Erasmus's Coaching Scholarship Elevates South Africa to New Heights

Some victories carry double importance in the message they communicate. Amid the barrage of weekend rugby Tests, it was Saturday night's outcome in the French capital that will linger most enduringly across the globe. Not just the conclusion, but equally the style of victory. To say that the Springboks overturned a number of comfortable theories would be an modest description of the calendar.

Shifting Momentum

So much for the notion, for instance, that France would avenge the unfairness of their World Cup elimination. That entering the last period with a small margin and an additional player would lead to assumed success. Despite missing their talisman their scrum-half, they still had sufficient strategies to contain the big beasts at a distance.

Instead, it was a case of celebrating too soon too early. Initially 17-13 down, the reduced Springboks concluded with registering 19 consecutive points, reinforcing their status as a team who more and more save their best for the toughest scenarios. If beating New Zealand 43-10 in the last quarter was a declaration, this was conclusive proof that the top-ranked team are cultivating an more robust mentality.

Set-Piece Superiority

If anything, the coach's title-winning pack are starting to make opposing sides look laissez-faire by contrast. Scotland and England each enjoyed their promising spells over the weekend but possessed nothing like the same earthmovers that thoroughly overwhelmed the home side to ruins in the closing period. Several up-and-coming young French forwards are emerging but, by the conclusion, Saturday night was a mismatch in experience.

What was perhaps even more striking was the mental strength driving it all. Missing their lock forward – shown a dismissal before halftime for a dangerous contact of the opposition kicker – the Boks could easily have lost their composure. As it happened they just regrouped and began taking the deflated boys in blue to what an ex-France player described as “the hurt locker.”

Captaincy and Motivation

Afterwards, having been borne aloft around the Parisian stadium on the powerful backs of two key forwards to mark his hundredth Test, the Springbok captain, Siya Kolisi, repeatedly stressed how a significant number of his players have been obliged to rise above off-field adversity and how he aspired his squad would likewise continue to inspire people.

The perceptive a commentator also made an perceptive observation on television, stating that Erasmus’s record increasingly make him the rugby coaching equivalent of the legendary football manager. Should the Springboks succeed in win a third successive World Cup there will be complete assurance. In case they come up short, the clever way in which Erasmus has rejuvenated a possibly veteran squad has been an object lesson to other teams.

New Generation

Consider his 23-year-old fly-half the rising star who darted through for the late try that decisively broke the French windows. Or Grant Williams, another half-back with lightning acceleration and an more acute eye for a gap. Of course it is an advantage to play behind a dominant set of forwards, with the inside back adding physicality, but the continuing evolution of the South African team from physically imposing units into a squad who can also move with agility and strike decisively is extraordinary.

Home Side's Moments

Which is not to say that the home side were utterly overwhelmed, notwithstanding their limp finish. Damian Penaud’s additional score in the wing area was a clear example. The forward dominance that engaged the visiting eight, the glorious long pass from the full-back and the try-scorer's execution into the advertising hoardings all demonstrated the traits of a squad with notable skill, despite missing their star man.

Yet that in the end was insufficient, which really is a humbling reality for everybody else. It would be impossible, for instance, that the visitors could have trailed heavily to the Springboks and come galloping back in the way they did versus New Zealand. Notwithstanding England’s late resurgence, there remains a gap to close before the national side can be assured of facing Erasmus’s green-clad giants with high stakes.

Home Nations' Tests

Defeating an developing Fijian side proved tricky enough on the weekend although the forthcoming clash against the New Zealand will be the contest that properly defines their end-of-year series. The visitors are definitely still beatable, especially missing an influential back in their center, but when it comes to capitalizing on opportunities they remain a level above the majority of the European sides.

Scotland were especially culpable of missing the chance to secure the killing points and uncertainties still apply to England’s optimal back division. It is fine performing in the final quarter – and far superior than losing them late on – but their commendable winning sequence this year has so far featured only one win over top-drawer opposition, a close result over France in February.

Future Prospects

Therefore the importance of this next weekend. Analyzing the situation it would seem several changes are expected in the team selection, with experienced individuals coming back to the lineup. Up front, in the same way, regular starters should return from the beginning.

Yet context is key, in sport as in existence. From now until the next global tournament the {rest