Hooker makes his mark as Springboks claim victory

The Springboks went 2-1 up after winning a pulsating Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test at the FNB Stadium by 29-24 after the scores were tied 12-12 at the break.

It was the Boks’ first win over the All Blacks at the Calabash in their third encounter, in front of a massive crowd of 85,976.

The Sll Blacks started well and Ardie Savea’s converted try gave them a 7-0 lead after 10 minutes.

The Boks, playing with a stiff breeze in their backs, hit back with a great Kurt-Lee Arendse try 10 minutes later, but Savea added his second to give NZ a 12-5 lead after 25.

The last say of the half belonged to the Bok scrum, who won a penalty try to level the scores four minutes before the break.

Both teams’ flyhalves were sent to the sin bin for cynical offences, while Savea and Cheslin Kolbe left the field with injuries in a tough first half.

The second half belonged the Boks though. Will Jordan scored, but the hosts hit back through Jesse Kriel and Malcolm Marx before Samisoni Taukei’aho scored a consolation try for NZ.

KEY SPRINGBOKS PLAYER RATINGS

Ethan Hooker 9/10

A dominant performance from the young winger who was outstanding on defence and under the high ball. Even when Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse are both fit, it will be difficult to see how he can be left out. What a special moment for the talented 23-year-old.

Pieter-Steph du Toit 8/10

As always, Du Toit was omnipresent throughout this crucial encounter, making a host of covering tackles and never putting a foot wrong in general play. He is the Springboks’ Mr Reliable.

Damian de Allende 8/10

DDA reached 100 Test caps last weekend, and he demonstrated his enduring class once again at FNB Stadium. De Allende won’t steal many headlines, but he is deserving of due credit for another impressive all-round performance.

Wilco Louw 7/10

The Springboks were dominant at scrum time, and while the whole front row deserves plenty of credit, Louw was super impressive on the tighthead side. After all the talk about the scrum battle, the Springboks – and Louw – silenced any critics on Saturday.

Morne van den Berg 7/10

The replacement scrumhalf was outstanding when he came on in the second half, making a series of crucial tackles that served as a stark reminder of why Rassie Erasmus is such a fan of the reliable 28-year-old, who never looked daunted by this big occasion.

Scorers:

Springboks 29 (12) – Tries: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Penalty try, Jesse Kriel, Malcolm Marx. Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2). Penalty goal: Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

All Blacks 24 (12) – Tries: Ardie Savea (2), Will Jordan, Samisoni Taukei’aho. Conversions: Ruben Love, Damian McKenzie.