Springboks vs Ireland: Winners and Losers, Rassie Backs Kwagga and Willie Winners Pieter-Steph du Toit: The versatile forward was a standout performer, showcasing his impressive lineout skills, physicality, and dynamism in the loose. Kurt-Lee Arendse: The fullback displayed excellent aerial ability, secure under the high ball, and made several crucial tackles. He also showed his attacking prowess with a well-taken try. Rasmie Erasmus: The Director of Rugby backs Kwagga Smith and Willie le Roux to be tour successes. Willie le Roux: The experienced fullback’s return to the starting lineup brought a calming influence and added value with his experience and tactical kicking. Jasper Wiese: The flanker was a workhorse in the pack, making numerous tackles and carrying the ball with determination. Losers Josh van der Flier: The Irish flanker had a quiet game by his high standards, with a lower tackle success rate and fewer carries than usual. Hugo Keenan: The fullback was targeted by the Springboks’ high ball tactics and made several uncharacteristic errors. Penalty Count: Ireland conceded 12 penalties, giving the Springboks easy points and momentum. Lineout Struggles: The Irish lineout malfunctioned at times, allowing the Springboks to gain possession and disrupt Ireland’s attacking flow. Home Advantage: Ireland missed the vociferous support of their home crowd, which could have spurred them on in the second half. Rassie Erasmus Backs Kwagga and Willie Despite the loss, South African Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus expressed confidence in the abilities of Kwagga Smith and Willie le Roux. Smith, a dynamic flanker, and le Roux, a veteran fullback, are expected to play crucial roles in the upcoming matches. Erasmus praised Smith’s versatility, saying, “He’s a Swiss army knife… He can play eight, six, seven, and wing.” He also highlighted le Roux’s experience and tactical kicking skills. The Springboks will face Ireland again on Saturday at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, hoping to build on their performance and secure a series victory.Winners:Winners: * Willie Le Roux: Despite being dropped after the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cups, Le Roux remains a veteran in the Springboks squad, nearing 100 test caps. * Gerhard Steenekamp: The Bulls loosehead prop earns his second call-up and will replace Steven Kitshoff. * Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel: The duo ties the record for most starting appearances as a center combination for the Springboks, matching Jean de Villiers and Jacque Fourie’s 29. * Siya Kolisi: The inspirational leader is given the nod as captain, despite previous questions about his future in the role. * Kwagga Smith: The versatile back-rower will start at number eight, filling in for Duane Vermeulen. * Marco van Staden: The Bulls player will come off the bench to target the Irish breakdown. * Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu: The 22-year-old earns another chance to prove himself after an impressive debut. * Rassie Erasmus: Erasmus is able to field a strong and experienced squad despite losing several key players. Losers: * Edwill van der Merwe: After a standout debut, Van der Merwe finds himself out of the starting lineup due to the return of Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse. * Makazole Mapimpi: Impressing against Wales, Mapimpi also misses out on a starting spot due to the availability of Kolbe and Arendse. * André Esterhuizen: The world-class talent sits out the match due to luxury of depth in the Springboks squad. * Evan Roos: Despite impressing against Wales, Roos loses out to more experienced options for the starting XV. * Afelele Fassi: Fassi earns a call-up but is not selected for the matchday 23 despite making his preferred start at fullback against Wales last week. * Manie Libbok: Libbok does not make it to matchday 23 despite being called up for his ball skills. * Thomas du Toit: The Bath prop is passed over for Steenekamp and Vincent Koch in the front row.Springboks vs Ireland: Winners and losers, Rassie backs Kwagga and Willie The Springboks’ 19-16 victory over Ireland in Dublin on Saturday was a tale of two halves, with the hosts dominating the first 40 minutes but the visitors coming back strongly in the second. Here are some of the winners and losers from the match: Winners – The Springboks: The world champions showed great character to come back from a 16-9 half-time deficit to win the match. They were also able to withstand a late onslaught from Ireland to secure the victory. – Kwagga Smith: The Springbok flanker was one of the standout performers in the match. He was a nuisance at the breakdown and made several key tackles. – Willie le Roux: The Springbok full-back had a solid game at the back and also made a number of important contributions in attack. Losers – Ireland: The hosts will be disappointed to have lost the match after dominating the first half. They were unable to maintain their intensity in the second half and allowed the Springboks back into the game. – Johnny Sexton: The Ireland fly-half had a poor game by his standards. He was inaccurate with his kicking and was also caught out of position on a number of occasions. – James Ryan: The Ireland lock was another player who had a disappointing game. He was unable to make an impact in the lineout and was also penalized on a number of occasions. Rassie Erasmus backs Kwagga Smith and Willie le Roux Springbok director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has backed Kwagga Smith and Willie le Roux to continue playing for the national team. Smith has been criticized by some for his lack of size, but Erasmus believes that he brings other qualities to the team. “Kwagga is a unique player,” Erasmus said. “He’s not the biggest guy, but he’s got a big heart and he’s a great tackler. He’s also very good at the breakdown.” Le Roux has also been criticized for his defensive frailties, but Erasmus believes that he is a valuable asset to the team. “Willie is a world-class player,” Erasmus said. “He’s got great skills and he’s very dangerous in attack. We need players like him in the team.”