Five Boks that pulled their weight

The Springboks signed off the year with four wins, one draw and ten losses which is the worst year of results since 1965. While the team is admittedly in a rebuilding phase in lieu of a number of retirements and a huge player drain abroad, the results have caused an absolute outcry among the rugby-loving South African public.

Springbok coach Allister Coetzee has been the topic of conversation in pubs, living-rooms and around braais and it seems nonsensical to keep flogging a dead horse. So let's change the topic of discussion.

The tour, and year, has been a failure. But there were a few players who stood out in the face of serious pressure. Their performances were far from perfect, but these five players were the best of a bad bunch and need to stay in the Springbok frame if they are to rebuild the reputation of our beloved Springbok team.

Uzair Cassiem: 

After a stellar Super Rugby and even better Currie Cup season, the Cheetahs flank traveled with the Boks and waited three weeks for his chance on tour. He started at blindside flank against Wales in his debut and was the pick of the Springbok forwards on the evening. The burly 26-year-old, who was named man of the match in the Currie Cup final a month ago, showed an excellent work-rate against Wales and relished his opportunity to play in the Green and Gold. A good start to the 2017 Super Rugby tournament should set Cassiem up for another crack in the Boks next year - and he is a player that could play a big part in the future.

Pieter-Steph du Toit: 

You cannot help but feel sorry for Du Toit. He is undoubtedly the best lock in the country at the moment, but he was thrown to the wolves in the Springboks' loss to England. Du Toit has an excellent work rate but he just wasn't mobile enough to play at blindside flank and was found wanting on defence - with England scrumhalf Ben Youngs twice throwing a dummy that bamboozled Du Toit and led to tries. Nevertheless when he returned to the second row for the remaining two games, he looked far more comfortable and was a standout performer on defence. The challenge is for the likes of Du Toit and Eben Etzebeth to restore the Springbok lineout and maul to it's best.

Francois Venter: 

The Cheetahs captain has been long overdue for a Springbok call-up and finally got his chance up North. He started in all four games and was one of the better performers in the Bok backline. While he wasn't mercurial, Venter played well given the pressure his team was under and he is likely to excel once the team gains confidence. He has a high work rate for an outside centre - a quality the Springboks have missed since Jaque Fourie retired from International rugby.

Rohan Janse van Rensburg: 

Springbok fans and pundits finally got their wish as Janse van Rensburg got his chance to prove his worth in the Test arena. There is no denying that the massive inside centre has a lot to work on. However, he proved that the Springboks have been missing a player in their backline that is able to dominate the advantage line on attack. He will have to learn that he cannot just bulldoze his way through everyone, but he brings some needed physicality to the Bok backline. His defence needs a lot of work - as he was guilty of shooting out of the line on a number of occasion. That could be a result of being overeager, but with the right coaching, Janse van Rensburg could become a great Springbok centre.

Beast Mtawarira: 

The Springbok scrum was fairly solid on tour and we cannot omit a mention of Mtawarira's Sharks teammate Lourens Adriaanse here - who scrummed well up north. However, Beast was more mobile around the park and maintained his usual work-rate in most of the games. He gave the Springboks a solid platform to work from at scrum time and was one of the better defenders on tour. His experience is crucial for the Springboks going forward, he just needs to remain motivated to helping the team of the doldrums.

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