iafrica.com found 10 similarities between SA's first-Test win over Aus and the Boks' RWC triumph.

Okay, so one win in Australia is not quite a Rugby World Cup victory, but we've found 10 similarities between the Proteas' first-Test win in Perth and the Boks' Rugby World Cup triumph in France last year.

Yes, they are different sports and yes, the one was a World Cup and the other is just simply a Test series, but, in effect, this is something of a world championship with the best two teams in the world going head-to-head.

Enjoy!

(1) Bit of luck:
Luck always plays a big role in anything. The All Blacks and the Wallabies losing in the RWC quarterfinals was a big shot in the arm for the Springboks; so too was Stuart Clark's elbow injury before the three-Test series.

(2) Mickey who?
A veteran of 110 first-class matches ? with an average of 33.45 ? Mickey Arthur managed a few games as a top-order batsman for SA 'A', but never came close to playing for the Proteas. Former schoolmaster Jake White was a surprise choice as Bok coach in 2004, and also had not represented his country at the highest level.

(3) Expert help:
Former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones donned a Bok tracksuit last year and became Jake White's number two and confidante at the RWC and his experience was vital for White. Mickey Arthur and co. recently added former England coach Duncan Fletcher, an experienced campaigner, to the Proteas management team for this tour and it's no surprise that one of his pupils, Jacques Kallis, made fifties in both innings'.

(4) Captain, my captain:
Arrogant and abrasive to some, Graeme Smith might not be everybody's cup of tea and some don't even rate him as good enough to play international cricket! He is, however, developing into a fine, fine captain in the mould of Bok captain John Smit, who many thought was not the best hooker in South Africa up until last year's RWC.

(5) Rule of thumb:
Losing Ashwell Prince with a cracked thumb before this Test was a huge blow ? as it was losing Jean de Villiers in the opening RWC match against Samoa. Young Frans Steyn stepped up for the Boks in France last year, pretty much like debutant JP Duminy ? who ended on 50 not out ? did in Perth on Sunday.

(6) The senior pro's:
After an iffy series against England ? in England ? earlier this year, some people questioned whether Jacques Kallis was on the wane. Scores of 63 and 57 and three second innings wickets certainly put that theory to bed, with SA's Master Batsman stepping up when it mattered most ? just like Victor Matfield's Man of the Match performance in the World Cup Final. (Makhaya Ntini's four first-innings wickets also deserve a mention here.)

(7) Team dynamics:
One thing Jake White did very well during his tenure as Bok coach was to pick players that he rated and felt would add value to his Bok squad on the whole. Bob Skinstad was never picked to start in the final and someone like Andre Pretorius was selected for a reason too. Proteas left-armer Paul Harris might not be the greatest tweaker, but he fits into the jigsaw that is the Proteas puzzle.

(8) The southpaw threat:
On any other day, left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Johnson's 11 wickets would have been enough to hand Australia this Test match. In the Rugby World Cup Final last year, 2003 World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson's three penalties ? he is a left-footer ? were all England had to show for their efforts.

(9) Against all odds:
The All Blacks were odds-on favourites to win the Rugby World Cup, with South Africa not featuring too heavily amongst the pre-tournament favourites. Not many would've given the Proteas a chance to chase down over 400 to beat a team that has dished out hiding after hiding since in 1992. For the record, this was the second-highest successful run chase in Test history; talk about achieving something against all odds.

(10) It's nice to be a winner, isn't it?
You can agree with this list if you want. You might find it the biggest waste of time... The fact is, we won and it's nice to be a winner in Australia, isn't it?!

  • Do you agree with these similarities, or do you think we've missed something out? Let us know what you think below!