🔗 Share this article

A number of triumphs deliver twofold significance in the lesson they communicate. Among the flood of weekend international rugby fixtures, it was Saturday night's result in Paris that will linger most enduringly across the globe. Not just the final score, but equally the approach of victory. To say that South Africa shattered various widely-held assumptions would be an understatement of the calendar.

Shifting Momentum

Discard the notion, for example, that the French team would make amends for the disappointment of their World Cup last-eight loss. Assuming that going into the last period with a narrow lead and an additional player would result in assumed success. Even in the absence of their talisman their captain, they still had sufficient strategies to keep the powerful opponents at a distance.

Instead, it was a case of counting their poulets prematurely. Initially 17-13 down, the 14-man Boks finished by registering 19 consecutive points, confirming their status as a team who consistently deliver their finest rugby for the most challenging circumstances. Whereas overpowering New Zealand in Wellington in earlier this year was a message, now came clear demonstration that the leading international squad are developing an even thicker skin.

Pack Power

If anything, the coach's experienced front eight are increasingly make opposing sides look laissez-faire by juxtaposition. The Scottish and English sides both had their promising spells over the weekend but possessed nothing like the same dominant forwards that systematically dismantled the home side to landfill in the last half-hour. A number of talented young French forwards are emerging but, by the end, the match was men against boys.

What was perhaps even more striking was the psychological resilience driving it all. In the absence of their lock forward – given a dismissal before halftime for a shoulder to the head of the opposition kicker – the South Africans could potentially become disorganized. Instead they just regrouped and began dragging the deflated boys in blue to what one former French international called “extreme physical pressure.”

Captaincy and Motivation

Post-game, having been carried around the Parisian stadium on the gigantic shoulders of Eben Etzebeth and RG Snyman to honor his century of appearances, the team leader, the inspirational figure, once again highlighted how a significant number of his team have been obliged to rise above personal challenges and how he wished his side would likewise continue to inspire fans.

The ever-sage a commentator also made an perceptive comment on television, suggesting that Erasmus’s record progressively make him the parallel figure of Sir Alex Ferguson. Should the Springboks succeed in win a third successive World Cup there will be absolute certainty. Should they come up short, the clever way in which Erasmus has refreshed a potentially ageing roster has been an exemplary model to everyone.

Young Stars

Take for example his emerging number 10 the newcomer who skipped over for the closing score that decisively broke the opposition line. Or Grant Williams, a further half-back with lightning acceleration and an keener vision for space. Naturally it is beneficial to operate behind a dominant set of forwards, with the inside back riding shotgun, but the ongoing metamorphosis of the Boks from physically imposing units into a side who can also move with agility and strike decisively is hugely impressive.

French Flashes

Which is not to say that the French team were totally outclassed, in spite of their fading performance. The wing's additional score in the wing area was a good illustration. The power up front that occupied the South African pack, the glorious long pass from Ramos and the try-scorer's execution into the perimeter signage all exhibited the hallmarks of a squad with considerable ability, without Dupont.

However, that ultimately proved insufficient, which is a daunting prospect for competing teams. There is no way, for instance, that Scotland could have gone 17-0 down to the Springboks and fought back in the way they did versus New Zealand. Notwithstanding the English team's last-quarter improvement, there still exists a journey ahead before the England team can be assured of standing up to the South African powerhouses with all at stake.

Northern Hemisphere Challenges

Defeating an improving Fiji posed difficulties on Saturday although the upcoming showdown against the the Kiwis will be the fixture that properly defines their autumn. New Zealand are not invincible, particularly without an influential back in their midfield, but when it comes to capitalizing on opportunities they are still a level above the majority of the European sides.

The Scottish team were particularly guilty of missing the chance to secure the final nails and question marks still apply to the English side's optimal back division. It is fine ending matches well – and much preferable than losing them late on – but their notable undefeated streak this year has so far included just a single victory over world-class sides, a close result over Les Bleus in the winter.

Next Steps

Therefore the significance of this next weekend. Interpreting the signals it would seem various alterations are expected in the starting lineup, with established stars returning to the team. In the pack, likewise, first-choice players should return from the outset.

But perspective matters, in rugby as in life. Between now and the 2027 World Cup the {rest