Another series of Northern Exposure may have had a predictable ending but the plot was more surprising. On a weekend when the Southern Hemisphere giants clocked up 114 points between them, who would have thought that the half-century would be conceded not in Manchester or Edinburgh, but in Paris?
Nick Mallett, the urbane new coach of the Springboks, knows one or two things about half-centuries. An Oxford Blue in rugby, cricket and bridge, the England-born Mallett once struck Ian Botham for three sixes in an over. But even he was stumped by the scale of the world champions' victory.
During a series of interviews deep in the bowels of the Parc, Mallett switched seamlessly from English to French. But in his own language he confessed himself "bewildered" at inflicting France's worst defeat on their last international in the stadium.
Actually, the 42-point margin was once equalled in Paris when Wales beat the French 47-5. But that, the first game between the nations in the city, was in 1909.
France had never conceded a half-century, and now they have lost to the Sringboks on the last five occasions, including two home series defeats in successive autumns. As Saturday night settled on the Parc, the stadium became enveloped in fog, an apt metaphor for the team that has lost its way.
Only eight months earlier, France had completed their last Five Nations campaign here with an epic victory over Scotland to secure a Grand Slam. Since then, they have been undermined by Australia, who won their two-match series last June, and now by a South African team being given a new lease of life by Mallett since their own traumas against the Lions.
"There is no way that French rugby is 40 points worse than South African rugby, but sometimes this can be a strange game," Mallett said generously. "I have said in the past that New Zealand, on their day, are perhaps 15 per cent better than the rest of the world and that, on their day, South Africa, England, France and Australia could all beat each other. Now perhaps we and the All Blacks are inching ahead of the pack."
Twickenham next Saturday will see if the Springboks, who scored seven tries to one in Paris, are in a different league. It must be said that French ineptitude helped their cause. In the shops around the Parc the Joyeux Noel signs were in the windows: some of the tries came gift-wrapped.
Wretched luck played a part, too. In the 15th minute, France were four points adrift and showing an enterprise that promised a feast of open rugby. Abdel Benazzi was driving away like the one-man pack of old and Stephane Glas showing dazzling midfield skills. But when the hooker, Marc Dal Maso, flung out a wayward pass near the South African 22, it was intercepted by the Free State flanker John Erasmus.
It was the perfect chance for Erasmus to display les qualites explosives so prophetically remarked upon in the programme. But he appeared to be running out of steam when he slipped an inside pass to the left-wing Pieter Rossouw to run in the first of his four tries.
Rossouw may not have the build of Jonah Lomu but his stature is increasing. "He is one of the greatest wings I have ever seen. He is a devastating runner with pace and power on the outside," said Mallett.
Guardian Service
France: J-L Sadourny; D Venditti (L Leflamand 47), C Lamaison, S Glas, P SaintAndre (D Casadei 77); T Lacroix, F Galthie (J Cazalbou 55, D Aucagne 69); F Tournaire, M Dal Maso (R Ibanez 65), C Califano, O Brouzet, O Merle, A Benazzi, L Cabannes (F Pelous 41), P Benetton.
South Africa: Snyman, D Muir, P Rossouw (J de Beer 79); H Honiball, W Swanepoel; A Garvey, J Dalton, O du Randt, M Andrews, K Otto, G Teichmann, A Venter, J Erasmus (A Aitken 49).
Referee: P O'Brien (New Zealand).
