BBC Rugby Union: Weekend’s Top Performers Shine in Test Clashes
(BBC, 4 September 2022) – Another thrilling weekend of Test rugby has concluded, and we can now reveal our top players based on our player ratings. As our assessments only covered the Wallabies vs. Springboks and the All Blacks vs. Argentina matches, our top 10 performers will be drawn from those encounters.
Headlining the list is Argentina’s inspirational captain Pablo Matera, who earned a rare perfect 10/10 rating for his colossal effort in the win over the All Blacks. Matera delivered a monumental defensive display, excelled at the breakdown, and also made key contributions in attack. It was a true captain’s performance that underscored his status as one of the game’s premier back-row forwards.
“It was a true captain’s performance that underscored his status as one of the game’s premier back-row forwards.”
Joining Matera in the top echelon are several of his Argentina teammates:
- Centre Santiago Chocobares put in another outstanding shift, running for 30 meters, beating three defenders, and making a team-high 16 tackles.
- Flanker Marcos Kremer was a wrecking ball in defense, topping the tackle count for Los Pumas.
- Juan Martin Gonzalez also shone in the back row.
Veteran hooker Agustin Crevey made a match-winning impact off the bench, scoring a crucial late try and winning a crucial turnover to deny the All Blacks. The Springboks’ scrum also laid a dominant platform, with props Frans Malherbe and Ox Nche both earning 9/10 ratings for their scrummaging mastery.
In the Springboks backline, Jesse Kriel produced another world-class performance despite receiving a yellow card, while debutant flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu bounced back from an early missed kick to orchestrate some incisive attacks. Rounding out the top 10 is the ever-reliable Pieter-Steph du Toit, who seamlessly adapted to a new role in the second row.
These standout individual displays underscored the quality and intensity on show across the latest round of Rugby Championship fixtures. With the World Cup fast approaching, these leading performers have staked their claims for prominent roles on the global stage.
đź”— Source
