With Erasmus rotating through 44 players across the three Nations Championship Tests against England, Scotland and Wales, meaningful individual assessment is tricky — but Jan de Koning digs into the stats to identify the standout performers. Only Du Toit and Kriel played all 240 minutes, with Du Toit logging 13 carries against England at lock before shifting to flank, finishing the series with 34 tackles, 13 lineouts and consistent ruck work across the campaign. Paul de Villiers emerges as a genuine find — 33 carries for 94 metres in 199 minutes, top ball-carrier against both Scotland and Wales, plus 31 tackles and turnover work that suggests he's seized his opportunity emphatically. The third pick is Salmaan Wiese, who didn't feature against England but made a strong impression off the bench in the final two Tests — 12 carries for 78 metres, three linebreaks and two offloads pointing to a forceful second-row option Erasmus will want to keep in the frame.
Du Toit, De Villiers and Wiese headline Bok July player ratings
De Koning sifts the stats from a heavily rotated July series to identify Du Toit, Paul de Villiers and Wiese as the Boks' three standout performers — with De Villiers's ball-carrying numbers and Wiese's late-series impact the most compelling findings.
- Rassie Erasmus
- Nations Championship
- England
- Scotland
- Wales
- Jesse Kriel
Willemse shines, De Villiers impresses, but England's Borthwick problem deepens
Willemse's 50th Test standout, De Villiers and Hanekom's impressive emergency cameos, and the growing Borthwick crisis headline Planet Rugby's Nations Championship round-one wrap — with Fiji's jaw-dropping offload numbers and Roigard's world-class form also in focus.
The 45-21 win over England has bought Erasmus the licence to rotate — and Scotland is just the start
The England win has given Erasmus the platform he's always said he needs to experiment — Rich unpacks where the rotation will likely fall against Scotland, who warrants it and who still demands respect in the selection.
Five Boks in Round One Team of the Week as Willemse Claims Player of the Weekend
South Africa dominate Planet Rugby's Round One Team of the Week with five selections, headlined by Willemse's Player of the Weekend on his 50th cap and strong showings from Marx, both Du Toits, Kriel and a debut-making De Villiers.
England dismiss IP concerns as Jones and Lewis reunion looms at Ellis Park
England assistant coach Kevin Sinfield says the movement of former colleagues Felix Jones and Joe Lewis into the Springbok setup is simply part of modern rugby, as England head to Ellis Park on Saturday using the Nations Championship to benchmark their progress after a troubled Six Nations.
Elrigh Louw returns to Springbok squad as injury toll mounts in forward pack
Elrigh Louw has been called into the Springbok Nations Championship squad following injuries to Riley Norton, Franco Mostert and Lood de Jager, with the Bulls back-rower available from the Scotland match onwards.