DISCLAIMER: This article refers to Episode 3 of Chasing the Sun 2 and contains spoilers from the episode. The episode is available on Catch-up while new episodes air at 8pm on Sundays on M-Net.
After the loss to Ireland, the complacency that the Springbok management saw needed to be addressed.
It was apparent - perhaps not to the outside world, but that edge wasn’t there. That belief was dented.
And while it may be unfamiliar to those outside the inner circle of the Bok camp, the only way to deal with issues is head on. Face it like adults, put aside the egos and soldier on.
QUARTERFINAL SHOCK
The shock factor of hearing that only five or six guys were in the team for the quarterfinals may be new for many fans, but such was the seriousness of the situation that a jolt of reality had to come their way.
Few would ever think that the likes of Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi or Duane Vermeulen would ever be in jeopardy of a place in the Bok team for a World Cup quarterfinal.
But they needed to be jolted. They needed a reality check. And they needed time behind closed doors to sort themselves out.
And that, in all its simplicity, was what happened.
The big dogs needed to hunt like a pack. The unity in the team needed to be restored. The “Dawg” - as the team likes often to refer to the mongrel in the pack, needed to be returned.
Episode three took us into the heart of a defeat, the reality of tough choices and how a professional unit sorts these out. Often it isn’t comfortable, it isn’t pretty but it is necessary.
And the willingness to make tough choices is what makes this team special.
There was also a level of insight into the unbelievable level of detail that the Boks put in before the ultimate quarterfinal clash - a game worthy of a final.
THE CHESLIN CHASE
From Cheslin Kolbe meticulously counting out Thomas Ramos’ steps and quirks when taking a conversion - a level of detail that gave him the slightest of chances to charge down a kick - a two point swing in a one-point game to the “Purple” move - where Rassie Erasmus spotted a minor flaw in the French defence, the detail was astounding.
Kolbe’s moment was exceptional and punctuated by Frans Malherbe who reminded us that “this is a team that chases lost causes” - a monumental shift brought about by massive detail studied before the game.
'THAT' MARK
And it was the insight that lifted the lid of Damian Willemse’s infamous scrum call to mark in his own 22. To stop the French forwards from resting during play they changed the dynamic of the game, astounding us all.
But it had to be backed up by a monster scrum. And Daan Human’s pack provided that. Chasing a lost cause, changing the narrative, upsetting the norms.
The “Wild Dogs” were hunting again and they gave the Boks a chance against the odds. One which was fascinating to watch, especially armed with the new info that episode three handed us.
Enthralling doesn’t even come close to describing it.