Player ratings: Kolisi and Bomb Squad shine against Scotland

Here's how the South Africa team performed in their 18-3 Rugby World Cup victory against Scotland in Marseille on Sunday.

15 Damian Willemse: Continued where he left off in the Boks’ win over the All Blacks at Twickenham with a fine all-round performance. Willemse was solid under the high ball and kept the Scottish defence on their toes with several strong runs from the back. Finished with 68 metres from eight runs with two defenders beaten. 8 out of 10

14 Kurt-Lee Arendse: Another one who came to the fore with a fine attacking display and he continued with his superb try-scoring record at international level as he scored a well-taken try early in the second half. Eventually gained 54 metres from five runs. 8

13 Jesse Kriel: He was lucky not to be sent off after a head clash while tackling Jack Dempsey in the opening half. Was solid on defence and attack during the rest of the match. 6

12 Damian De Allende: Kept the Scottish defence busy with some solid attacking runs and gained 70 metres from 14 carries. Also used as a battering ram which gave the Boks good attacking momentum but there were times when he had to offload to players in space when he opted to hold onto the ball instead. 7

11 Cheslin Kolbe: He did not cross the whitewash but like Willemse and Arendse he proved a real handful on attack as he tested Scotland’s defence with some fine runs. Finished with a match-high 115 metres gained from eight runs which included two clean breaks and four defenders beaten. 8

10 Manie Libbok: His goal-kicking woes returned as he missed two penalties and a conversion but he was excellent on attack. Produced a moment of magic with a no-look cross-field kick from which Arendse finished off before being replaced by Willie le Roux in the 69th minute. 7

9 Faf de Klerk: Made his 50th Test appearance and showed why he is the Boks’ first choice scrum-half with an excellent all-round display. Controlled the tempo of the game and did brilliantly with some clever offloads and box kicks. 8

8 Jasper Wiese: The Leicester Tiger took the fight to the Scots with several strong carries and gave his all during his stint on the field before being replaced by Duane Vermeulen on the hour-mark. Gained 38 metres from nine carries which included four defenders beaten. 7

7 Pieter-Steph du Toit: Showed why he was the World Rugby Player of the Year in 2019 as he made his mark with an industrious performance. Did well on attack and finished with 26 metres gained from six carries and was rewarded with a try for his efforts. Also did well on defence with seven tackles made. 8

6 Siya Kolisi (c): The Boks skipper continued his superb form since his remarkable return from injury. Led by example as he was a willing ball carrier and also caught the eye with excellent counter-rucking. Was solid on defence and won a crucial turnover before being replaced by Marco van Staden after 65 minutes. 9

5 Franco Mostert: Emptied the tank as a ball carrier without making much headway and did what was expected of him in the lineouts but his biggest contribution came on defence where he made a joint match-high 11 hits. 7

4 Eben Etzebeth: Forced off the field with a shoulder injury in the 26th minute and replaced by RG Snyman but he was in the thick of the action up to that point. His scrummaging power was missed, especially shortly after his departure when the Boks conceded two penalties at the set-piece. 7

3 Frans Malherbe: Had some good moments in the scrums during the early stages but battled in that department during the latter stages of the opening half. Was penalised on two occasions at the set-piece and eventually replaced by Trevor Nyakane in the 54th minute. 6

2 Malcolm Marx: The Bok hooker was solid in the execution of his core duties with his lineout throw-ins accurate throughout but did not make a big impact in other areas. 6

1 Steven Kitshoff: The Ulster-bound front-row was his usual solid self up front although he was caught out at a couple of scrums late in the first half and he was also penalised for a ruck infringement before being replaced by Ox Nche after 53 minutes. 6

Replacements: The much-vaunted Bomb Squad produced the goods yet again with a superb second-half performance which played a big part in this victory. The front-row replacements did the job with a strong collective effort in the scrums after half-time while there was also a strong cameo from Grant Williams in the game’s latter stages. 9

By David Skippers

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