Planet Rugby's player-by-player breakdown of the 80-31 win over the Barbarians identifies Edwill van der Merwe (9) and the starting loose trio as the standout performers. Van der Merwe was electric with three tries and near-constant aerial dominance, while Wiese, PSDT — back from a long absence and looking like he'd never left — and Kolisi all rated an 8. Riley Norton justified his selection with a try and composed tight work, and the piece flags he'll be back in green and gold before long. The Quan Horn fly-half experiment drew a qualified thumbs-up: the footwork and decision-making were encouraging, but his kicking from hand and defensive positioning at set-pieces need work. Kolbe, true to form, was simultaneously brilliant and chaotic across 80 minutes. The Bomb Squad replacements rated an 8 collectively, with Faf's return and Vusi Moyo's debut at fly-half adding to the optimism heading into 2026.