#4. Handre Pollard (South Africa)
Rugby 365 4/10: “He had a perfect kicking performance but the Springboks lacked a general at No. 10 and the question is if he is right for the type of attacking game that assistant coach Tony Brown wants to instill in the team. Also lost two turnovers. It was a bruising battle that required a lot of defence and Pollard stood in that regard, but there was no initiative from the flyhalf.”
Rugby Pass 5/10: “Packing his kicking boots this week, Pollard was impervious to the boot as he chipped away at the Irish lead and rewarded his pack’s growing dominance throughout the contest. Offensively, he offered little threat with the ball in hand and looked uncomfortable in Tony Brown’s system, which clearly requires him to test the defensive line, something he has rarely done over the past five years.”
#5. Ollie Lawrence (England)
Planet Rugby 5/10: “Defensively, he did his job well but there were just a few too many errors in attack, including for the late disallowed try.”
Rugby Pass 5.5/10: “Looked to test the All Blacks’ defence a lot by taking the ball as flat as conceivably possible. That did not always pay off, with two costly knock-ons in attacking positions (albeit the second one was a devilish pass from Ben Earl), but was also rewarded with some strong carries. Penalised for obstruction in the final play of the match, which was a bitter ending.”
Mail Online 5.5/10: “His first attacking carry ended with a knock on and we didn’t see him involved enough in attack. Penalised right at the death for obstruction.”