The Springboks outclassed Japan 61-7 at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday, launching their end-of-year tour superbly.
With France, Italy, Ireland and Wales awaiting the world champions, South Africa knew a confident, winning start was absolutely essential.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu orchestrated playmaking duties superbly as the Springboks ran in nine tries during a dominant, utterly one-sided performance.
The Springboks combined power, structure and finesse, mixing physical dominance with flair to deliver a composed yet thrilling display before a neutral crowd.
All things considered, here are some key player ratings based on today’s individual performances:
WHO FIRED TODAY?
Malcolm Marx 8/10 – Led the physical onslaught from the start, imposing himself upfront and defending tirelessly. His return to peak form is a huge boost for Rassie Erasmus.
Jasper Wiese 7/10 – Like Marx, he exploited the physical mismatch superbly. His tireless work off the ball helped the Springboks tighten their grip as the game progressed.
Zachary Porthen 7/10 – A standout on debut, solid in every aspect of play. Raw but eager, he threw himself fully into every contest.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 8/10 – The Springboks’ leading man right now. He produced two moments of brilliance, contesting a high ball and then later hitting a gap to score a brace, while creating tries with clever kicks. His rise continues.
Ethan Hooker 7/10 – Instrumental in winning the aerial battle. For someone still new to Test rugby, his composure and impact were outstanding.
Honourable mentions: RG Snyman, André Esterhuizen and Kurt-Lee Arendse were outstanding. Snyman and Esterhuizen dominated the collisions and carried with real purpose throughout their time on the field. Arendse grew into the game and finished with a flourish, producing key turnovers and two well-taken tries to cap a strong performance.
TEAMS: SPRINGBOKS VS JAPAN
SPRINGBOKS – 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Ethan Hooker, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Zachary Porthen, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche.
Bench: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 André Esterhuizen, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok.
JAPAN – 15 Yoshitaka Yazaki, 14 Kippei Ishida, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Charlie Lawrence, 11 Tomoki Osada, 10 Seungsin Lee, 9 Shinobu Fujiwara, 8 Michael Leitch, 7 Kanji Shimokawa, 6 Ben Gunter, 5 Warner Dearns (c), 4 Jack Cornelsen, 3 Shuhei Takeuchi, 2 Kenji Sato, 1 Kenta Kobayashi.
Bench: 16 Shodai Hirao, 17 Ryosuke Iwaihara, 18 Keijiro Tamefusa, 19 Tyler Paul, 20 Faulua Makisi, 21 Kenta Fukuda, 22 Sam Greene, 23 Tiennan Costley.
