Untouchable No More — Five Stars Who Flopped in Round Five of 2025 Rugby Championship

The All Blacks showed grit and composure to cling on for a 33-24 win in front of a roaring home crowd.

Elsewhere in round five, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu put on a masterclass for the Springboks, powering them to a commanding 67-30 triumph over Argentina in Durban.

Below, we break down five players who failed to make the grade this weekend.

Summary: O’Connor delivered a shaky and error-prone performance, earning low marks (4/10) from both Rugby Pass and Planet Rugby. While Planet Rugby acknowledged some positive contributions—particularly his role in sparking a late first-half comeback—his game was undermined by key mistakes, including failed kicks to touch and a restart kicked out on the full. Rugby Pass echoed this view, noting his uncharacteristic inconsistency and a critical overcooked kick-off, marking a far cry from his usual composed play.

Planet Rugby 4/10: " It feels harsh giving O’Connor a low score as there were plenty of nice moments and he was central to their response at the end of the first half, but key errors killed the visitors. Two kicks failed to reach touch from penalties while he also kicked out on the full from the restart."

Rugby Pass 4/10: "After a standout season for the Crusaders as the closer, O’Connor looked slightly shaky to start the Test match, with multiple wobbly kicks to touch. It was far from the cool, calm and collected performance that we are accustomed to by the experienced playmaker, and his 48th minute overcooked kick-off told you all you needed to know about the 35 year-old’s performance."

Summary: A frustrating afternoon for Proctor, whose discipline cost the All Blacks early momentum. Despite the forwards dominating early, his inability to maintain control under pressure meant penalties and missed opportunities. His defensive lapses and inconsistency around breakdowns left him vulnerable for a starting spot.

Rugby Pass 4/10: "A game that just didn’t go his way. Conceded three penalties in the first half. Was done a third time out wide on an attacking ruck on launch play out to Clarke. Unfortunately, two of these penalties led to Wallaby tries."

The Post 5/10: "Gave away a cheap early penalty for a tackle off the ball on Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and missed an important cleanout late in the first half. Starting place will now be under threat."

Planet Rugby 5/10: "This was a game where he could have shone, particularly given the forward dominance the All Blacks had in the first half, but he once again failed to set it alight."

Summary: Rugby star Kolbe had a mixed performance. Rugby Pass (6/10) noted a strong start overshadowed by a major error with a botched goal-line drop-out, leading to a largely quiet first half. He revived his impact in the second half with clever runs and near assists, but faded thereafter. Planet Rugby (5/10) criticized him for creating a bizarre try through a poor decision, though he redeemed himself somewhat by scoring later. Overall, his performance was inconsistent, marked by flashes of brilliance and costly mistakes.

Rugby Pass 6/10: "Seemed untouchable against the All Blacks, but crashed down back to Earth with maybe the biggest howler of his career with his botched goal-line drop-out (or bizarre way to pass the ball to his team-mate). That capped a first half where he was largely anonymous. Burst into the match early into the second half when he ran onto Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s perfect kick, and was on the end of another one later in the half, where he almost assisted a try for Canan Moodie with a grubber after taking the ball. That was his last intervention during a mixed hour on the field."

Planet Rugby 5/10: " Creator, in the wrong way, of one of the most bizarre tries you will ever see. It was deemed that he had taken a drop-kick after dotting down and Santiago Chocobares was aware to the opportunity to score. Kolbe made up for that by scoring in the second period, but he certainly won’t be making that mistake again"

Summary: Potter had a difficult start to the match, with both reviewers giving him 5/10. Planet Rugby described his opening as “utterly abysmal,” marked by errors, though his well-taken try steadied his performance before a late yellow card. Rugby Pass similarly noted early handling mistakes and defensive lapses, including a costly penalty, but highlighted a strong carry and his timely second try as positives in an otherwise inconsistent display.

Planet Rugby 5/10: "It was an utterly abysmal start from the wing, who made a few errors, but his try, which came from a nice line, seemed to settle him down and he was so much better after that, despite his late yellow card following a series of team indiscretions."

Rugby Pass 5/10: "It wasn’t an ideal first 38 minutes for Potter, making a couple of unforced handling errors in the opening twenty. Not only was Potter struggling to get hold of the ball, his discipline let him down on defence, giving away a penalty in the lead up to Cameron Roigard’s try. Had a nice carry in the middle of the field, before popping up at the right time just before the half, to score Australia’s second try."

Summary: Veteran hooker Montoya had a difficult outing in his 113th cap, with both lineout performance and tackling below expectations. He missed four of eight throws and failed to stop key attacks, including one that led to a try. While his leadership helped Argentina secure a second try, his overall display was seen as disappointing, especially compared to his strong Championship form earlier in the season.

Rugby 365 3/10: "Montoya’s 113th cap wasn’t a memorable one, as the veteran hooker failed to bring efficiency to the lineout, missing his jumper on four of eight throws. His tackling was also below par, missing several efforts, one of which led to Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s third try. His leadership at least guided Argentina to their second try, opting for a 5-metre lineout when he could have taken the points."

Planet Rugby 4/10: "Had been a tremendous asset in the Championship before this car-crash showing. There were first-half lineout inaccuracies, and he won’t like seeing a replay of the dummy he bought from the hat-trick completing Feinberg-Mngomezulu early in the second half."