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Certain wins carry double weight in the message they communicate. Amid the flood of weekend Test matches, it was the Saturday evening outcome in the French capital that will linger most enduringly across the globe. Not just the conclusion, but the way the style of victory. To claim that South Africa shattered various widely-held beliefs would be an oversimplification of the calendar.

Unexpected Turnaround

Discard the notion, for instance, that France would rectify the unfairness of their World Cup quarter-final defeat. The belief that entering the final quarter with a narrow lead and an additional player would result in assumed success. Despite missing their key player Antoine Dupont, they still had more than enough resources to keep the big beasts at a distance.

On the contrary, it was a case of assuming victory before time. Initially trailing by four points, the reduced Springboks finished by scoring 19 unanswered points, reinforcing their reputation as a team who consistently reserve their top performance for the most challenging circumstances. While defeating the All Blacks by a large margin in the last quarter was a message, this was conclusive proof that the world’s No 1 side are cultivating an more robust mentality.

Forward Dominance

If anything, the coach's champion Bok forwards are increasingly make everyone else look less committed by juxtaposition. The Scottish and English sides experienced their promising spells over the two-day period but did not have the same powerful carriers 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 end, Saturday night was a mismatch in experience.

Even more notable was the inner fortitude underpinning it all. In the absence of Lood de Jager – shown a 38th-minute straight red for a shoulder to the head of the opposition kicker – the South Africans could potentially faltered. On the contrary they just circled the wagons and proceeded to taking the disheartened French side to what a retired hooker described as “a place of suffering.”

Guidance and Example

Post-game, having been carried around the venue on the powerful backs of the lock pairing to celebrate his century of appearances, the team leader, the inspirational figure, yet again stressed how several of his squad have been obliged to conquer personal challenges and how he hoped his team would similarly continue to motivate people.

The insightful a commentator also made an shrewd point on television, proposing that the coach's achievements progressively make him the parallel figure of Sir Alex Ferguson. In the event that the world champions do go on to win a third successive World Cup there will be absolute certainty. Should they come up short, the intelligent way in which Erasmus has refreshed a potentially ageing roster has been an masterclass to everyone.

New Generation

Look no further than his emerging number 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu who darted through for the closing score that properly blew open the home defense. Or the scrum-half, a second backline player with blistering pace and an even sharper vision for space. Undoubtedly it is beneficial to play behind a dominant set of forwards, with the powerful center riding shotgun, but the ongoing metamorphosis of the South African team from intimidating giants into a squad who can also float like butterflies and strike decisively is hugely impressive.

French Flashes

Which is not to say that the French team were completely dominated, notwithstanding their weak ending. Damian Penaud’s second try in the right corner was a good illustration. The set-piece strength that occupied the Bok forwards, the glorious long pass from the playmaker and the winger's clinical finish into the sideline boards all demonstrated the characteristics of a team with considerable ability, even in the absence of Dupont.

Yet that in the end was not enough, which truly represents a daunting prospect for competing teams. It is inconceivable, for instance, that the Scottish side could have fallen behind by 17 points to the Springboks and mounted a comeback in the way they did against the All Blacks. Notwithstanding the English team's last-quarter improvement, there remains a gap to close before Steve Borthwick’s squad can be certain of facing the world's top team with all at stake.

Home Nations' Tests

Defeating an Pacific Island team was challenging on the weekend although the upcoming showdown against the New Zealand will be the match that accurately reflects their autumn. New Zealand are not invincible, notably absent an influential back in their backline, but when it comes to converting pressure into points they remain a cut above the majority of the northern hemisphere teams.

The Scottish team were especially culpable of failing to hammer home the final nails and uncertainties still apply to England’s ideal backline blend. It is fine finishing games strongly – and infinitely better than losing them late on – but their commendable nine-match unbeaten run this year has so far included just a single victory over top-drawer opposition, a narrow win over Les Bleus in the winter.

Future Prospects

Thus the importance of this coming Saturday. Interpreting the signals it would appear several changes are likely in the starting lineup, with established stars coming back to the lineup. Up front, in the same way, regular starters should be included from the outset.

However perspective matters, in rugby as in existence. Between now and the 2027 World Cup the {rest