🔗 Share this article

Some victories send double significance in the message they broadcast. Among the barrage of weekend rugby Tests, it was the Saturday evening outcome in the French capital that will linger longest across the rugby world. Not only the end result, but the way the approach of achievement. To claim that South Africa shattered a number of established theories would be an modest description of the rugby year.

Unexpected Turnaround

Forget about the idea, for example, that France would rectify the injustice of their World Cup last-eight loss. Assuming that going into the closing stages with a slight advantage and an additional player would result in certain victory. That even without their talisman their scrum-half, they still had sufficient strategies to restrain the big beasts under control.

As it turned out, it was a case of counting their poulets prematurely. Initially trailing by four points, the reduced Springboks concluded with racking up 19 points without reply, confirming their status as a squad who increasingly save their best for the most demanding situations. If defeating the All Blacks by a large margin in the last quarter was a statement, here was clear demonstration that the top-ranked team are building an more robust mentality.

Set-Piece Superiority

If anything, the coach's experienced front eight are increasingly make all other teams look laissez-faire by contrast. Scotland and England each enjoyed their promising spells over the recent fixtures but lacked entirely the same dominant forwards that systematically dismantled France to ruins in the final thirty minutes. A number of talented young France's pack members are coming through but, by the final whistle, the match was men against boys.

Even more notable was the psychological resilience underpinning it all. In the absence of Lood de Jager – shown a red card in the first half for a dangerous contact of the opposition kicker – the South Africans could easily have lost their composure. Instead they simply united and set about dragging the deflated French side to what a retired hooker referred to as “the hurt locker.”

Captaincy and Motivation

Following the match, having been borne aloft around the Stade de France on the powerful backs of Eben Etzebeth and RG Snyman to celebrate his century of appearances, the team leader, Siya Kolisi, yet again emphasized how a significant number of his squad have been needed to conquer life difficulties and how he aspired his squad would likewise continue to inspire fans.

The insightful an analyst also made an shrewd observation on television, proposing that his results more and more make him the rugby's version of the legendary football manager. If South Africa succeed in win a third successive World Cup there will be absolute certainty. Even if they fall short, the smart way in which the coach has refreshed a potentially ageing team has been an exemplary model to everyone.

New Generation

Consider his emerging number 10 the newcomer who darted through for the closing score that effectively shattered the home defense. And also the scrum-half, a second backline player with blistering pace and an keener vision for space. Naturally it is an advantage to have the support of a gargantuan pack, with the inside back adding physicality, but the continuing evolution of the Springboks from intimidating giants into a team who can also move with agility and deliver telling blows is remarkable.

Glimpses of French Quality

This is not to imply that France were utterly overwhelmed, despite their weak ending. Damian Penaud’s second try in the far side was a prime instance. The forward dominance that engaged the South African pack, the glorious long pass from Ramos and the winger's clinical finish into the sideline boards all demonstrated the hallmarks of a squad with notable skill, even in the absence of Dupont.

Yet that in the end was insufficient, which really is a humbling reality for everybody else. There is no way, for instance, that the visitors could have trailed heavily to South Africa and come galloping back in the way they did against the All Blacks. And for all England’s last-quarter improvement, there remains a distance to travel before the England team can be confident of facing Erasmus’s green-clad giants with high stakes.

European Prospects

Beating an Pacific Island team proved tricky enough on Saturday although the forthcoming clash against the the Kiwis will be the match that properly defines their November Tests. The visitors are definitely still beatable, especially missing their key midfielder in their center, but when it comes to converting pressure into points they are still a level above most the home unions.

The Thistles were particularly guilty of not finishing off the killing points and question marks still hang over the red rose's optimal back division. It is fine performing in the final quarter – and infinitely better than losing them late on – but their admirable nine-match unbeaten run this year has so far featured only one win over world-class sides, a one-point home victory over Les Bleus in the winter.

Future Prospects

Therefore the weight of this coming Saturday. Reading between the lines it would appear several changes are likely in the matchday squad, with key players being reinstated to the team. In the pack, similarly, first-choice players should return from the outset.

However context is key, in competition as in reality. In the lead-up to the upcoming world championship the {rest