After having the night to digest Ireland's agonising losses at the hands of South Africa - it's still a weird feeling - it's time to look at how the South Africans reacted to the game. Did they think that Ireland controlled the game like we did? Do they think that altitude was as big a factor? Or is the view from down south that the status quo is back, and that the Boks will steamroll Ireland in the final test?
Well, it's a little of everything. The vast majority of the media were hailing the 'inspirational' Boks, but there were one or two shrewd commentators who acknowledged the effects of altitude. There was only one however, who was wary of Schmidt's men for the third test, and most think that South Africa will finish the job.
Supersport were the most bullish about South Africa. Gavin Rich complimented Coetzee for his infusion of the Lions players who swung the game - Ruan Combrinck, Warren Whiteley, Julian Redelinghuys, and Franco Mostert who all came off the bench.
It's his opinion that Ireland look tired, and are now there for the taking:
The Irish looked battered and tired in the last minutes and it will be the Boks who go to Port Elizabeth with all the momentum after they were dominated for the first three of the four halves played so far in 2016.
The Times agreed with that, but think that should Coetzee get his team selection right, the Boks will have too much in the final test. Chumani Bambani was almost very condescending about Ireland and the suggestion that South Africa nearly suffered "an embarrassingconsecutive defeat‚ and series defeat in the three-match incoming tour against the Irish."
Bambani was fiercely critical of Coetzee, and says that the Lions players like Jaco Kriel and Combrinck need to be in the side to face Ireland in the third test.
That seems to be the consensus around South Africa, and the two sets of player ratings we found were incredibly harsh on some individuals. Rugby365.com weren't impressed with Lwazi Mvovo (1), Willie le Roux, Duane Vermuelen, Frans Malherbe, and Tendai Mtawarira (2), or a whole host of other players with a 3, three 4's, and a 5 also awarded. There was special praise reserved for Combrinck (9), de Klerk, and Bok bench.
Combrinck also got a 9 in the Afrikaans paper Netwerk - who had the vast majority of the Boks between 4 and 6. Mvovo was the lowest with a 3.
Rugby365 also had an Irish player ratings, which seemed much harsher than ours. Robbie Henshaw was given a 4, and Tadhg Furlong - with the comment that "Brilliant at scrum time and dominated his opponents." was awarded a 6?
But Jon Cardinelli of Rugbymag South Africa was the most afraid of what Ireland can do. Cardinelli is worried about how poor South Africa are right now, and isn't sure that the coach's message is getting across.
He points to the loss against Ireland in 2014 for South Africa as the start of their slide into mediocrity, and how the Boks took their eye off the ball. He thinks that just because South Africa won, doesn't mean that they should be complimented:
The emotional win against Ireland this past Saturday demands reflection. Granted, there were moments in the second half where the Boks played some good rugby and the crowd cheered as if their team had recaptured the Webb Ellis Cup. But these moments were few and far between, and the collective performance was, to sum it up in one word, shocking.
Cardinelli has consistently given Ireland more credit than the rest of South Africa, and it's perhaps not surprising that his final words were one of warning for the Boks:
The Boks obtained their first win under Coetzee this past Saturday. However, the players as well as the coaching staff still have everything to prove in the coming game.
