Like the time I scored 10ft Pipeline all by myself, got out the water to a warm embrace from Whitney Port, found a winning lottery ticket in the sand, discovered a way to eat as much McDonalds as I like without getting fat and then stumbled into a leprechaun who showed me the way to a pot of gold, the last two weeks of Bok rugby seem to be something out of a dream. We’ve been good in the past, but never this good. Even during the World Cup it always felt like the rugby gods were shining pretty brightly on us. But during the last two matches we have been absolutely rampant. Solid gameplan, killer pack and hungry backs, no Jaco van der Westhuizen. It really seems too good to be true, but considering the path we’ve taken to get here, is it?

Any arsehole with half a brain in their heads can tell you that the foundation left behind by Jake White was incredible. A World Cup winning squad with more talent in it than the Terrace on Wednesday night, a captain to end all captains and a nice and shiny trophy in the cabinet illustrate that Pieter de Villiers really did land with his bum in the butter. For a few hairy months, we thought that he may just metaphor the Springboks back into the dark days of Straeuli and Co. There was the booing at Kings Park, the sex in the Car Park and the unbelievable slew of nonsensical ramblings that had us all cringing in our Teesavs. But strewn amongst all that were a few little gems; the win in Dunedin, pumping bullets into the Wallabies at Ellis Park, running riot over the International Invitational Xv Formerly Known as England and more recently, a Lions series triumph. But these were all a bit too haphazardly spaced for my liking. A good half here, a terrible 80 there. But these last two fixtures have been 160 minutes of pure, unadulterated heat. And here’s why.

1. Fetcher. Jake White said the only fetcher he needed was his kid to grip him a frosty out of the fridge. Well, if Heinrich Brussouw served this purpose Jake would have a pile of 37 frothing Castles at his feet in about 15 minutes. To say that the man from Bloem has taken the opportunity granted to him by Schalk’s combination of injury and idiocy is to understate in the highest degree. Our loose trio, after so many years of being made of of terrifically strong and intimidating carriers, is finally a complete package. Brussouw’s combination of incredible strength (ask Fanta Williams), superb technique and unbelievable commitment to the cause means that the other two can put all their focus on their own jobs. And have you noticed that Spies has played two titanic games? Coincidence? I think not. Long may Heinrich last, a man who plays with that much heart and drive deserves to go down in Bok lore as one of the true legends and if he continues his career as he’s started it, I am absolutely certainly will.

2. Flyhalf. For so long we have searched and searched for someone to wear the 10 jersey with pride. Butch James, as terrific as he was, was unfortunately plagued by too many injuries for his true talent to shine through. Jaco van der Westhuizen was a finger in the dyke at best and a crazed lunatic climbing poles at the worst. Nobody else has been there long enough in the last decade to earn a mention. And now we have two flyhalves of great talent, both of whom have performed in their most recent outings. Ruan Pienaar the gifted natural ballplayer and Morne Steyn the cool-headed picture of perfect motion. While Pienaar may offer a little more in terms of defence and open play, Steyn gets his line away well and he can kick pretty decently as well. The pundits have said for as long as I’ve cared to listen that you cannot play a test match without a first-rate kicker, and the universe has finally answered our prayers with a man who missed kicks as often as Graeme Smith misses a buffet. At the moment, my leanings are towards Steyn with Pienaar providing double cover on the bench, purely because you cannot fault a man who scores 31 points against the All Blacks, missing only one from nine kicks at goal. With a little more experience he’ll start taking the ball a little flatter (about my only complaint in his game), the team will build around him and we will have all the ingredients of one of the great teams of all time. Heat.

3. Gameplan. Rugby coaches have, for years, found difficulty in striking a balance between an exciting running game and a grinding, rumbling game that wins matches. The only teams that I can think of that have truly done this are the Wallabies of 1999 and the Crusaders of Robbie Deans. It takes a startling mix of talent in the right positions and a smart strategy for this to work, and I think we may just have it. Deans’ ‘Saders were renowned for their kick-and-chase, which enabled them to win key ball in opposition territory. Marshall, Merhtens (and later that man Dan) and MacDonald all had impeccable boots and hungry chasers backed up by a master at the breakdown. Looking at the Boks ‘09, there seem to be some parallels. Furthermore, the venom that Messers de Villiers, Fourie, Habana and Pietersen offer on the fly give us the option to sting out wide when necessary (please refer to all the tries from the Loftus Lions test). With a little refinement and a little bit more variety, we’ll be able to adapt to the counterplays that Deans is almost certain to come up with. But with the great minds we have littered all over the park in key positions, I certainly believe that we can do it.

4. Captain. “O Captain, My Captain” wrote Walt Whitman back in 1865. This handsome blogger is saying the same thing in 2009. Say what you will about his logs, or the fact that he’s a tighthead convert, but John Smit has everything to do with our dominance. When he’s off the field we lose focus. He drives the team and binds them together. When he speaks off the field, the world listens and takes notes. He’d take a bullet for the Springboks and you, me and every man playing underneath him knows it. And that’s why he’s so great. He doesn’t need to try and make us believe in him, we do simply by looking at him. And his tighthead game improves weekly, but if it means keeping him on the park, I’ll have him there no matter what his form’s like.

While this may be a rather curtailed list, I think it highlights most of the important changes that have taken place. There are many other positives; our lineouts, our scrums, our centers, Fourie du Preez. All of these, combined with what I’ve said above, give this Bok side the ability to become one of the greatest of all time. A loss this weekend, heaven forbid, could bring this all tumbling down and it’s for that exact reason that I didn’t write this post last week, but I hope that what I’ve said above shows that regardless of what does happen, the foundation is there. Personally, I’d like to think that this side has the talent and the composure to keep the winning wheels rolling despite what will be a sterner test from a very wily and talented Australian outfit, and I’ll be wearing the hell out of my green underpants on Saturday. Shit, I’ll probably bust them on Friday for good measure and do the ol’ inside-out trick to get the extra mileage I need out of them for a Bok weekend to remember.

My blood is green.

Peace.