Champions, the Springboks lost. But did you see what everyone else did?

Champions! Grab a cup of coffee and sit down. We need to discuss the sporting success of South Africa during the past week. 

OK, in fact, let's start with the big one that wasn’t a success, because it's been eating at me since Sunday. The Springboks lost 42–38 to the Wallabies in Perth.

I know. Breathe. Have a sip of that coffee.

Now, in fairness, Rassie Erasmus made 13 changes from the team that played the All Blacks. Thirteen. That's not a rotation, Champions. That's pretty much a whole new team. 

And here's the crazy part I can't let go of. The game became so ridiculous at the end with Australia trying every trick in the book to slow it all down, that they ended up with 11 players on the field. Eleven men. That's not a rugby team, that's a cricket team. Let’s not forget all the time wasted for each yellow card as the referee had to then phone the TMO. I might be cynical, but I think the Wallabies sacrificed players to wind the clock down. 

But sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. That's sport. And let's be honest, this is exactly what ‘Chasing the Sun 3’ needs. Every great documentary needs a low point. The sad piano. Rassie staring out of a hotel window in Perth. Someone saying "we'll learn from this" in slow motion. 

Right. Time for the good news. There's lots of it.  

The Proteas beat Australia 2–1 in the ODI series. It kicked off at Kingsmead in Durban, where Matthew Breetzke made 112, Marco Jansen smacked 75 and Keshav Maharaj took 4 for 20. Australia were bowled out for 230 and lost by 67 runs. Durban hospitality. Come for the bunny chow, leave with a defeat.

Then came Pink Day at the Wanderers, and this one got me. The Proteas wore the names of breast cancer survivors on their shirts. David Miller's said "Jenny". That's his mom. She's beaten breast cancer, and she was in the stands with his dad. So what does Miller do? He makes 142 off 93 balls. Twelve fours. Nine sixes. The highest ODI score of his whole career, on the day his mom's name was on his back. You can't script this stuff. Afterwards he said, "My mom hasn't stopped crying for the past 24 hours." Oh, and Temba Bavuma made 103, South Africa won the game by 32 runs and the series. Six ODI series wins in a row against Australia.  

Australia did win the last one in Potchefstroom by 45 runs on DLS, but it was a rotated team, it was raining, and Ryan Rickelton was out there on 71 not out. Keshav Maharaj was named Player of the Series. Lots of positives to take from the series ahead of the World Cup next year. We’ll take the L in the dead rubber,

Bafana Bafana. Pitso is back and Champions, so are we. A 2–1 win over Guinea at Orlando, with goals from Ime Okon and Samukele Kabini. Two defenders scoring like someone told them the strikers had the day off. Then 5-0 against Eritrea in Cairo. Relebohile Mofokeng scored twice, his first goals for Bafana in his 19th cap. Sphephelo Sithole, Iqraam Rayners and Luther Singh joined the party. Six points from six, top of Group D, and a friendly against Egypt on Sunday. 

The Springbok Women beat Italy 41-29 in Pordenone. Six tries, two of them from Anushka Groenewald, and their first ever win on Italian soil.

And then Ricardo "Magic Man" Malajika flew to Tokyo and came back as the WBC super flyweight champion of the world. Twelve rounds, split decision, world title. 

So let's take stock. The Proteas won a series. Bafana Bafana won twice. The Springbok Women made history. We have a world champion.

And here's the thing. If you'd forced me to bet every cent in my bank account on which South African team would lose this week, I would never have put it on the Springboks. Never. Admittedly, I'm Funemployed, so my bank account is mostly vibes and a bouncing Netflix subscription, but still.

That's what makes it special. The Springboks lose so rarely that when they do, it's a documentary and we all lose our minds. 

The Proteas' Test series against Australia starts at Hollywoodbetds Kingsmead on the 9th of October. Bring a hat. Or an umbrella. Or both. You never know with Durban. Especially when there’s cricket.

Being South African is a flex and this past week reminded us of that.

I love you. 5-nils.

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