Erasmus's Mentoring Expertise Raises Springboks to New Heights

Certain wins carry twofold weight in the message they convey. Within the barrage of weekend rugby Tests, it was Saturday night's score in Paris that will linger most enduringly across the globe. Not just the conclusion, but equally the style of achievement. To claim that the Springboks demolished a number of widely-held theories would be an modest description of the calendar.

Unexpected Turnaround

Forget about the idea, for instance, that the French team would rectify the disappointment of their World Cup last-eight loss. Assuming that going into the closing stages with a small margin and an additional player would translate into certain victory. That even without their star man their captain, they still had ample strategies to contain the big beasts under control.

As it turned out, it was a case of celebrating too soon before time. Initially trailing by four points, the South African side with a player sent off concluded with scoring 19 unanswered points, reinforcing their standing as a squad who more and more reserve their top performance for the most demanding situations. If overpowering New Zealand in Wellington in September was a declaration, now came definitive evidence that the leading international squad are building an even thicker skin.

Pack Power

Actually, the coach's experienced front eight are starting to make everyone else look less intense by juxtaposition. Both northern hemisphere teams experienced their promising spells over the weekend but lacked entirely the same powerful carriers that effectively reduced France to ruins in the closing period. Several up-and-coming young France's pack members are developing but, by the final whistle, Saturday night was hommes contre garçons.

What was perhaps even more striking was the psychological resilience driving it all. Missing Lood de Jager – shown a 38th-minute straight red for a dangerous contact of Thomas Ramos – the Springboks could easily have faltered. On the contrary they simply regrouped and set about taking the deflated boys in blue to what an ex-France player called “the hurt locker.”

Captaincy and Motivation

Post-game, having been borne aloft around the venue on the powerful backs of the lock pairing to honor his century of appearances, the South African skipper, Siya Kolisi, once again emphasized how many of his squad have been needed to rise above personal challenges and how he hoped his squad would in the same way continue to encourage people.

The ever-sage David Flatman also made an shrewd point on broadcast, stating that the coach's achievements 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 complete assurance. Even if they come up short, the clever way in which Erasmus has refreshed a possibly veteran roster has been an exemplary model to other teams.

New Generation

Look no further than his young playmaker the rising star who skipped over for the decisive touchdown that properly blew open the opposition line. And also the scrum-half, a second backline player with explosive speed and an keener ability to spot openings. Of course it helps to have the support of a dominant set of forwards, with the inside back adding physicality, but the ongoing metamorphosis of the South African team from intimidating giants into a squad who can also display finesse and strike decisively is remarkable.

Glimpses of French Quality

Which is not to say that the home side were utterly overwhelmed, despite their weak ending. The wing's additional score in the right corner was a prime instance. The set-piece strength that tied in the Bok forwards, the superb distribution from the full-back and Penaud’s finishing dive into the perimeter signage all demonstrated the traits of a side with significant talent, 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 the visitors could have trailed heavily to the world champions and mounted a comeback in the way they did versus New Zealand. And for all England’s late resurgence, there still exists a journey ahead before Steve Borthwick’s squad can be certain of competing with Erasmus’s green-clad giants with all at stake.

Northern Hemisphere Challenges

Overcoming an Pacific Island team posed difficulties on the weekend although the next encounter against the the Kiwis will be the match that properly defines their November Tests. The visitors are not invincible, particularly without an influential back in their center, but when it comes to capitalizing on opportunities they are still a step ahead most the northern hemisphere teams.

The Thistles were especially culpable of failing to hammer home the decisive blows and doubts still surround the English side's ideal backline blend. It is all very well finishing games strongly – and far superior than losing them late on – but their notable undefeated streak this year has so far shown just one success over world-class sides, a close result over France in the winter.

Next Steps

Thus the weight of this next weekend. Reading between the lines it would look like a number of adjustments are expected in the matchday squad, with established stars being reinstated to the side. Among the forwards, in the same way, familiar faces should return from the beginning.

Yet everything is relative, in rugby as in existence. From now until the next global tournament the {rest