Erasmus's Coaching Scholarship Raises South Africa to Greater Levels

Certain wins send dual weight in the lesson they broadcast. Among the barrage of weekend Test matches, it was Saturday night's outcome in the French capital that will echo most profoundly across the globe. Not only the final score, but the way the style of success. To say that the Springboks overturned various established theories would be an oversimplification of the rugby year.

Unexpected Turnaround

Forget about the theory, for instance, that France would avenge the unfairness of their World Cup elimination. That entering the closing stages with a small margin and an numerical superiority would result in certain victory. That even without their talisman their captain, they still had more than enough strategies to keep the big beasts at a distance.

On the contrary, it was a case of celebrating too soon before time. Initially behind on the scoreboard, the 14-man Boks ended up racking up 19 points without reply, strengthening their reputation as a squad who more and more reserve their top performance for the most demanding situations. If defeating the All Blacks by a large margin in earlier this year was a statement, now came clear demonstration that the leading international squad are building an even thicker skin.

Forward Dominance

Actually, the coach's title-winning pack are increasingly make all other teams look less committed by juxtaposition. Both northern hemisphere teams each enjoyed their moments over the two-day period but lacked entirely the same dominant forwards that thoroughly overwhelmed the home side to rubble in the closing period. Several up-and-coming young home nation players are coming through but, by the conclusion, the encounter was men against boys.

Perhaps most impressive was the inner fortitude underpinning it all. Without the second-rower – given a dismissal before halftime for a shoulder to the head of Thomas Ramos – the Springboks could easily have lost their composure. Instead they simply regrouped and proceeded to dragging the deflated home team to what an ex-France player referred to as “extreme physical pressure.”

Leadership and Inspiration

Afterwards, having been carried around the venue on the gigantic shoulders of Eben Etzebeth and RG Snyman to celebrate his century of appearances, the Springbok captain, Siya Kolisi, yet again highlighted how a significant number of his squad have been required to overcome off-field adversity and how he hoped his side would in the same way continue to encourage others.

The insightful an analyst also made an astute point on sports media, proposing that his results increasingly make him the rugby's version of the Manchester United great. In the event that the world champions do go on to claim a third straight world title there will be absolute certainty. In case they come up short, the clever way in which the mentor has rejuvenated a possibly veteran team has been an masterclass to other teams.

Emerging Talent

Consider his young playmaker Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu who sprinted past for the closing score that decisively broke the French windows. And also another half-back, a second half-back with lightning acceleration and an keener ability to spot openings. Undoubtedly it is an advantage to operate behind a dominant set of forwards, with the inside back riding shotgun, but the continuing evolution of the South African team from intimidating giants into a team who can also display finesse and strike decisively is extraordinary.

Glimpses of French Quality

However, it should not be thought that the French team were utterly overwhelmed, in spite of their limp finish. The wing's second try in the right corner was a prime instance. The set-piece strength that tied in the visiting eight, the superb distribution from Ramos and Penaud’s finishing dive into the sideline boards all displayed the hallmarks of a squad with notable skill, despite missing their star man.

But even that ultimately proved not enough, which is a humbling reality for competing teams. There is no way, for instance, that the Scottish side could have fallen behind by 17 points to South Africa and come galloping back in the way they did versus New Zealand. And for all England’s last-quarter improvement, there is a distance to travel before Steve Borthwick’s squad can be confident of standing up to the world's top team with all at stake.

European Prospects

Overcoming an developing Fijian side proved tricky enough on the weekend although the forthcoming clash against the New Zealand will be the fixture that truly shapes their end-of-year series. The visitors are certainly vulnerable, notably absent their key midfielder in their center, but when it comes to capitalizing on opportunities they are still a level above the majority of the home unions.

The Thistles were especially culpable of failing to hammer home the killing points and question marks still apply to the English side's perfect backline combination. It is all very well finishing games strongly – and much preferable than fading in the closing stages – but their notable winning sequence this year has so far shown just one success over top-drawer opposition, a close result over the French in the winter.

Looking Ahead

Thus the significance of this next weekend. Analyzing the situation it would seem various alterations are anticipated in the starting lineup, with key players coming back to the side. Among the forwards, in the same way, familiar faces should be included from the outset.

Yet context is key, in sport as in life. From now until the upcoming world championship the {rest