The now-completed series between South Africa and New Zealand proved to be compelling and epic with a host of brilliant individual performances.
Here are six standout players from both sides after the four Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tests.
Ethan Hooker [South Africa]
The 23-year-old wing wasn’t picked to start the first Greatest Rivalry test at Ellis Park – a sign of South Africa’s incredible riches in their back three – but after injuries intervened, he came into the side for test two and delivered a trio of world-class performances over the final three matches.
His aerial work, that ability of his to chase and cleanly win contestable kicks, was one of the rocks on which the Springboks built their game.
Hooker was not only freakishly good in the air, but he won two critical turnovers in Cape Town – and was always foraging for the ball in wide areas that slowed and disrupted the All Blacks’ gameplan.
His footwork was also excellent, he’s strong, quick and kicked well – and made it easy to see why many South African analysts are tipping him to move into the midfield and become a megastar.
Peter Lakai [New Zealand]
The Hurricanes’ backrow was the underappreciated star of the RGR series for New Zealand – a tireless warrior who played in all three back-row positions (off the bench in tests one and two and from the start in three and four) and demonstrated a suitably broad range of skills to demonstrate why he’s so valued by All Blacks’ coach Dave Rennie.
The All Blacks didn’t win a single turnover in the second test, but after just five minutes in to the third, Lakai produced a critical steal.
His biggest asset, though, was his speed and agility when he carried the ball. He may not have been as big or heavy as many of his Springbok opponents, but he made the most carrying metres of any All Black forward in the series.
The biggest complement paid to him came from Springboks assistant coach Mzwandile Stick, who said: “We can all see that New Zealand now want to keep ball in hand and if you look at the personnel in their team now, a guy like Peter Lakai is starting, every time he has come on, he brings massive impact for them.”
Malcolm Marx [South Africa]
The current world player of the year showed exactly why he holds that title with a stunning series that saw him menace the All Blacks at the breakdown, orchestrate the most powerful driving maul in the global game and cleanout rucks with a technical proficiency combined with dynamic ruthlessness.
It was almost the perfect series from Marx. He was the dominant force in so many aspects of the game – including his ball carrying, tackling and scrummaging.
There were all sorts of contentious allegations and supposed happenings in the scrum throughout the series, but the one universal truth was that Marx remains a powerhouse with the cunning to match.
Everything he did hurt the All Blacks and his lineout throwing was also accurate, too, with South Africa barely losing a lineout all series.
Jordie Barrett [New Zealand]
The youngest Barrett brother to play for New Zealand was a towering presence for the All Blacks in all four tests.
His defence was brutal – big hits, scrambling tackles, ball strips and his now-trademark ability to get under big forwards after they have peeled off a maul and are diving for the tryline.
Barrett was the All Blacks second-playmaker, and a strong guiding voice for young first-five Ruben Love and responsible for a lot of New Zealand’s game management.
When he kicked long, he kicked really long and while some of his strategic, shorter kicking in Cape Town didn’t quite work tactically, it showed his full repertoire.
His best trick of the series, though, was his ability to throw a long, bridge pass over the last two South African defenders to the widest All Blacks attacker.
Eben Etzebeth [South Africa]
The old dog showed he’s got plenty of bite left in him and produced an impressive series of games where his physicality, aerial prowess and desire to be involved were all unmissable.
Etzebeth remains a ferocious competitor, but he’s become a strategic lineout operator, brilliantly unpicking the All Blacks’ throw in the second test in Cape Town.
Wherever the All Blacks wanted to throw, Etzebeth was there – reading where the ball was going and just as timing his jump to win it.
What stood out most, though, was his ability to knock All Blacks’ ball carriers back in the tackle. He hit hard enough to ensure New Zealand had little to no success bending the Springboks defensive line in the middle of the field.
Will Jordan [New Zealand]
The All Blacks’ leading try scorer crossed the line four times in the series, showing his trademark speed, awareness and strength.
Jordan has a rare ability to sniff out opportunities and get off his wing – and he showed that when he put the All Blacks in front in Soweto, kicking through for fellow wing Leroy Carter and following up with a brilliant support line to take the return pass.
He also created a brilliant try for Cam Roigard in Cape Town, when he received the ball on his wing, scorched past the cover defence and stayed on his feet through Damian Willemse’s tackle to pass inside to his scrum-half.
Jordan’s ability to arc round to the opposite wing to make himself an additional ball carrier when the All Blacks were using a neat short passing game to fix the Boks’ defence was an important factor in why New Zealand scored 17 tries across the series.
