One more frontier to cross but Boks are the best regardless

The Springboks have unfinished business in two weeks as they go out to cross one more frontier by erasing the hoodoo that has hovered over them in Dublin for more than a decade, but they’ve already done enough to establish their credentials as the best team on the planet in 2025.

Their emphatic 32-17 win in Paris, thus settling any argument over which of the two nations with the most rugby depth rules the roost at this time, came against a France team that are the reigning European champions. They were some way better than Ireland in the most recent edition of the Six Nations, and Ireland were outplayed by the All Blacks a week ago.

Even if Ireland did somehow conspire to win at the AVIVA Stadium, which is hard to see on Ireland’s current form, that result will surely be seen as an aberration rather than a statement on which team is the global leader in the sport. Beating France at Stade de France takes some doing as France hardly ever loses there, and on Saturday night the Boks did it by 15 points.

Indeed, it may be telling that the French have only lost twice at the venue in the last 16 matches, and both times it was to the South Africans.

RESILIENCE IS A KEY TO BOK SUCCESS

It wasn’t an easy win, certainly not anywhere as comfortable as the winning margin might suggest, and as is the Bok way, they had to prove their resilience to achieve it. Like a boxer being pummelled by an opponent, there were many times they needed to roll with the punches, and in some ways this latest triumph as a repeat of the previous one, the one that France were so desperate to avenge, in the World Cup quarterfinal at the same venue two years ago.

In the sense that once again the Boks effectively outlasted the French. France will rightly claim they bossed most of the first hour, but their failure to advance their score by more than three points, which came about through a Thomas Ramos penalty in the 58th minute, in the third quarter really made the end result inevitable.

For the Boks have made a habit now of burying opponents later in games, and while it was three points from a penalty that got them home two years ago, this time it was a three try flurry that came in a period of dominance that was every bit as effective as the second half performances against New Zealand in Wellington and Argentina in Durban in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship.

The Boks have now won nine of their last 10 games against France, so there can be no question they have the wood over the team regarded rightly by many as their biggest obstacle to a third successive World Cup title in Australia in two years time.

They also have dominance over the other comers, as evidenced by their statistical advantage in most areas that count en route to winning their second successive Rugby Championship before this tour.

WISDOM FROM EXPERIENCE KEPT THINGS CALM

Coach Rassie Erasmus reverted to many experienced players and combinations for the Paris win, but there are key points of difference from the past, such as the dynamic brought by Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at flyhalf and the up-skilling of their attacking game that was writ large in the last quarter, just as it has been in the second half of most of their recent games.

Often the game is close at halftime, but then the Boks engage another gear in the second, and they did that again in Paris. When under the kosh, they withstood the assault by remaining calm, and the wisdom that has come with age and the building of experience was something that Erasmus referenced afterwards.

“A lot of people said the players are getting older, but they are wiser,” said Erasmus.

“We desperately wanted to win this game. Playing here in France is tough, but fortunately, we experienced it in 2022 and 2023, so the experience of the players, and both the team and the assistant coaches made plans.”

COMMUNAL EFFORT

Erasmus would not be drawn on what he said to the players at halftime, saying that there was input from several coaches and team leaders, and it was the aspect of it being a communal effort that shone through his post-match statements.

On the occasion of his 100th game, Erasmus also felt that skipper Siya Kolisi had displayed typical selflessness in agreeing to sit out the second half due to the red carding of lock Lood de Jager on the stroke of halftime for a dangerous tackle.

“I also want to say thank you to our captain, who was taken off because Andre (Esterhuizen) can play loose forward and centre, which was a tough call,” said the coach.

“But when I told him, he just took it on the chin and understood. Boan (Venter) also came off early in the match because he has to get used to the intensity of these matches, although I thought he went really well.

“I think the guys who started probably softened up the opposition, and then the bench could go and finish it. Even when Manie (Libbok) came on and Sasha (Feinberg-Mngomezulu) went to fullback, I thought everybody had a good impact.

"That comes from the players understanding that it's a 23-man effort, and the coaches made good plans, which made it easier for the players who came on from the bench.”

It is more than a 23-man effort, it is an entire squad effort to do well on tour, and we are likely to see several players who did not feature in Paris, such as Handre Pollard, Ethan Hooker and Canan Moodie, get an opportunity to carry the Bok cause forward when they clash with an Italy team that beat Australia at the weekend in Turin next weekend.