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Some victories send double weight in the statement they communicate. Among the flood of weekend rugby Tests, it was the Saturday evening outcome in Paris that will linger most enduringly across the rugby world. Not only the conclusion, but the way the style of victory. To suggest that South Africa demolished various established beliefs would be an oversimplification of the rugby year.

Surprising Comeback

Discard the notion, for example, that France would make amends for the disappointment of their World Cup last-eight loss. That entering the closing stages with a slight advantage and an numerical superiority would result in assumed success. That even without their talisman their captain, they still had ample strategies to contain the strong rivals under control.

As it turned out, it was a case of assuming victory before time. After being 17-13 down, the reduced Springboks ended up scoring 19 unanswered points, confirming their status as a side who more and more reserve their top performance for the most demanding situations. If beating New Zealand 43-10 in earlier this year was a statement, here was definitive evidence that the world’s No 1 side are cultivating an more robust mentality.

Pack Power

If anything, the coach's title-winning pack are beginning to make opposing sides look laissez-faire by juxtaposition. The Scottish and English sides each enjoyed their promising spells over the recent fixtures but did not have the same earthmovers that systematically dismantled the home side to landfill in the last half-hour. Some promising young French forwards are developing but, by the end, the match was a mismatch in experience.

Perhaps most impressive was the inner fortitude underpinning it all. Missing the second-rower – issued a 38th-minute straight red for a dangerous contact of the opposition kicker – the Boks could potentially become disorganized. As it happened they just united and set about dragging the demoralized French side to what an ex-France player described as “the hurt locker.”

Guidance and Example

Afterwards, having been hoisted around the venue on the immense frames of the lock pairing to honor his hundredth Test, the Springbok captain, the inspirational figure, repeatedly highlighted how many of his players have been required to conquer off-field adversity and how he aspired his side would in the same way continue to encourage people.

The ever-sage David Flatman also made an astute observation on sports media, proposing that the coach's achievements increasingly make him the parallel figure of the legendary football manager. In the event that the world champions do go on to secure another global trophy there will be no doubt whatsoever. Should they fail to achieve it, the smart way in which the mentor has rejuvenated a possibly veteran roster has been an object lesson to other teams.

Emerging Talent

Look no further than his young playmaker the newcomer who skipped over for the late try that effectively shattered the home defense. Or Grant Williams, a further playmaker with explosive speed and an keener ability to spot openings. Naturally it helps to have the support of a massive forward unit, with the powerful center adding physicality, but the ongoing metamorphosis of the Springboks from scowling heavyweights into a squad who can also float like butterflies and sting like bees is hugely impressive.

Home Side's Moments

This is not to imply that the French team were utterly overwhelmed, in spite of their fading performance. Their winger's later touchdown in the far side was a good illustration. The set-piece strength that tied in the visiting eight, the excellent wide ball from Ramos and Penaud’s finishing dive into the sideline boards all displayed the hallmarks of a team with significant talent, without their captain.

However, that turned out to be inadequate, which truly represents a sobering thought for competing teams. There is no way, for example, that the Scottish side could have gone 17-0 down to the world champions and mounted a comeback in the way they did versus New Zealand. And for all England’s late resurgence, there remains a gap to close before the national side can be assured of standing up to Erasmus’s green-clad giants with high stakes.

European Prospects

Overcoming an developing Fijian side proved tricky enough on match day although the upcoming showdown against the the Kiwis will be the fixture that truly shapes their autumn. New Zealand are definitely still beatable, especially missing Jordie Barrett in their midfield, but when it comes to capitalizing on opportunities they are still a cut above most the home unions.

The Scottish team were especially culpable of not finishing off the decisive blows and uncertainties still hang over the red rose's optimal back division. It is acceptable finishing games strongly – and far superior than succumbing at the death – but their notable winning sequence this year has so far shown just one success over top-drawer opposition, a one-point home victory over the French in February.

Next Steps

Hence the weight of this coming Saturday. Analyzing the situation it would seem several changes are expected in the team selection, with key players returning to the team. In the pack, in the same way, familiar faces should be included from the outset.

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