Beating Australia in Australia came as little surprise to Faf de Klerk, even though the margin of victory arguably did cock an eyebrow.
The Springboks collected a healthy bounty of 10 points while Down Under in back-to-back Rugby Championship matches against the Wallabies, both eventually won comfortably.
The world champions scored 63 points through nine tries, and conceded 19 points in the 33-7 and 30-12 victories.
Bok mentor Rassie Erasmus committed to fielding two matchday 23s for each game, too, giving opportunity for all his players in the 33-man squad to have a run and develop their game. It was a near-perfect tour in those respects.
Due to injury, De Klerk played no part in those matches, and will most likely also miss out in the coming weeks when the Boks host the All Blacks in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
The 32-year-old was, nevertheless, impressed with what he saw.
“I expected that from them (the Boks),” said De Klerk this week at the Johannesburg launch of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship.
“There is quality in the team now, and Australia has been struggling the last few games.
“(Australia) have quality players, but there is a lot of restructuring going on there. I was more surprised at how convincingly we won. It is one of the toughest Test matches away, so it is a great result for us.
“This is only the beginning. To blood so many guys and to get the results, it shows the boys are really putting in the work.”
The Boks have not won the Rugby Championship since 2019, but the two victories over the Wallabies have left them in good stead to launch a title-winning campaign.
Beating the All Blacks could well secure a fifth Championship trophy, and returning from Australia with a full complement of points will no doubt help that cause.
“We have a lot of confidence coming back from Australia,” said the scrumhalf. “But they (the All Blacks) are also going to have a lot of confidence, definitely after that good win against Argentina (a thumping 42-10 victory).
“They know they need to beat us at least once to stand a chance of getting close … It is going to be very tightly contested.
“Both sides are willing to have a go and have a run, but I also think that whoever is going to pitch up physically is going to win the game.”
Double world champion De Klerk has collected 58 caps in a career that started in 2016 against Ireland.
“This is only the beginning. To blood so many guys and to get the results, it shows the boys are really putting in the work.” – Faf de Klerk
At the World Cup in 2019, De Klerk was the undisputed No 9, holding on to the jersey at the expense of Cobus Reinach and Herschel Jantjies.
Four years later, the Boks famously shipped De Klerk, Reinach, Grant Williams and Jaden Hendrikse to France as halfback options. Most recently, Morné van den Berg has been added to the scrumhalf stocks.
The boom in the country’s No 9 stocks has made De Klerk reassess his role in the squad as competing players earn opportunities.
De Klerk has been impressed with the new scrumhalves coming through, and is happy to help their development.
“Those players have always been there,” he opined.
“Morné has recently started to get great opportunities to play. He is backing himself. Sanele (Nohamba), the move to the Lions helped him a lot. Sometimes, for me, a new environment creates a bit more freedom and gives you an edge, so he is flourishing there.
“They have always been there but only now are they coming to the fore and getting opportunities.
“Where South African rugby is and how the forwards are playing, and the backlines that are currently there, it gives them a bit more freedom and enjoyment.”
De Klerk will know the seriousness of his thigh injury next week, but until then, he will watch on as Williams, Hendrikse, Reinach and Van den Berg continue to build depth at scrumhalf.