The Springboks delivered when it mattered most, responding to the Ellis Park disaster with a 33-26 victory that leveled the Greatest Rivalry series and restored pride to South African rugby.

But which individuals stood tallest when the pressure mounted? Who delivered the performances that made the difference between victory and defeat?

Also read: Boks back on top of world rankings after Cape Town win

Here’s how we rated the Springboks in their crucial second Test triumph over the All Blacks at Cape Town Stadium.

The front row foundation

Gerhard Steenekamp – 6.5
Left the field in the 36th minute after doing the donkey work that doesn’t show on highlight reels but wins Test matches in the trenches. Solid without being spectacular.

Deon Fourie – 7
Also departed after 36 minutes, but made those minutes count. Good lineout work, busy throughout, constantly hunting for involvement. Can be satisfied with his contribution before the Bomb Squad replacements arrived.

Thomas du Toit – 7
Thomas the Tank lived up to his nickname. Solid scrummaging, played the full 80 minutes, and delivered a proper power display that set the tone for South African forward dominance.

The engine room excellence

Eben Etzebeth – 8
One of his better performances in a long time, and that’s saying something for a player who’s been world-class for years. Played extremely hard, aggressive on attack, and crucially disrupted All Black lineouts throughout. When Eben hits this level, the Springboks become a different beast entirely.

Ruan Nortjé – 7
Played his heart out doing the unglamorous work that wins tight Test matches. Nothing flashy, just relentless effort – throwing his body around and fulfilling his role with absolute commitment. You can’t ask for more from your second lock.

The loose forward firepower

Siya Kolisi – 8
Impressive doesn’t do it justice. Scored a crucial try in the 38th minute, led from the front with the kind of inspiring performance captains deliver when their teams need them most. Replaced in the 42nd minute, but his 40 minutes carried more impact than most players manage in 80. Can feel more than satisfied.

Pieter-Steph du Toit (c) – 7
His love for the Springbok jersey shows in every single match, and Cape Town was no different. Excellent on attack and defence, doing all the dirty work that allows others to shine. You couldn’t ask for more from PSDT – he gave everything, as always.

Jasper Wiese – 7.5
At his current level, this man has no equal. Gives absolutely everything on attack and defence, making hard yards when they’re hardest to find and putting his body on the line in every collision. A powerhouse performance.

The halfback axis

Cobus Reinach – 7.5
Excellent match from the scrumhalf. Cleared the ball quickly behind the pack, good on attack and defence, and crucially his tactical kicking was right on the money. Controlled tempo brilliantly and made smart decisions under pressure.

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu – 7
Noticeably better than at Ellis Park, which was the minimum requirement after his rusty first outing. A brilliant tackle stopped a certain try in the 11th minute, showcasing defensive commitment to match his attacking skills. The improvement Rassie needed to see.

The back three brilliance

Ethan Hooker – 7.5
Brilliant under the high ball, more than impressive with ball in hand, and consistently gained ground when it mattered. An assured performance that suggests he belongs at this level.

Cheslin Kolbe – 8 (Player of the Match)
The official recognition was richly deserved. Remained a constant headache for the All Black defence with ball in hand, kicked accurately at goal maintaining his perfect record across two Tests, and was busy throughout. When Kolbe is on song, defenders have nightmares.

Damian Willemse – 7
Produced an excellent tackle at half-time that prevented points. A relatively quiet match by his standards, but did his job with minimal fuss. Sometimes the best fullback performances are the ones where nothing goes wrong.

The midfield muscle

Damian de Allende – 7.5
Thoroughly deserved his 22nd-minute try after running strongly with the ball and consistently getting over the advantage line. Picked up an injury at half-time after an excellent tackle, but his contribution in the opening 40 was crucial.

Jesse Kriel – 7.5
Scored that crucial second-minute try that set the tone. More than just a try-scorer though – the backline’s class captain who organised brilliantly and kept the Springbok defensive lines in place throughout. Leadership without the armband.

The Bomb Squad impact

Malcolm Marx – 8
Forced two turnovers that shifted momentum at crucial moments and caused constant headaches for the All Black defence. Marx is a powerhouse who delivers exactly the kind of impact the Bomb Squad concept was designed to provide.

Ox Nché – 7
Like a can of bully beef – packed with meat. That means scrums won, runs made, and tackles completed. The scrum dominance in the second half owed plenty to Ox’s arrival.

Wilco Louw – 6.5
A relatively quiet match in the second half. Did his job without standing out, which sometimes is all that’s required from a replacement prop.

Also read: Clinical Springboks hold off All Blacks surge to level series

Lood de Jager – 6
Replaced Nortjé but delivered an average performance that was marred by a yellow card in the dying minutes. Not his finest hour in a Springbok jersey.

André Esterhuizen – 6.5
Replaced Kolisi at flank in a positional shift. Ran like a runaway train with the ball when given opportunities, though didn’t see massive amounts of possession to showcase his carrying threat.

Cameron Hanekom – 6.5
Didn’t get many opportunities in the second half to showcase his talents, though his crucial turnover steal in the dying seconds sealed victory and will be remembered long after the rating is forgotten.

Morné van den Berg – 6.5
Not as effective or as much of a nuisance as Reinach, but maintained standards when called upon. Solid without being spectacular.

Manie Libbok – 6.5
Replaced Willemse at fullback. Made quite a few tackles and did his defensive duties diligently. Didn’t get much chance to show his attacking prowess, but did what was required.

*AI was used to improve this article