24/07 20:00 United States of America v Japan (Sacramento)

Predictions
Rob (Ou Grote): Japan by 3
James (Ou Grote): Japan by 2
Sportingbet: Japan
Bet.coza: Japan
Sportsbet: Japan

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24/07 19:00 Canada v Tonga (Vancouver)

Predictions
Rob (Ou Grote): Tonga by 7
James (Ou Grote): Tonga by 5
Sportingbet: Tonga
Bet.coza: Tonga
Sportsbet: Tonga

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24/07 17:00 Fiji v Samoa (Sacramento)

Predictions
Rob (Ou Grote): Fiji by 5
James (Ou Grote): Fiji by 9
Sportingbet: Fiji
Bet.coza: Fiji
Sportsbet: Fiji

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3. Jannie du Plessis 7
A commanding performance at scrum time, delivering some fine attacking ball to the Boks off first phase thanks to his efforts. The knock on the head didn’t seem to phase him. Proved his detractors wrong, however next week will be the big test.

Sport24: 7
Rugby365: 7/10
OuGrote: 7.5

2. Bismarck du Plessis 7.5
Getting back to his best just in time for the World Cup. Made three turnovers at crucial times in the game and was a constant menace at the breakdown and in general play. His pre-determined substitution for the out-of-form Adriaan Strauss arguable cost the Boks the match.

Sport24: 7.5
Rugby365: 7/10
OuGrote: 7.5

1. Beast Mtawarira 7
Strong at scrum-time, forming a dominant partnership with the Du Plessis brothers. Also put in some work in the loose. His substitution was surprising.

Sport24: 7
Rugby365: 7/10
OuGrote: 6.5

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5. Victor Matfield 6
The Boks missed his captaincy (particularly in the second half) as he left the field injured early on. His dyed hair and beard may fool some of the supporters, but you can’t fool Father Time. His replacement Lood de Jager showed there is definitely life after Big Vic by putting in an immense and commanding performance.

Sport24: 6
Rugby365: 6/10
OuGrote: 6

4. Eben Etzebeth 8
A massive game from the massive man – scoring his debut test try. Did his job in the line-outs, kept the opposition honest on defence and used his power and mongrel to good effect around the park.

Sport24: 7.5
Rugby365: 8/10
OuGrote: 8

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7. Marcell Coetzee 7
He is still on track for the World Cup despite leaving the field with a knee injury that looked a lot worse than it is. Plays with a lot of mongrel and is equally at home on either side of the scrum. Combined well with Schalk and Flo to give the Wallabies plenty of grief in the loose.

Sport24: 7.5
Rugby365: 7/10
OuGrote: 7

6. Francois Louw 7
Did a lot of hard graft behind the scenes and put in a superb defensive performance. Will be twice as good in his new ‘home’ conditions at the World Cup.

Sport24: 7
Rugby365: 7/10
OuGrote: 7

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9. Ruan Pienaar 6
Not his worst game in a Bok jersey by a long shot, showing good composure and tactical kicking. Was far better than his replacement Reinach, but service is still on the slow side. Will hopefully show his worth in Northern Hemisphere conditions later in the year.

Sport24: 6
Rugby365: 5/10
OuGrote: 6

8. Schalk Burger 8
What more can you say than this man is a machine. He never has a bad game. Filled the number 8 role brilliantly in the absence of Duane Vermeulen. Big tackles, high workrate and commitment to the cause. Our style of game needs a number 8 in his and Duane’s mould – there is just no room for posers. Inspired his fellow loosies.

Sport24: 7.5
Rugby365: 8/10
OuGrote: 8

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11. Bryan Habana 7
Played a vital role in both Bok tries and looked for work all afternoon. Also made a crucial tackle on Tevita Kuridrani. His presence and experience helped to settle the relatively inexperienced Bok backline.

Sport24: 6.5
Rugby365: 7/10
OuGrote: 6.5

10. Handré Pollard 5
Made too many unforced errors and kicked poorly out of hand. His defence was also not up to scratch, although he did make one vital turnover. His potential is obvious and he will continue to improve now that he is out of the Bulls coaching environment.

Sport24: 5
Rugby365: 4/10
OuGrote: 5

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13. Jesse Kriel 7
Scored a brilliant try in his first test – showcasing his attacking skills – and put in the necessary work on defence. Heyneke Meyer was heavily criticised for his selection, but it turned out to be an excellent decision.

Sport24: 7.5
Rugby365: 7/10
OuGrote: 7.5

12. Damian de Allende 6
A strong presence in midfield and good in defence. His option-taking let him down on occasion – particularly his failure to pass to JP Pietersen that resulted in a missed chance.

Sport24: 7
Rugby365: 6/10
OuGrote: 6

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15. Willie le Roux 5.5
The mercurial fullback was poor in the air and had an off day with the boot, but showed good positional play and had a hand in both Bok tries. A similar player to Slaptjips in his prime but we need more of the magic and less of the messiness.

Sport24: 5.5
Rugby365: 6/10
OuGrote: 5

14. JP Pietersen 6
Spent his time chasing high balls and may have done better if the kicks had been better and less frequent. Put in a fair amount of work off the ball, but his opportunities were limited. Getting used to his best position again after being played at centre by the Sharks.

Sport24: 6.5
Rugby365: 6/10
OuGrote: 6

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