As much as 2021 was a year of restoration after the wipeout of their playing schedule in 2020, the Springboks also invested in battles ahead.
The first objective was to continue where they left off as winners of the 2019 Rugby World Cup (RWC). For the World Champions and top-ranked side in the world it was vital to prove they were worthy of their lofty perch.
The Boks achieved that but also continued to build the kind of human capital that will stand them in good stead at the 2023 RWC in France.
Their selection policy revolved around building experience while introducing Jasper Wiese, Aphelele Fassi, Joseph Dweba, Jaden Hendrikse and Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg to the Test arena.
Besides, the most pressing engagement of the year was the series against the British & Irish Lions and for that task they needed to assemble grizzled men who have shone in the game’s harshest light.
While achieving that objective Bok coach Jacques Nienaber and Co also deepened the pool of experience in the squad.
Joining Eben Etzebeth, Willie le Roux, Frans Steyn, Siya Kolisi and Pieter-Steph du Toit in the over 50-cap club this year were Handré Pollard, Steven Kitshoff, Damian de Allende, Lood de Jager, Trevor Nyakane and Franco Mostert.
That Bongi Mbonambi (48), Malcolm Marx (46), Frans Malherbe (46) and Elton Jantjies (44) will join the group next season will be equally reassuring for the coach.
If the Boks continue to chart the same course they will arrive at the next RWC with a vastly experienced squad.
That they completed a 13-Test roster this year would have been gratifying to Nienaber. That they won eight is satisfactory but their report card would have looked better had they conquered England in their final match.
A win at Twickenham was not to be after a taxing year.
They had to display flexibility and mental fortitude to deal with the obstacles in their path as a result of the pandemic. The extended periods away from home where they had to exist in near suffocating bio-bubbles would have consumed lesser teams.
They went into the series against the Lions having played just warm-up Tests.
They lost the first Test, largely down to a poor referee.
The fallout was seismic. It is still felt by SA director of rugby Rassie Erasmus whose analysis of the officials’ foibles went viral.
As for his post first-Test outburst, it perhaps got the desired result as the Boks won the second Test, before Morne Steyn repeated his heroics of 2009 by banging over the decisive penalty to bring down the curtain on a series played in acrimony.
The Boks had an easier time as they introduced new caps against Argentina before crossing the Indian Ocean and Australia to take up lengthy residence in a bio-bubble.
Twin losses to Australia were followed by an agonising defeat in Townsville to the All Blacks in their 100th clash against the old foe.
Perhaps their most satisfying win came a week later when they downed the All Blacks 31-29.
The Blitzboks never played New Zealand. It perhaps helped smooth their path to another World Sevens Series title after wins in Vancouver and Edmonton, before starting the new campaign with back-to-back wins in Dubai.
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