🔗 Share this article

A number of triumphs deliver dual importance in the message they convey. Among the flood of weekend rugby Tests, it was Saturday night's outcome in Paris that will resonate most enduringly across the globe. Not just the conclusion, but the way the style of victory. To say that South Africa overturned various comfortable beliefs would be an understatement of the calendar.

Shifting Momentum

Discard the notion, for instance, that the French team would rectify the injustice of their World Cup last-eight loss. The belief that entering the final quarter with a narrow lead and an extra man would result in certain victory. Even in the absence of their star man their captain, they still had sufficient resources to keep the powerful opponents under control.

Instead, it was a case of counting their poulets before time. Initially trailing by four points, the 14-man Boks concluded with racking up 19 points without reply, confirming their standing as a team who more and more save their best for the most demanding situations. While beating New Zealand 43-10 in the last quarter was a declaration, now came conclusive proof that the world’s No 1 side are cultivating an even thicker skin.

Set-Piece Superiority

If anything, Erasmus's experienced front eight are starting to make all other teams look less committed by comparison. Scotland and England experienced their promising spells over the weekend but possessed nothing like the same earthmovers that systematically dismantled the French pack to landfill in the last half-hour. Some promising young French forwards are developing but, by the conclusion, the encounter was men against boys.

Perhaps most impressive was the inner fortitude underpinning it all. Missing Lood de Jager – given a 38th-minute straight red for a high tackle of the French full-back – the Springboks could might well have become disorganized. Instead they merely regrouped and set about dragging the disheartened French side to what one former French international called “extreme physical pressure.”

Leadership and Inspiration

Post-game, having been carried around the Stade de France on the gigantic shoulders of two key forwards to honor his hundredth Test, the Springbok captain, the inspirational figure, repeatedly stressed how several of his squad have been required to rise above off-field adversity and how he wished his side would in the same way continue to inspire fans.

The ever-sage a commentator also made an shrewd comment on sports media, proposing that the coach's achievements increasingly make him the parallel figure of Sir Alex Ferguson. Should the Springboks succeed in win a third successive World Cup there will be complete assurance. Should they fail to achieve it, the smart way in which the mentor has rejuvenated a possibly veteran team has been an masterclass to other teams.

New Generation

Take for example his 23-year-old fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu who sprinted past for the late try that effectively shattered the opposition line. Additionally Grant Williams, another half-back with explosive speed and an more acute eye for a gap. Undoubtedly it is beneficial to operate behind a dominant set of forwards, with the inside back riding shotgun, but the steady transformation of the Springboks from physically imposing units into a team who can also display finesse and strike decisively is remarkable.

French Flashes

Which is not to say that the home side were utterly overwhelmed, despite their limp finish. Their winger's later touchdown in the wing area was a clear example. The power up front that tied in the Bok forwards, the glorious long pass from Ramos and Penaud’s finishing dive into the perimeter signage all exhibited the hallmarks of a team with considerable ability, without their star man.

However, that in the end was not enough, which is a daunting prospect for all other nations. It is inconceivable, for example, that Scotland could have fallen behind by 17 points to South Africa and fought back in the way they did against the All Blacks. Despite the English team's late resurgence, there remains a distance to travel before Steve Borthwick’s squad can be certain of competing with Erasmus’s green-clad giants with everything on the line.

Northern Hemisphere Challenges

Defeating an improving Fiji proved tricky enough on the weekend although the forthcoming clash against the the Kiwis will be the fixture that accurately reflects their end-of-year series. New Zealand are definitely still beatable, particularly without their key midfielder in their center, but when it comes to capitalizing on opportunities they remain a cut above the majority of the European sides.

The Thistles were particularly guilty of missing the chance to secure the killing points and doubts still apply to the red rose's perfect backline combination. It is all very well finishing games strongly – and far superior than fading in the closing stages – but their admirable winning sequence this year has so far included just a single victory over elite-level teams, a one-point home victory over Les Bleus in the winter.

Next Steps

Thus the significance of this next weekend. Interpreting the signals it would seem a number of adjustments are expected in the team selection, with key players returning to the team. In the pack, similarly, first-choice players should all be back from the beginning.

Yet perspective matters, in sport as in existence. In the lead-up to the upcoming world championship the {rest