ANALYSIS | Warrick Gelant stood head and shoulders above the rest

With the competition still coming to terms with Japan’s shock win over Ireland, South Africa romped home 57-3 in the so called African Derby to get their Rugby World Cup (RWC) campaign belatedly off the ground here on Saturday.

We rate the players.

Warrick Gelant 7.5:

Was full of running in a game that was always going to suit his attacking instincts. Created two tries, including his own.

S’bu Nkosi 6:

The right wing didn’t see as much of the ball as he would’ve liked but enjoyed some good runs and was solid defensively.

Lukhanyo Am 7:

Tidy outing where his distribution and running skills were on show. Finished off the try of the match after the halftime hooter.

Frans Steyn 7.5:

A lot of intense, hard running that made metres. Was the main carrier into contact and broke the line several times. Showed some good pace when he found gaps.

Makazole Mapimpi 8:

Needed a confidence boost after a difficult match against the All Blacks last week and relished the space and time he had on the ball. Scored two tries.

Elton Jantjies 4:

Poor match riddled with errors off a solid platform any flyhalf in the world could only dream about. Didn’t do his prospects of featuring against Italy any good.

Herschel Jantjies 7:

Had a comfortable ride behind a dominant pack. Service was snappy and accurate but his kicking game was a little erratic.

Schalk Brits 7.5:

The skipper enjoyed being able to run and offload and he did it effectively. His offload for Am’s try was a beauty.

Kwagga Smith 5:

A virtually anonymous match from a man who should have relished the contest. Made one significant run in the loose but was otherwise unseen.

Francois Louw 7:

Did good breakdown work and was strong defensively. A solid workman-like performance.

Lood de Jager 8:

Was one player to advance his cause to start against Italy with a meaty display. His carries were strong, he won seven lineouts and made some big tackles.

RG Snyman 7.5:

Not far behind De Jager in terms of his display. Some big carries and one deft offload, as well as a good shift on defence.

Vincent Koch 7.5:

Thee tighthead buckled the Namibian scrum at almost every opportunity. Was immense in the set piece but a little quiet in the tight loose.

Bongi Mbonambi 7.5:

Scored two tries off the back of rolling mauls and was strong in the tight exchanges. Good on defence too.

Tendai Mtawarira 7:

A big part of the dominant scrum and was industrious close to the fringes when carrying into contact.

Standout reserve:

Siya Kolisi 7:

Made a positive impact when he entered the fray just before the hour mark. Ran good lines and hit contact hard. Scored a try too.