But somehow they always bounce back
World Cup triumph, the Boks enjoyed being on top for another four years, in the process beating the British and Irish Lions and enjoying dominance over the All Blacks, winning twice in three years before Bryce Lawrence ruined it all on a barmy Saturday afternoon in Wellington to deny the team an opportunity of defending their world crown.
Since then the Boks have sunk to maiden defeats to Argentina at home and away, and even suffered the indignity of one of the greatest upsets in sport when they lost to Japan in their opening game at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
But in all of that the Boks bounced back and came within two points of making the World Cup final, and eventually finished third.
So where the Springboks stand today is not unfamiliar territory and their worth will be judged by how they come back from the disaster of Albany.
First the players need to stand up and be counted and back up their words of this renewed team culture.
There are players living on borrowed time already, and they were badly exposed by the All Blacks. Springbok coach Allister Coetzee should give them an opportunity to redeem themselves before wielding the axe.
Secondly, it has left me dumbfounded how nothing points towards Springbok assistant coaches Franco Smith and Brendan Venter, when they were being showered with praise when the team was supposedly doing well.
There is something sinister in the fragility of the Bok fans psyche in that Venter and Smith must take the glory when the team does well, but when things go wrong it is all Coetzee’s fault.
Everyone who is currently involved with the Springboks deserves a lot of stick for how things unfolded in Albany on Saturday.
However the beating and criticism should be measured, as the Springboks are known for their ability to bounce back and I hope they do because they are a better team than what we saw against the All Blacks.