Head coach Rassie Erasmus will take charge of the Springboks for the 50th time this weekend, while skipper Siya Kolisi will win his 100th Test cap.

Rassie Erasmus and Siya Kolisi have seen it all over the course of their eight-year partnership, and yet, the 2023 World Cup quarterfinal against France still ranks as one of their most exhausting assignments.

Even now, as they prepare for a rematch against Les Bleus in Paris on Saturday, the memories of that brutal playoff endure.

Emotional toll

The game itself was played at a frantic pace, with the Boks going toe-to-toe with a French side renowned for its all-court game.

Cheslin Kolbe timed his run to perfection to charge down Thomas Ramos' attempted conversion and deny the hosts two points. Late in the game, Kwagga Smith won a breakdown penalty, before stand-in captain Bongi Mbonambi told Handré Pollard to slot the match-winner "for South Africa".

It was in the aftermath of that 29-28 result, however, where things took an ugly turn.

France captain Antoine Dupont led an attack on referee Ben O'Keefe, prompting a nationwide outrage that soured the final two weeks of the tournament.

When the Boks took to the...