Unfair comparison?

Plu,m

Absolute BS using BS to compare theretical si.tuatnions.

No, it's valid, but there is context to it ...Plum already alluded to the fact that PSDT gets half the ball AS gets...the Bokke have been playing without the ball this season.

The discrepancy in carries is fairly easily explained looking at the stats - All Blacks dominated or had the better of possession in all 3 their games and they simply carry more. All Blacks made a whopping 533 carries in their 3 games vs the Boks at 335. They made 200 carries against Ireland while our best was 117 against England.

@DbDraad Ardie's ratio is only slightly better yes. We'll need more players' post contact stats to make a proper comparison. Very frustrating that this data is not freely available.

the Bokke got rid of the ball all the time...looks like they were practicing defence the whole time.

I don't agree with this being something foreign to the Boks. We're built on defense, we are on the wrong end of possession stats frequently - only 40% in the WC games against NZ and France, 39% against Scotland the other day. Even in the WC final 2019 England had the better of the possession.

@Pakie ...ja, it's not foreign, but it is deliberate and I don't like it either.

... looking for the empty glass where there is none...2 completely different players with different roles in their completely different teams ...2 great players, no need to try and drag one down.

Straight up answer….to have played for the ABs he would have had to score more tries

He would never make the AB side. They despise the type of rugby he plays.

@Plum he didn't start out playing like that...used to have a great offload to his game and a better runner...he Started playing like that under Meyer and now Rassie.

And here’s a typical Rooinek assessment of Etzebeth:

‘Etzebeth won a single lineout steal in the game which is about all he has in the credit column, otherwise he was completely and utterly ineffective, permanently off the pace, coughing up possession, missing tackles and giving up penalties . . . not to mention getting an amusing dressing down from the ref for yelling at him and then trying to pretend he was shouting at someone else. But hey, wait for the rugby noobs like Omlett and Omellete to give us their ratings and they'll be giving Etzebeth an 8 and droning on about another world-class performance.

Lood de Jager completely outshone Etzebeth and had an excellent game and it was Etzebeth subbed off before an hour because of his total lack of impact or influence . . . but on this forum, we'll be hearing all about the magnificent Etzebeth and the useless Lood!

Not having a pop at Pakie alone here, it's most of the posters who have this slow, lumbering plodder as some kind of superstar while yapping away at the many locks who outplay him on a regular basis.’

You have every right to think Erasmus is an ‘egotistical fool’ and Etzebeth is a ‘slow plodder’. Just stop denying it

Is it obvious?

The last 10 Bok games;
Chat
"The Springboks scored 398 points across those 10 Tests, while conceding 137.

Points per game:
398 ÷ 10 = 39.8 points per Test.

They conceded 13.7 points per Test, giving them an average scoring differential of +26.1 points per game.

So their record over these 10 Tests is an impressive 10 wins from 10, averaging 39.8 points scored per match.

Springboks points in their last 10 Tests"

That's a lot of points and a lot of tries. Those ties are just not being scored by the Stephs and De Allendes of this world.

Malcolm Marx has scored 27 tries for the Springboks in 89 Tests, as of their 18 July 2026 Test against Wales.

@Plum hookers score a lot of rolling maul tries...and Marx is a 4th loosie as well...and the current WRPOTY...

@DbDraad I know

Savea has unsurprisingly scored more tries than some Bok backline players.