Now comes the hard part for Boks

Remarkably, the Springboks already have a better track record this year than they did for the entire of last season. Over the course of last season the Boks only won four of 12 Tests and this year they have already bettered this by winning their fifth straight game in Salta last weekend.

Another indication that they are obviously heading in the proper direction for all the right reasons.

Therefore one can understand – well sort of – why the Boks haven’t won on New Zealand soil for the last eight years since that day in Hamilton in 2009 when SA triumphed 32-29 on course to a third Tri-Nations title.

But sadly since that great day, the Boks have only managed to beat the All Blacks twice in 15 Tests – 18-5 in 2011 and 27-25 in 2014 courtesy of a last-minute long-range penalty from Pat Lambie.

But why haven’t the Boks been able to win on Australian soil since 2013? I mean, that’s completely beyond me and most of us out there.

Just look at their dismal Super Rugby performances this year. And then Sanzaar had the audacity to kick the Cheetahs and the Kings out of the competition even though the final call rested eventually with Saru.

But for three years, the Boks have gone down on Aussie soil when they appeared to be heading for a positive result – defeats of 2423 in 2014 in Perth, a four-point loss of 24-20 in 2015 in Brisbane, and a 23-17 defeat last season, again in Brisbane.

And in reference to that defeat of last year, as poor as the Boks were last year, that was yet another contest on Aussie soil they never should have lost.

Dominating the tight exchanges the Boks went into an early 14-3 lead after tries from Warren Whiteley and Johan Goosen, neither of whom are part of the current Bok set-up for various reasons.

But after that Goosen try in the 18th minute, the Boks only scored three more points in the next 62 minutes when then flyhalf Morne Steyn slotted a penalty in the 66th minute.

That was simply not good enough – even for the poor class of last season.

But let’s not dwell on the past, as Bok coach Allister Coetzee likes to say. Let dead dogs lie.

Rather wish the team well as they depart this weekend.

They are going to need all of our support.