South Africa’s 43–10 demolition of New Zealand in Wellington rebalanced that rivalry and handed the All Blacks their heaviest defeat, yet Rassie Erasmus refused to let the locker room linger on the scoreboard glow. The coach spoke of growth over hype and a campaign still in the balance after a six-try away masterclass.

Perspective was the message. Erasmus praised the conviction of a reshuffled backline but warned against victory laps, noting that belief is only useful if it survives the next examination. “We have achieved nothing yet,” he said, adding that the early exchanges still held enough errors to keep the review room honest. The focus, he argued, is on standards that travel, not headlines that fade.

The current Castle Lager Championship standings support his caution. Australia lead on 11 points, with South Africa and New Zealand on 10 and Argentina on 9, a narrow spread that leaves no margin for a stumble. The Boks face the Pumas in Durban on 27 September before a London rematch a week later, a two-step that will decide whether Wellington becomes the launchpad of a title run or a bright one-off.

Cheslin Kolbe, who crossed twice in Saturday’s rout, echoed the reset on return to South African soil, with team communications signalling eyes already on Argentina rather than on the trophy photos from Sky Stadium. The winger spoke of a serious challenge ahead and the need to keep the work sharp, a note that suits Erasmus’s preference for momentum over noise as the squad regroups at home.