🔗 Share this article

A number of triumphs send dual weight in the lesson they communicate. Among the flood of weekend Test matches, it was Saturday night's score in Paris that will resonate longest across both hemispheres. Not merely the final score, but the way the approach of achievement. To claim that the Springboks demolished a number of widely-held beliefs would be an modest description of the season.

Surprising Comeback

Forget about the idea, for example, that the French team would avenge the unfairness of their World Cup quarter-final defeat. That entering the last period with a narrow lead and an extra man would result in inevitable glory. Despite missing their key player their captain, they still had more than enough resources to contain the big beasts at a distance.

On the contrary, it was a case of counting their poulets before time. After being 17-13 down, the 14-man Boks ended up registering 19 consecutive points, confirming their reputation as a team who increasingly reserve their top performance for the most demanding circumstances. Whereas beating New Zealand 43-10 in the last quarter was a declaration, now came definitive evidence that the leading international squad are building an even thicker skin.

Pack Power

In fact, the coach's champion Bok forwards are starting to make all other teams look laissez-faire by contrast. Scotland and England experienced their moments over the two-day period but lacked entirely the same dominant forwards that effectively reduced the home side to ruins in the final thirty minutes. Several up-and-coming young France's pack members are developing but, by the end, Saturday night was hommes contre garçons.

Even more notable was the mental strength underpinning it all. Missing the second-rower – given a dismissal before halftime for a shoulder to the head of the opposition kicker – the South Africans could might well have lost their composure. Instead they simply circled the wagons and proceeded to dragging the disheartened boys in blue to what an ex-France player called “the hurt locker.”

Captaincy and Motivation

Post-game, having been borne aloft around the Parisian stadium on the gigantic shoulders of the lock pairing to mark his 100th cap, the South African skipper, Siya Kolisi, yet again emphasized how several of his squad have been obliged to rise above personal challenges and how he hoped his side would likewise continue to inspire fans.

The perceptive David Flatman also made an perceptive point on broadcast, proposing that Erasmus’s record progressively make him the rugby's version of the Manchester United great. In the event that the world champions succeed in win a third successive World Cup there will be absolute certainty. Should they fall short, the clever way in which Erasmus has revitalized a experienced team has been an masterclass to everyone.

Emerging Talent

Consider his emerging number 10 the newcomer who skipped over for the late try that decisively broke the opposition line. Additionally Grant Williams, another half-back with blistering pace and an keener eye for a gap. Of course it is an advantage to play behind a gargantuan pack, with the powerful center adding physicality, but the ongoing metamorphosis of the Springboks from scowling heavyweights into a team who can also float like butterflies and sting like bees is extraordinary.

Home Side's Moments

This is not to imply that the French team were totally outclassed, notwithstanding their limp finish. Their winger's later touchdown in the far side was a good illustration. The power up front that occupied the visiting eight, the superb distribution from Ramos and the winger's clinical finish into the advertising hoardings all exhibited the traits of a team with significant talent, even in the absence of Dupont.

Yet that turned out to be not enough, which is a humbling reality for everybody else. It is inconceivable, for example, that Scotland could have fallen behind by 17 points to South Africa and mounted a comeback in the way they did versus New Zealand. Despite the English team's strong finish, there remains a distance to travel before the national side can be confident of standing up to the South African powerhouses with all at stake.

Home Nations' Tests

Defeating an improving Fiji was challenging on Saturday although the next encounter against the New Zealand will be the fixture that accurately reflects their end-of-year series. New Zealand are definitely still beatable, notably absent their key midfielder in their backline, but when it comes to capitalizing on opportunities they are still a cut above the majority of the northern hemisphere teams.

The Scottish team were especially culpable of not finishing off the final nails and uncertainties still hang over the English side's ideal backline blend. It is all very well performing in the final quarter – and infinitely better than succumbing at the death – but their admirable undefeated streak this year has so far shown just one success over top-drawer opposition, a narrow win over the French in February.

Looking Ahead

Thus the weight of this coming Saturday. Reading between the lines it would look like several changes are expected in the starting lineup, with experienced individuals being reinstated to the team. Among the forwards, in the same way, familiar faces should all be back from the outset.

But context is key, in rugby as in life. From now until the 2027 World Cup the {rest