The fast player for the Springbok national team, Kurt-Lee Arendse, demonstrated an impressive performance during the third Tri-Nations match against Wales. His performance helped him move closer to securing a spot in the starting fifteen of the Springboks ahead of the series of matches between great Rugby rivals next month.
The attacker scored a touchdown in the 43-0 victory at Kings Park stadium, highlighting his ability to find the try line. Furthermore, his overall play, especially when dealing with high balls, was also very convincing.
As the battle for wing spots among the Bok players intensifies, and only Cheslin Kolbe is considered guaranteed in the squad, Arendse understands that he will need more strong performances to remain a contender for the series of great rivals. Other fast players competing for a spot include Kanan Moody, Edwill van der Merwe, Ethan Hooker, and Jaco Williams.
Born in Paarl and a World Cup champion, he stated that 'the Great Rivals will be grand, and being part of it will be special.' However, he honestly admitted that 'there is still a lot of work to do on my game in terms of play; with high balls, in attack, that's what I will focus on.' He added that if given a chance, he will try to take full advantage of it, and even if he doesn't make the squad, he will support the team. Nevertheless, they are well prepared for the meeting with the All Blacks.
According to Arendse, the conditions against Wales were difficult due to slippery ball, but the team was well prepared for what was thrown at them in Durban. Although the Boks scored seven touchdowns, their ball handling let them down, and several good moments were lost due to turnovers in attack. Despite this, it was still an outstanding performance considering the squad changes and four player debuts.
Arendse noted that the team adapted to the conditions, although they were not perfect. He mentioned that they had prepared thoroughly by making the ball wet during training. He also highly praised the play of Wusi (Moyo, midfielder), who excellently controlled the course of the match, supported by Kobus (Rynah) inside and Damian (de Allende) and Jesse (Kriel) outside. Arendse expressed satisfaction for Moyo, noting that he is now a Springbok and can move forward.
This fast player has scored 25 touchdowns in 32 matches for the national team since his debut and is one point behind former Springbok wing Brenton Pauls, who scored 26 in 64 matches. Nevertheless, Arendse reported that he does not track his number of touchdowns or chase records. He is satisfied with any opportunity to contribute to the team and intends to continue doing so if selected.
According to FIFA statistics, a ranking of the best footballers of the 2026 World Cup was compiled. This ranking takes into account players' effectiveness in developing attacks and creating scoring opportunities.
All field players who participated in the tournament were evaluated based on three aspects: attacking, creative, and defensive metrics, with scores ranging from 0 to 10.
France national team winger Michael Olise took first place in the creativity metric, scoring 8.29 points. Thanks to this result, Olise also became the tournament's top assist provider, making 7 assists during the 2026 World Cup.
Lionel Messi ranked second in the creativity rating with a score of 8.26 points, and Kylian Mbappé placed third with 7.84 points.
