Malcolm Marx earned top billing in the player ratings following the Springboks' 66-7 demolition of Italy in Turin, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Morne van den Berg also drawing widespread praise for their performances.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu set the tone with a try in the eighth minute before producing a stunning 50:22 that helped the Boks score five more first-half tries. Despite a second-half interruption due to a head knock, the fly-half earned an 8 rating, with his consistency — a noted issue through 2024 — temporarily set aside in what was described as a reminder of his best.
Van den Berg continued the form he showed during the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series, contributing another try — his eighth in just 12 Tests — alongside box kicks and service that kept Italy constantly on the back foot. He also earned an 8.
Damian de Allende was singled out as one of the most influential players despite the likelihood of his effort going unnoticed. The centre carried powerfully throughout the first half, regularly taking two or more tacklers with him, and was rated 8. Ruan Nortje, whose lineout work was described as a lethal weapon, and Jasper Wiese — excellent at the breakdown and in the maul before being rested early in the second half — also received 8s.
Lood de Jager came into the starting XV after Salmaan Moerat was injured during the warm-up and made the most of his opportunity. Siya Kolisi was immense during his shift, winning a breakdown penalty immediately after the opening try to maintain momentum and scoring off the back of a maul before returning to the field on the hour when Paul de Villiers required an HIA assessment.
Ethan Hooker impressed on the wing, troubling Italian defenders with his carries and reliability under the high ball before shifting to inside centre later in the match and scoring to cap a 7-rated display. Pieter-Steph du Toit and Kurt-Lee Arendse both received 6s and 7s respectively, with Arendse lively throughout despite conceding a few turnovers.