South Africa’s three major national teams — the Springboks, Bafana Bafana and the Proteas — all delivered statement victories last weekend, setting the nation alight with pride and reminding the world of the country’s enduring sporting pedigree. It was a rare moment when rugby, football and cricket converged to produce a collective surge of national confidence. In Turin on Saturday, the Springboks defeated Italy 32–12 in a Test match that reaffirmed their status as the number-one team in world rugby. While the Azzurri have long outgrown their reputation as easy beats, few expected them to topple the reigning world champions. Yet the context of the Springbok victory made the result especially remarkable. South Africa were forced to play with 14 men for almost the entire match after lock Franco Mostert received a red card in the 11th minute for a tackle on Italian flyhalf Paolo Garbisi. Apart from New Zealand referee James Doleman, few observers — including commentators and analysts — ...
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