The Springboks have captured the hearts and minds of South Africans of all races, languages and cultures. They are a symbol of excellence and unity, and show us just how great this country can be.

There are hopefully two more matches remaining for the Springboks at Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2023, including a final at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on 28 October, because it would be a fitting tribute to a team that carries more weight and expectation than any other on the planet.

Few countries need heroes more than South Africa. It's a creaking, breaking and, in some cases, broken nation. Where politicians fail, the Springboks offer some respite.

They present a piece of a country that is a little sliver of a peek into another world - a world where South Africa leads and is respected, where it is feared but also revered. The Springboks epitomise those traits and their reward is to carry the hopes of a nation on their broad, beefy shoulders.

Perhaps too much self-worth as South Africans is intertwined with the Boks' fortunes. But it's because they are a symbol of success, of a path that broader society could have chosen, and could still choose.

It's a heavy burden for those 33 young men to carry, but they carry it proudly and with purpose.

It's almost unfathomable that the greatest emblem of the best of South Africa...