King-boks South Africa send an ominous message with 14-man victory over stunned France

Some wins count double in terms of the message they send. And amid the blizzard of weekend Tests it was Saturday's result in Paris that will resonate the longest in both hemispheres. Not only the outcome, either, but the manner of it. To say South Africa exploded a few cosy theories would be the understatement of the rugby year.

- Robert Kitson

So much for the idea, for example, that France would avenge the injustice of their World Cup quarter-final defeat to the Springboks. That entering the final quarter with a narrow lead and an extra man would translate into inevitable glory. That even without their talisman Antoine Dupont they still had more than enough tranquiliser darts to keep the big beasts safely at bay.

Instead it was a case of counting their poulets prematurely. Having been 17-13 down, the 14-man Boks ended up scoring 19 unanswered points, reinforcing their status as a side who increasingly save their best for the most challenging scenarios. If beating New Zealand 43-10 in Wellington in September was a statement, here was conclusive proof the world's No 1 side are developing an even thicker skin.

If anything, Rassie Erasmus's champion Bok forwards are starting to make everyone else look laissez-faire by comparison. Scotland and England both had their moments over the weekend but possessed nothing like the same earthmovers that effectively reduced France to landfill in the last halfhour. Some promising young French forwards are coming through but, by the end, Saturday night was hommes contre garçons.