The sensational Pieter-Steph du Toit spearheaded the charge as the Springboks romped to a 48-7 win over the Pumas in the Rugby Championship decider in Nelspruit on Saturday, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.
In their final home game of the season and Eben Etzebeth’s record 128th appearance, the Boks put on a show for their beloved fans, running in seven tries and conceding just one against an outclassed Argentinian side to win their fifth Rugby Championship crown and their first since 2019.
Our top three Springbok standouts were:
Pieter-Steph du Toit
No player has been more consistently colossal for the Boks this season than Du Toit, who turned up in a big way at Mbombela Stadium to help South Africa seal the deal in style.
A freak of nature, his motor is legendary and it took him all over the park at an unmatched pace and intensity for the full 80 minutes. One can argue that even among the game’s great ironmen, he stands alone as his generation’s best hybrid workhorse, who delivers time and time again.
Uber-physical, an athletic terror in the trams, a sledgehammer with ball in hand, tireless in defence (making a joint-team-high 10 tackles) and a safe pair of hands in the lineout, there’s nothing he can’t and didn’t do in Nelspruit.
That included a brace of tries, the first of which was an NFL-style dive over a pile of bodies and the second of which came in the 72nd minute, plus two turnovers, the first a crane-like steal in the 17th minute and the second in the 32nd minute.
“The Malmesbury Missile” never ceases to amaze and he was deservedly named Man of the Match.
Aphelele Fassi
Fassi continues to go from strength to strength in the Test arena, scoring a double and delivering in every department.
After his powerful run to bump off opposite number Santiago Carreras and rumble over for the opening try, he was off to the races. He scored his second through great support play and repaid Cheslin Kolbe with a spiralling try assist.
The in-form fullback beat four defenders, made two clean breaks and 85 metres from his nine carries and was dependable in defence, making all of his tackles and putting his body on the line in the air, taking a nasty spill on one occasion when he was taken out while securing the ball.
Cheslin Kolbe
One of the game’s great entertainers, Kolbe lit up the pitch and ignited the sold-out crowd with an electrifying performance.
Lightning-quick and super elusive, the fleet-footed phenom pierced the Pumas at every turn and had the visitors grabbing at air as he zigged and zagged like only, he can, beating a match-high seven defenders and making three clean breaks for 82 metres in nine carries.
The lethal livewire produced a truly incredible try assist for Fassi and scored a top-not try of his own, while his fundamentals were fantastic. He didn’t slip a tackle, chased hard and contested well in the air.
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