After the selection of Luan Giliomee, Markus Muller and Yaqeen Ahmed, one could be pulled into the idea of the Italy Test being experimental in selection, even with past results and performances against Italy not necessarily going to plan.

It seemed like Rassie saw it as a chance to kind of get the guys on the same page after a club break and also to make no mistake about the points difference in the log standings. Furthermore, the team to face France has already been announced as of Monday with minimal changes (but you know Rassie, Eben Etzebeth replaces Ahmed on tour, so there might be late changes as usual in these big weeks).

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How do you look at this Test? Utterly dominant from the start. The Boks’ kick-and-rabid chase, the strong set piece and work rate that is hard to quantify in terms of quick recycling. Also, the turnovers that leave the opposition vulnerable to mismatches, which we saw a few times.

The problem with such a dominant performance is deciding what deserves praise and what was simply the result of the opposition not being good enough. There is a temptation to take every successful passage of play as evidence that the system is working perfectly, but when the opposition cannot consistently put you under pressure, how much are you actually learning about yourself?

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The Boks’ biggest strengths were the set piece, reliance on exiting kick-offs, the box-kick and chase and the measured rabidness in the chase. These aren’t interesting points or something that reveals an insight that makes you think about next week.

The question is rather: how do you prepare for the unpreparables? France will no doubt be better at the set piece, kick-off receipt and general line-speed pressure, so while a good showing puts you in the best position for the following week, it’s nothing more than a very poor simulation or captain’s run.

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It’s difficult to replicate the pressure of a team that can match you physically at times and punish you when your execution drops. Against Italy, the Boks could dictate the terms of the contest. Against France, those terms will be negotiated at every collision, every restart and every breakdown. The things that looked comfortable this weekend might suddenly require far more effort.

Personally, I believe in the adage that you learn more from defeat because areas for improvement are vastly more evident, and we were never going to lose this one. So what do we learn from this win? I believe it’s not in the 45–0 at half-time but rather the changes. Cameron Hanekom comes on and does a job, so does Paul de Villiers. Ethan Hooker moved to inside centre, Manie Libbok came on and Sacha played fullback. Grant Williams is on at wing but also playing scrumhalf in what is a half-scrumhalf role or scrumhalf-sharing role with Van den Berg, and it stutters at times with all these changes, but it doesn’t feel weakened.

Perhaps that is the real value of the exercise. Not whether the starting fifteen could overwhelm Italy but whether the combinations could survive being pulled apart and rearranged. It’s one thing to have depth on a team sheet, it’s another to have players changing positions and responsibilities without the entire operation falling apart. That is something Rassie can take into a more demanding Test with some level of confidence.

It’s a very interesting match-up this weekend in that both teams are seeing changes from the RWC meeting of the past and trying to find balance. Both also rely on the SIMILAR strengths for the most part. France will have the benefit of home ground, but we tend to meet them there and I feel like it’s more of a measuring stick of creativity, ingenuity and who’s more pragmatic following the epic RWC meeting in preparation for the big show next year, whether we meet each other or not.

Courtney Jameson and Chris Nkomo run the @dummyswitchpod. Be sure to follow them on X.