All Blacks player ratings vs Springboks: The Rugby Championship

Saturday, 06 September 2025 at 09:57

byHarry Tovey

All Blacks player ratings vs Springboks: New Zealand returned to winning ways, extending their Eden Park streak against their fiercest rivals

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The All Blacks finally broke their two-year drought against the Springboks, edging them 24-17 at Eden Park in Round Three of the Rugby Championship on Saturday.

Scott Robertson’s men crossed the whitewash three times to the visitors’ two in yet another fierce battle between the rugby heavyweights.

The victory stretches New Zealand’s unbeaten streak at Eden Park to 51 games, leaving the Boks still chasing their first win at the fortress since 1937.

Scroll down for All Blacks player ratings vs Springboks.

All Blacks: 24

Tries: Narawa (1'), Jordan (16'), Tupaea(68')
Cons: Barrett (2'), McKenzie (17'69')
Pens: McKenzie (50')

Springboks: 17

Tries: Marx (61'), Reinach (75')
Cons: Mngomezulu (62'), Feinberg-Mngomezulu (76')
Pens: Pollard (22')

All Blacks player ratings vs Springboks:

15. Will Jordan: 7

Finished brilliantly after timing his run and linked up well with Wallace Sititi. Great work rate around the park, but ultimately didn’t do enough for a higher score.

14. Emoni Narawa: N/A

Despite scoring almost instantly to the delight of a raucous Eden Park crowd, he was replaced moments later after a collision in the air with Handre Pollard.

13. Billy Proctor: 6

Despite a brilliant kick in behind which led to the hosts’ first score, there wasn’t much else to write about for the outside centre. No real surprise when Jordie Barrett returned from his head injury assessment (HIA) to replace him.

12. Jordie Barrett: 6

Wasn’t the best performance from the inside centre. From the boot, he missed a makeable kick early with kicking duties handed over to Damian McKenzie. However, he did a lot of work in defence and was one of the standouts in the backline in that regard.

11. Rieko Ioane: 5

Really quiet performance, didn’t make much of an impact on the game as you’d expect from one of the more experienced players in the All Blacks starting XV.

10. Beauden Barrett: 7

His infield kicking was incredibly instrumental in guiding his side into an early lead, which proved crucial. Perfectly timed kick for Narawa to score and then a great 50/22 which led to the All Blacks’ second.

9. Finlay Christie: 6

Great at keeping his side’s attack going at a pace which at times the Springboks were unable to handle. Christie was also excellent at ensuring his defenders were in place, so the visitors were unable to find a breakthrough, and his kicking game was strong.

1.⁠ ⁠Ethan de Groot- 7

The loosehead was great value in defence making a a total of seven tackles in the opening 40 minutes, with a noticeable hit being made on Eben Etzebeth. Prior to halftime he won his side a scrum penalty but was replaced at halftime by Tamaiti Williams.

2. Codie Taylor – 6

Fired his arrows straight and was a great asset in defence; however, his evening was cut short as he went off for a HIA just after the 30-minute mark. Samisoni Taukei’aho replaced him and continued the excellent work at hooker.

3. Fletcher Newell – 6

Got the upper hand around the scrum prior to the interval, but overall, it wasn’t a set piece that the hosts could use as a catalyst to build from in attack, with both Ox Nche and Thomas du Toit finding a lot of success.

Newell was replaced early in the second half by Tyrel Lomax.

4. Scott Barrett – 7

Like his counterpart in the second row, Barrett was a great asset to his side. He caused significant damage when defending and maintained excellent positioning at lineouts, where he helped turn the ball over.

5. Tupou Vaa’i – 7

A complete nuisance at lineouts and around the breakdown, regaining possession for his side and adding pressure on the visitors. Arguably the best forward on the pitch for both sides, he provided great value throughout.

6. Simon Parker – 8

Delivered a strong performance in his first outing as an All Black in New Zealand. His work rate, especially around the breakdown, was impressive, setting a high standard for his teammates.

7. Ardie Savea – 8

For a 100th international appearance, expectations are high, and unlike his back-row teammates, it was a somewhat disappointing performance early on. He started making an impact in the second half, though it needed to happen more frequently in the opening 40 minutes. Crucially, he secured one last turnover that helped his side win the game.

8. Wallace Sititi – 7

Produced a brilliant pass inside to Jordan and was strong with ball in hand. By halftime, he led the carries charts with seven. He was taken off at 45 minutes for a HIA but returned 13 minutes later.