Planet Rugby has rated all 43 Springboks who featured across the three Nations Championship wins over England, Scotland and Wales. The standout narrative is one of remarkable depth — particularly in the front row, where Steenekamp, Marx, Porthen and Sadie all earn 8s, with the piece describing the tighthead depth as 'frankly embarrassing'. Jesse Kriel earns the 'irreplaceable' tag after crossing in all three Tests, while Wiese and Du Toit reinforce their claims as the best in their positions globally. The biggest talking point is Paul de Villiers, who went from unexpected debut against England to man-of-the-match against Wales — his emergence softening the blow of Kwagga Smith's injury considerably. Moyo's debut at 20 earns an 8 despite his coach admitting he performed 'nervously', while Jaco Williams' dream debut off the bench against Wales is another bright spot. On the other side of the ledger, Fassi (5) is flagged as error-prone and short of form, Mchunu (5) was caught out defensively, and Tshituka (5) failed to make an impression. The ratings offer a clear-eyed snapshot of where the squad's depth is genuinely world-class — and where question marks remain heading into the Greatest Rivalry series.
Nations Championship player ratings: Who cemented their place and who has work to do
Planet Rugby rates all 43 Springboks from the July Nations Championship, flagging the front row depth as exceptional, Paul de Villiers as the breakout star, Kriel as undroppable, and Fassi among those who need to sharpen up ahead of the All Blacks series.
Erasmus: 'We don't see the Nations Championship as a competition'
Erasmus says the Boks won't adjust their approach to chase Nations Championship log points — each Test is treated as a standalone match, with squad rotation across the window as the priority over competition standings.
Boks remain top but All Blacks close gap to 2.90 points after Nations Championship opener
South Africa stay top of the World Rugby Men's Rankings at 93.94 points but New Zealand have cut the gap to 2.90 after beating France, while Scotland climb to equal their all-time high of fifth following a record 47-38 win over Argentina in Córdoba.
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.
Erasmus warns Boks: England bring youth, experience and tactical unpredictability to Ellis Park
Rassie Erasmus has praised England's touring squad as young, experienced and tactically unpredictable ahead of the Nations Championship opener at Ellis Park on 4 July, while Siya Kolisi returns as captain for a fixture that marked his first Test captaincy in 2018.
Nché injury concern headlining Bok casualty list ahead of Scotland clash at Loftus
Rassie Erasmus is sweating over the fitness of Ox Nché, Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth and André Esterhuizen ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship match against Scotland at Loftus, after all four picked up injuries during or before the 45-21 win over England at Ellis Park.