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Some victories deliver double importance in the lesson they communicate. Amid the flurry of weekend rugby Tests, it was Saturday night's outcome in Paris that will resonate most profoundly across both hemispheres. Not just the end result, but the way the manner of achievement. To suggest that the Springboks shattered various widely-held theories would be an oversimplification of the rugby year.

Shifting Momentum

Forget about the idea, for instance, that the French team would make amends for the unfairness of their World Cup last-eight loss. That entering the last period with a slight advantage and an extra man would translate into assumed success. Despite missing their star man Antoine Dupont, they still had ample tranquiliser darts to restrain the big beasts under control.

On the contrary, it was a case of assuming victory before time. Initially behind on the scoreboard, the South African side with a player sent off finished by racking up 19 points without reply, reinforcing their status as a team who increasingly deliver their finest rugby for the toughest scenarios. Whereas defeating the All Blacks by a large margin in earlier this year was a declaration, this was clear demonstration that the top-ranked team are building an even thicker skin.

Set-Piece Superiority

Actually, Rassie Erasmus’s experienced front eight are starting to make all other teams look less intense by contrast. The Scottish and English sides each enjoyed their promising spells over the recent fixtures but possessed nothing like the same dominant forwards that systematically dismantled France to ruins in the final thirty minutes. Some promising young French forwards are developing but, by the final whistle, Saturday night was men against boys.

Perhaps most impressive was the psychological resilience driving it all. Without their lock forward – issued a red card in the first half for a shoulder to the head of the opposition kicker – the Springboks could easily have become disorganized. Instead they merely regrouped and began pulling the disheartened boys in blue to what one former French international called “extreme physical pressure.”

Guidance and Example

Following the match, having been borne aloft around the Stade de France on the gigantic shoulders of the lock pairing to mark his century of appearances, the team leader, the inspirational figure, repeatedly highlighted how many of his squad have been needed to overcome life difficulties and how he wished his side would likewise continue to motivate people.

The perceptive David Flatman also made an perceptive observation on television, suggesting that the coach's achievements progressively make him the parallel figure of Sir Alex Ferguson. In the event that the world champions manage to win a third successive World Cup there will be complete assurance. In case they fall short, the clever way in which the coach has refreshed a experienced squad has been an object lesson to other teams.

Young Stars

Consider his emerging number 10 the newcomer who darted through for the closing score that properly blew open the French windows. And also another half-back, a second backline player with blistering pace and an keener eye for a gap. Undoubtedly it helps to operate behind a dominant set of forwards, with the powerful center adding physicality, but the ongoing metamorphosis of the Boks from physically imposing units into a side who can also float like butterflies and sting like bees is remarkable.

French Flashes

However, it should not be thought that the French team were completely dominated, notwithstanding their weak ending. The wing's later touchdown in the far side was a clear example. The power up front that tied in the visiting eight, the superb distribution from the playmaker and Penaud’s finishing dive into the sideline boards all displayed the traits of a side with notable skill, even in the absence of their captain.

Yet that in the end was insufficient, which really is a daunting prospect for everybody else. It is inconceivable, for example, that the visitors could have gone 17-0 down to the Springboks and mounted a comeback in the way they did versus New Zealand. And for all the red rose's strong finish, there still exists a distance to travel before the national side can be confident of standing up to the South African powerhouses with high stakes.

Northern Hemisphere Challenges

Overcoming an developing Fijian side proved tricky enough on match day although the forthcoming clash against the the Kiwis will be the contest that accurately reflects their November Tests. New Zealand are not invincible, particularly without an influential back in their midfield, but when it comes to converting pressure into points they remain a level above almost all the northern hemisphere teams.

The Thistles were especially culpable of failing to hammer home the killing points and doubts still surround England’s optimal back division. It is acceptable finishing games strongly – and much preferable than succumbing at the death – but their commendable nine-match unbeaten run this year has so far shown just one success over top-drawer opposition, a one-point home victory over the French in earlier in the year.

Future Prospects

Hence the significance of this coming Saturday. Analyzing the situation it would seem several changes are anticipated in the team selection, with established stars coming back to the side. Up front, in the same way, familiar faces should all be back from the start.

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