Rassie Erasmus hails 'special day' as Springboks secure Rugby Championship crown

The Boks secured the southern hemishphere crown with an emphatic 48-7 victory over Argentina at an electrified Mbombela Stadium on Saturday, even as Etzebeth celebrated his record-breaking 128th cap.

While the Springboks have become known for being the best finishers in the business, it was the way they came flying out of the gates and imposing themselves early that really pleased Erasmus on this occasion.

"The pressure has been on the players to gel quickly, and I must give credit to the coaching staff and all the backroom team and the guys for keeping on believing despite all the changes," he said.

"We've used 49 players this year and 35 in the Rugby Championship. But when you get to these crunch games it's the older heads and the calmer heads that sometimes pull it through and they help pull though a guy like Manie [who missed a potential match-winning penalty seven days previously].

"They understand the bigger picture and then things like this happen where all of us are privileged to sit with Eben today.

"It was gutsy performance and there was enough effort, and I do think there were brilliant plays at stages. So, it was a much better performance, it wasn't perfect but there was some really good stuff that we can build on.

"We showed good intent; Argentina are a very physical side, a nippy, great attacking side - Jerry [Flannery, defence coach] was very nervous during the week so to keep them to one score was great.

"It was a much better performance than in Argentina, but it was a good performance and something to build on.

"Overall, I'm very happy, happy for Manie, happy for South Africa. But the end-of-year tour is now our target and going through that undefeated."

The Springboks now have six weeks off to rest and recover before they return to action against Scotland at Murrayfield on November 10.

READ MORE: Etzebeth pays tribute to his Bok teammates after night to remember in Mbombela