 and fittingly joins Pieter-Steph du Toit in getting full marks. 10
Vincent Koch: It speaks volumes to the prop’s quality and durability that he was selected in 12 of the Springboks’ 13 matches this year, a tally only Marx’s matches. Just one of Koch’s appearances was in the starting XV – his 50th cap – as he came just one shy of 50 caps from the replacements bench in the Boks’ last game. Like Smith and Elrigh Louw, he played a pivotal role in closing out or winning games in the last quarter and was hugely impressive when he shifted to loosehead prop and won a penalty against veteran tighthead Dan Cole at Twickenham. 8
Ntuthukho Mchunu: The loosehead prop likened to the great Tendai Mtawarira has found it difficult to break into the Springboks squad as he earned his second and third caps this year against Wales and Portugal respectively. Frankly, he was average in both games. 5
Frans Malherbe: After a strong start to the year anchoring the scrum against the likes of Wales, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand – Malherbe’s international season was ended through injury. Like Mbonambi, you know what to expect from the tighthead who is always strong in the scrums and a defensive leader in the team. 7
Gerhard Steenekamp: Springboks scrum-half coach Daan Human is a big fan of the Bulls loosehead prop and it’s easy to see why as Steenekamp laid down a marker in 2024 with several powerful performances where he dismantled some of the best scrums and tightheads in the. He was part of the scrum that demolished Ireland in July and continued that kind of form throughout the Rugby Championship and November Tests. 8
Jan-Hendrik Wessels: He played more Tests at prop than hooker but that kind of utility is incredibly rare in the modern game and so is his mobility and pace for such a unit. He impressed against Portugal and Australia at loosehead despite not dominating in the scrums in the latter Tests and had a decent brief cameo at hooker against Los Pumas. He too missed the end-of-year tour through injury but 2024 looked like a good start to what promises to be a long Test career. 6
Thomas du Toit: There isn’t a front-rower in the game right now that can switch between loosehead and tighthead as seamlessly and retain their dominance quite like Du Toit can. He hammered his Bath teammate Archie Griffin from the loosehead side of the scrum at Cardiff after impressing at tighthead all year for the Springboks. With Malherbe and Koch in the latter stages of their careers, the Boks know the prop jumper is in good hands with the Bath man going forward. 8
Trevor Nyakane: The beloved prop played just once for the Boks this year – off the bench against Portugal – as he looks to be one of the double World Cup winners who is being worked out of the team as fresh blood comes in. He was strong in that game and really did not do much wrong, with the Boks comfortably ahead when he entered proceedings. 6
Wilco Louw: After a three-year absence from the Springboks jersey, Louw marked his return in the starting XV against England and took his opportunity with both hands. He was excellent in the scrums and effective around the park and backed that performance up a week later with a mighty shift against Wales in tandem with Thomas du Toit. 8
Leave a Reply