Thinus Delport, Sean Fitzpatrick and Michael Lynagh pick their players to watch ahead of the 2015 World Cup.
Jesse Kriel
Jesse Kriel has had an unenviable start to his career as an international in one sense - suffering back-to-back losses in his first two games. In other ways, he's had a dream start to his international career, scoring against formidable opposition in Australia and New Zealand.
With Springbok captain Jean de Villiers still on the road to full match fitness, the midfield duties for the second best side in the world were handed to Damian de Allende and Kriel for the start of the Rugby Championship.
Both impressed, but it's Kriel's form in particular that caught the eye of Thinus Delport.
"He's been playing out of position, being trialled at 13 alongside Damian de Allende,” said Delport.
"He's a very strong runner, which we saw in the Super Rugby with him counter-attacking from 15 for the Bulls.
"He makes yards every time he carries the ball.
"He really looks like he can add to that outside centre position."
Kriel's try against the All Blacks was particularly impressive, running a perfect line to exploit a gap between one of the most experienced centre pairings in world rugby, Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith.
Skipper De Villiers has played 13 for the Boks over the course of his career, and with the Stormers veteran likely to return to the international fold imminently, Kriel will want to make sure he holds onto the starting 13 jersey ahead of the World Cup.
Charles Piutau
Unlike Kriel, Charles Piutau has not yet tasted defeat at international level, in what is a 17-test career. The full-back, who heads to Ulster when the World Cup is finished, featured for a below-average Blues team in this year's Super Rugby tournament, but still did enough to keep the attention of the national selectors.
The 23-year-old played on the wing against Samoa and Argentina in the All Blacks' opening fixtures of 2015, and scored a try against the Pumas. However it was his performance against South Africa at Ellis Park that earned the plaudits of former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick.
"I thought he was quite outstanding," Fitzpatrick said.
"He showed me tonight how crucial he could be, come World Cup time.
"He reminds me of (Richard) Kahui, he reminds me of Cory Jane - players that do everything well. Not flashy, but does the things well that are needed in an All Black team that could hopefully go all the way."
Piutau's move to Ulster will end his All Black selection hopes for the two years he is in Ireland, but the speedy outside back seems to have hit the kind of form that will make him a star at this year's World Cup.
Israel Folau
Israel Folau’s rugby union career is littered with individual brilliance, but now in his third year in the game after making the switch from league, opposition teams are starting to put pressure on him when he’s in possession.
He appears to be answering new challenges with improved skill, and though former Wallaby Michael Lynagh is wary of the pressure currently on Folau, he has no doubt that the Waratahs star has done enough to ensure the full-back jersey belongs to him at the World Cup.
"He's a pretty good player and definitely will be the Australian No 15,” said Lynagh.
"Teams continually kick to him but he just keeps taking the ball, and when they kick badly to him, which happened tonight, he is very, very good.
"He's still making a lot of ground when he has the ball in hand and he's very dangerous.
Folau’s Australia face England and Wales in the World Cup group stages in September, with one of the three set to miss out on a quarter-final for the first time in their history.
If both England and Wales are to make it out of the pool, they will need to ensure they cope with players such as Folau.